Park budget might include inholding purchase

President Obama’s 2013 budget proposal could help Glacier National Park acquire 120 acres of private property inside the Park’s boundary.

Obama has requested a little more than $3 million from the Land, Water and Conservation Fund to purchase the property. The request is in line with a National Park Service’s 2013 budget request.

The Harrison Tracts along the Middle Fork of the Flathead are owned by the Lundgren family and have been considered a key acquisition for several years. The land lies in the heart of the Park’s wilderness and in the Middle Fork’s Wild and Scenic River Corridor. It sees few visitors because of its remote character — in order to get there, most hikers ford the river from the U.S. 2 side.

Efforts have been made to put the inholding in government hands. In 2010, Tom Kiernan, president of the National Parks Conservation Association, wrote to National Park Service director Jon Jarvis advocating the purchase of the land.

The original Doody homestead, which is included in the tracts, was the home of Dan and Josephine Doody. Dan was one of Glacier Park’s first rangers. Josephine lived there for years after and was locally known for running moonshine.

The Doody’s house remains at the site, but the roof has caved in. An old tractor sits nearby at the trailhead to Harrison Lake.

Park spokeswoman Denise Germann, however, cautioned that the president’s budget will need congressional approval. She also noted that the request for funds did not come directly from Glacier Park. Purchasing property from inholders depends on a “willing seller-willing buyer” basis, she stressed.

Glacier Park superintendent Chas Cartwright recently reiterated that stance in a meeting in Whitefish. The days of condemnation of private land are over, he said.

If the request survives congressional scrutiny, it would be a great asset for the Park, said Will Hammerquist, NPCA’s Glacier Park field representative.

“If you love Glacier, you have to be excited about this investment,” Hammerquist said.