Where's the Bears?

Am going to question a few Glacier Park policies this week. Time has come to do my job … again.

The big rains of early summer 2009 have expected results in Glacier Park. The lush explosion of flowers and foliage amid towering peaks is breathtaking beyond its normal stunning magnificence. Going to the Sun Highway last Sunday was a soul tingling experience. Personal thrill was doubled by the obvious awe unimagined beauty brought to thousands of "new eyes."

Mel Ruder was a man of few words. Wrote single phrase notes, hardly ever two sentences. Never forget Mel's advice when I bought my own newspaper, "To do the job right, you can't have friends."

That statement sounds overly cynical, but I knew what he meant, "No organizations or individuals are above public scrutiny if their actions affect the public."

The Hungry Horse News under Mel Ruder and then Brian Kennedy had differences of opinions through the years with various Park policies, and it has been a healthy relationship for all. Over the years the Park also had disagreements with Ostrom. That's the way it has been for over 50 years.

First item: One of the biggest and most destructive avalanches in Park history came down the Garden Wall last spring, from the Divide across Highline Trail, two areas of Going to the Sun and ended up at McDonald Creek. Where it hit the highway below West Side tunnel, it is a startling sight even to an old timer, a massive path of downed trees, brush and rocks. Every car slows as people wonder, "What on earth happened here?" Seems the Park could have an "exhibit" sign giving details. Have other ideas but space is short.

The highlight for most Glacier visitors, adults and children alike is 'seeing a bear." Because of a healthy population combined with open areas, the Many Glacier road offers top opportunity for viewing black and grizzly bears. That opportunity is now much more difficult because of Park actions.

1. Most historic turnouts and wide shoulders have been blocked off or eliminated from the Entrance Station clear to the Swiftcurrent picnic area. That includes the large paved pullout just east of Sheep Curve and several wide spots along the base of Mt. Altyn west of the hotel turnoff, greatest bear viewing spots in Glacier.

2. It is my opinion rangers have resorted to "visitor harassment" at bear jams. "Courteous management" would be better, working in a way to allow everyone possible to get a look while still avoiding dangerous situations and keep traffic moving … slowly. This is difficult but can be done reasonably in most cases. Won't bore you with details but have them. Witnessed several events last year where treatment of excited visitors became unreasonable.

3. This new approach of almost forbidding visitors to view bears was preceded a couple of years back by so-so treatment of humans but what I'd call unnecessary "bear harassment."

Watched at least one seasonal ranger at Many Glacier who eagerly sought chances to use shotgun "adverse conditioning." Also think bear harassment has been overdone on Camas Road for several years. Was it well thought out? I don't think so.

What is behind this current bear policy? The Park administrators have their explanations, which I don't buy. Before reading my personal opinion, please recall I'm probably the only living person who went to the spots and covered as a reporter, every one of the fatal grizzly attacks in Glacier since August 1967. None on people in or near cars along roads.

Opinion: The Park is on a roll, no bear fatalities for several years and few 'serious maulings." Management is uneasy but pleased and is going to extreme lengths to do things it believes will prevent those rare casualties from occurring. Following any "fatal incident" it is always embarrassing for the federal government bureau in charge to explain "what happened." That is basically why there is this current over-management of the "bear-people" situation in Glacier Park. Park can rationalize that it is all to protect the visitor. "Oh Pshaw!"

I think it has gone too far and the National Park Service should just back off a bit.

G. George Ostrom is a Kalispell resident and a national-award winning Hungry Horse News columnist.