Friends, family and co-workers gather to dedicate Brad Treat Street

More than 100 family, friends and co-workers gathered recently to pay tribute and celebrate a new street in Hungry Horse named after Brad Treat.

The road that enters the Glacier View-Hungry Horse Ranger Station used to be called Wyoming Street. It is now Brad Treat Memorial Street.

Treat, 38, of West Glacier, was a well-liked and respected law enforcement officer for the Flathead National Forest. He was killed this summer after he ran into a male grizzly bear while mountain biking off-duty with a relative on the Half Moon/Green Gate Trail network not far from his home.

The incident happened so quickly that Treat had no chance to defend himself. The bear was never found.

As a flock of chickadees sang behind him on a clear and perfect November morning, Hungry Horse-Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies said it was important for everyone to think of the things Treat did over the course of his lifetime and career. “Spiritually he’s still with us,” Davies said. “He’s given us an example of how to live our lives.”

Treat was known for his professionalism and his keen and often wry sense of humor.

Davies said as the years pass, people will come and go, but the street name is something that will last forever.

He noted there will be sadness and grief as co-workers drive by the sign each day, but they need to rise above it.

“It’s not about us,” Davies said. “Remember the positive person that he was.”

Two signs were unveiled by co-worker and Flathead National Forest law enforcement officer Corey Scevers and Treat’s uncle, Kyle Johnson. Johnson is the wilderness manager for Glacier National Park and worked closely with Treat as well.

Afterward the crowd walked the length of the short road and back to the ranger station.