Public Comment Encouraged by June 1

WEST GLACIER, MONT. –Glacier National Park officials encourage public comment on a proposal to remove the Avalanche Ranger Station.  Comments should be submitted by June 1.

The ranger station, located on the west side of the Avalanche Campground, is in a severe state of deterioration.  It was constructed in 1966 as part of a rehabilitation of the Avalanche Campground under the National Park Service Mission 66 infrastructure development program.  The ranger station once provided a visitor information contact office and residential quarters for park rangers, but was closed in the mid-1990s. Campground hosts now provide information to campers, and the building is no longer needed.

The ranger station is a contributing property to the Avalanche Campground Historic District, which is eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A shed near the ranger station is also severely deteriorated.  The shed is not a contributing property to the Avalanche Campground Historic District.

The park is proposing to remove the Avalanche Ranger Station because it is in disuse, is a hazard to human safety, and maintaining or restoring a building that is no longer needed is not cost effective. The adjacent shed would also be removed, as well as a dirt service road, a propane tank, and adjoining sidewalks.

The Montana State Historic Preservation Officer has concurred with the park’s determination that removing the ranger station would have an adverse effect on the Avalanche Campground Historic District, but would not affect the campground’s eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.  The park will mitigate impacts to cultural resources, including recording the building to the standards of the Historic American Buildings Survey, installing a wayside exhibit to interpret the history and significance of the Avalanche Campground, and salvaging usable architectural materials.

The park plans to conduct a categorical exclusion.  Public comment is encouraged to determine if there is any new information or additional concerns, and comment on the adverse effect determination under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act as well as the proposed mitigation measures.

For more information regarding the proposal to remove the Avalanche Ranger Station visit http://www.parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.  Comments can be posted on that website or mailed to Superintendent, Glacier National Park, Attn:  Avalanche Ranger Station, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT, 59936.   Comments should be submitted by June 1.

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