For those unaware, there are a handful of homes that reside within Montana's Glacier National Park. Most of them have been there for generations, having been settled before the park's designation. But because they "technically" reside within those boundaries, they're subject to park rules and regulations for the most part.
And one issue that's been a thorn in the side of those homeowners, more commonly called inholders, is that their only access to those homes during the winter is by their own two legs.
See, in the winter, roads are closed to motorized traffic. And given that also includes plowing, you ain't getting up to those homes unless you're on skis or maybe use a dog sled—and those are hard to come by these days. For a long time, however, inholders have been fighting both with the park and the federal government to have limited permission to use things like snowmobiles to access their homes, something that's long been denied.
That, however, could be changing.
According to the Daily Interlake, "Last month Superintendent David Roemer told residents at the North Fork Interlocal meeting that the park was looking at special use permits for inholders -- people who own private property within the park -- that would allow non-commercial motorized use and even snowplowing to access private homes in Glacier Park's boundaries." But what does that mean?
Well, what that means is that some 80 or so residents with homes inside the park boundaries would be able to apply for a special-use permit that would allow them to access their homes in the winter by snowmobile, as well as possibly getting a snowplow up to their properties, thereby letting them access it by truck or SUV. It is, however, still under discussion, and no decision has yet been made.
The park is said to have banned snowmobiles in 1975, and that ban has been repeatedly fought by residents ever since. One such example was "The most notable case" of Jack McFarland. The outlet states that McFarland's property was just "3 miles north of the Polebridge Entrance in Glacier on the Kintla Road, which is closed and gated to motorized use in the winter. Backed by the Mountain States Legal Foundation, McFarland for years battled in federal court to gain winter motorized access to his property in the early 2000s. The courts ultimately ruled against him."
What is being stressed is that the snowmobile permits would could not be used for commercial use, i.e., what occurs in Yellowstone National Park. So you wouldn't be able to operate tours, nor operate in and around the park yourself. It'd be for commuting to and from the park's gates to your home, and nothing more. The decision, according to spokesperson Autumn Sifuentes, is still up in the air, stating, "No decisions have been made regarding whether permits will be issued or what activities, roads, routes, gate locations, conditions or restrictions may be included. The park is currently evaluating potential options and their environmental and operational impacts."
