Comments on Many Glacier wildlife viewing wanted

Many Glacier is one of the most popular wildlife viewing areas in Glacier National Park.

It's also one of the most frustrating for Park rangers.

With a large hotel and campground attracting lots of people, next to a narrow valley full of berry bushes, brush and swale attracting lots of grizzly bears, trouble is inevitable.

The two-legged creatures don't always follow the rules.

Some don't understand that it's a bad idea to walk up to a grizzly with a point-and-shoot camera.

So last week the Park Service announced it wants ideas for making wildlife viewing safer.

"The preferred alternative is to come up with a plan," said Jack Potter, Glacier's Chief of Science and Resources Management, but right now, there isn't a plan for wildlife viewing. There isn't a plan for where turnouts should and shouldn't be. There isn't a plan for an appropriate place to put a wildlife viewing platform that allows visitors to view wildlife without disturbing them.

If the Park decides to implement any of those ideas — like adding turnouts or closing turnouts or adding a platform — it needs to complete an environmental assessment.

The first step is what's called a 'scoping" process. In short, the public is invited to its own ideas through the National Park Service's planning website. Go to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/glac and select Wildlife Viewing Plan — Many Glacier, the last of 19 items on the park's list of projects.

Mail written comments to: Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn: Wildlife Viewing Plan P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, Montana 59936.

Comments are due no later than Monday, Nov. 30.