Public dock on Wild Horse Island moving forward

Future explorers headed for Wild Horse Island will find landing less difficult now that the Montana Legislature handily passed a bill authorizing construction of a public dock.

Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, introduced House Bill 82 on behalf of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The goal was to improve access for less able-bodied people and lessen impacts to private landowners on the island, many of whom have their own docks.

“Members of the public are somewhat confused at times — they think these private docks are public docks,” Hertz said during a hearing before the Senate Fish and Game Committee. “A lot of times the cabins are empty, so they kind of look inviting to tie your boat up to.”

HB 82 passed in the House by 94-5 on Jan. 13 and passed in the Senate by 45-3 on Feb. 4. No one spoke in opposition during two committee hearings. The bill is headed to Gov. Steve Bullock’s desk for his signature.

About 90,000 visitors travel to the island each year to experience the diverse range of wildlife living in the Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests and native grassland, including bighorn sheep, eagles, coyotes, osprey and mule deer. Several wild horses remain on the island, but they are not descended from the island’s original namesakes.

The 2,163-acre state park on Flathead Lake’s largest island is accessible only by boat at six public landing sites. The current plan calls for a 60-foot floating dock to accommodate six to 10 vessels.

The dock will be located at the Skeeko Bay landing, which receives about 90 percent of traffic to the island. The dock also will help reduce damage to the island’s shoreline, caused by repeated boat landings that create erosive wave action.

The 2013 legislature appropriated $40,000 for construction of a public dock on Wild Horse Island, but the agency realized it would need explicit lawmaker approval when it began an environmental assessment for the project, Montana State Parks administrator Chas Van Genderen said.

The agency also will need approval from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, said Betsy Kirkeby, a public relations specialist for Montana State Parks.

Once signed into law, the state could begin an environmental assessment, which would be followed by a public comment period and a bidding period for the construction contract.