The North Fork tourist dilemma

I am not often surprised by opinions concerning the management of the North Fork’s public lands. I was mildly surprised when I was informed of opposition to reopen the inside road. I was not surprised by some folks being against toilets at Sondreson Meadows.

In talking with those folks they all opposed reopening the inside road out of fear that it would result in more tourists driving to the North Fork. Same thing regarding an outhouse at Sondreson Meadow.

I can sympathize with efforts to discourage more tourists. I think there is a real threat that we—and others—could love our special area to death.

Even so, I do not see the Inside Road as a threat unless it is vastly improved. I favor having it open as it was historically. I would oppose making it a main route into the North Fork.

I feel essentially the same about Sondreson Meadow. People are already there, and there is no discussion involving closing the area to camping. Better to have proper infrastructure than risk pollution of the river with human waste.

Anyway, maybe the Park Service will solve the problems on their side of the river for us. I think they have hit on the only real way to stop more and more people from invading the North Fork. Raise the fees until folks can’t afford—or are unwilling to spend that much.

Current proposal is to raise a five-day pass from $30 to $70. That might be OK for folks who intend to stay five days, but might seem steep for someone just driving through. Why not make it $100? Sure glad I bought the $10 lifetime pass several years ago. It is good for all National Parks and monuments in the U.S. Only negative is if you lose it you have to buy a new one at the current rate. Maybe they should now cost $200, or even more. What do you think?

Of course, Glacier Park is only one-half of the tourist/recreationist dilemma. The Forest Service is now basically in the people management business and natural resource protection has to take a backseat to considering human wants and needs. After all public lands belong to everyone and thus everyone, from tree huggers to industrial interests, gets to voice their opinion and lobby for their point of view.

Today, general hunting season is in full swing and the roads are filled with orange-clad drivers searching for something to shoot. Some just drive around road hunting, while others hike, camp, float or sit in a tree stand.

However they do it—there are more and more vehicles on the North Fork Road and more and more of them are one kind of recreationist or another. Same thing with landowners. Many, if not most, landowners are recreationists with no real ties to the North Fork. Except that maybe they care more than the casual visitor.

Whatever the motive, more and more people, more and more cars on the road, more and more cabins being built all translate to a threat to the North Fork lifestyle. How many people will it take to destroy what we all love. What do you think? Is it inevitable?

Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views column appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.