Somers Beach comment period extended

The comment period for the proposed Somers Beach state park along Flathead Lake’s north shore has been extended to Wednesday.

Over the past decade, the Sliter family and Flathead Land Trust have been working together to develop a solution for the property east of Somers that has long been enjoyed by the community. The area encompasses almost a half mile of Flathead Lake shoreline and is currently owned by the Sliter family who have allowed the public to access the beach for years.

The Somers Beach project would add significant public access to Flathead Lake, according to a press release. Neighboring public access points, such as the Somers boat launch area, are often overflowing with residents and tourists in the summer months.

“The space available at the current Somers access sites does not meet the demand for desired public use and poses significant safety concerns,” said Paul Travis, Executive Director of Flathead Land Trust. “A new state park at Somers Beach would add much needed year-round public access to the north shore and prevent private development of the property.”

The press release states, “public input is being requested to demonstrate community interest in the Somers Beach state park proposal in order to move the project to the next step of a long-involved process.” Comments and letters regarding the proposal will be forwarded to the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board, who will then decide if Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks should move forward with further consideration of the state park.

The public can submit comments via email to ProtectSomersBeach@gmail.com or by mail to Flathead Land Trust P.O. Box 1913 Kalispell, MT 59903 by April 8. The comments should be written to the attention of Angie Grove with the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board and Martha Williams with MFWP.