Swan Crest 100-mile race challenged

A 100-mile race along the Swan Crest sponsored by Whitefish supplement manufacturer Hammer Nutrition has been challenged by a local environmentalist who helped drive litigation in the mid-1990s that led to road-density standards to protect grizzly bears.

Keith Hammer, chairman of the Swan View Coalition and no relation to Hammer Nutrition, claims impacts to grizzly bears from the race are serious enough to warrant an environmental assessment under the National Environmental Policy Act.

Hammer claims race organizers took entry fees before they had applied for a special-use permit from the Flathead National Forest. While recreationists "certainly have the right to run on Forest Service trails," group events were "ill-advised" in areas where grizzly bears and mountain lions are found, he said. The race could set a precedent, making it easier for future races, he said.

"The Swan Crest 100 Run sends the wrong message to the public about safe and ethical behavior in the backcountry," Hammer said.

Slated for July 29-31, the event calls for 50 runners to start in the community of Swan Lake and finish in Columbia Falls. Race organizer Brad Lamson said some runners would finish in under 24 hours, while others would need 36 hours, and maybe only 20 competitors would complete the race.

Responding to Hammer's statements, Lamson said permits for other races on the Flathead Forest have been approved without an environmental assessment, including the 57-kilometer Swan Crest run previously held by the same organizers.

Lamson said entry fees will be used to support the race, with remaining funds going to the Montana Conservation Corps for trail work on the Swan Crest trail, meaning there is no commercial benefit. He also claimed that Hammer's weekly outings with the Swan Rangers in the same area are used to promote Hammer's environmental organization.

Swan Lake District Ranger Rich Kehr said his office couldn't begin to review the race organizers' permit until after it was submitted on May 13.

"Our review will determine what's appropriate," Kehr said. "We'll consult with the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine whether there's any extraordinary circumstances."