Proposal to remove the Avalanche Ranger Station

Glacier National Park officials are asking for public comments on a proposal to remove the Avalanche Ranger Station.

Located on the west side of the Avalanche Campground entrance road (near the Trail of the Cedars), the Avalanche Ranger Station 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 (NPS) Mission 66 infrastructure development program. Once a visitor information contact office and residence for two park rangers, the Avalanche Ranger Station was closed in the mid-1990’s.

As a result of disuse the ranger station is considered to be a hazard to human safety. Moreover, maintaining or restoring a building that is no longer needed would not be cost effective. The adjacent shed would also be removed, as well as a dirt service road, a propane tank, and adjoining sidewalks; the site would be restored with native vegetation.

Removing the building would have an adverse effect on the Avalanche Campground Historic Distric but would not affect the campground's eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. Impacts to park resources would be minor; the park therefore believes the project could be covered under a categorical exclusion, and an environmental assessment (EA) is not being prepared at this time. The NPS is conducting public scoping to determine if there is any new information or additional concerns that would result in the need for an EA, and so the public can comment on the adverse effect determination under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act as well as proposed mitigation measures.

All comments about the proposal should be submitted by June 1st. Comments can be posted on the NPS PEPC website, or mailed to:

Superintendent Glacier National Park
Attn: Avalanche Ranger Station
P.O. Box 128
West Glacier, MT, 59936


Jeff
Hiking in Glacier.com