Real threats to Glacier Park
Do we really know how much pollution is affecting Glacier National Park?
• Dust — According to the Center for Snow and Avalanche Studies, “dust” (from agricultural lands and rural roads) “landing on snow packs significantly advances snow melt.”
• Black carbon — This past week, a new groundbreaking study stated that by reducing the amount of black carbon sent into the atmosphere that we could have an immediate impact that would result in the slowing of global warming — which we have repeatedly been told will eliminate the glaciers in Glacier Park within a decade. Black carbon is generated mainly through the burning of fossil fuels — trees and dung. Both Congressman Henry Waxman (D-California) and the National Park Conservation Association agree.
• Chemicals and other pollutants entering the pristine waters of the North Fork of the Flathead River.
• Light pollution — The Park is concerned that light pollution from the valley threatens “the natural darkness” over the skies on Glacier Park. After 4 1/2 years as park superintendent, Chas Cartwright recently retired. Looking back over his tenure, it’s clear what he determined was the biggest threat to the glaciers in his Park — light pollution from the valley. Not air or water pollution, but light pollution.
Last summer we learned that the Park began working toward “protecting dark skies.” In 2009, the Park collected data from three locations in the Park “to assess the impact of anthropogenic light sources outside of the park that were affecting conditions inside the Park.” Three locations.
Last year, the Park secured funding to further advance their dark sky initiative. When I asked how many air-quality monitoring stations existed in the Park, was told one. Also was told that there used to be one in Saint Mary but “it was taken down due to a lack of funding.” He could get funding for a dark sky initiative but not for an air-quality monitoring station?
Chas Cartwright consistently opposed paving the North Fork Road, saying in an interview that “his climatologists say that they don’t pick up much presence of dust.”
So how much pollution? With only one air quality monitoring station both far from the dusty North Fork Road and not one at Logan Pass, one can only wonder what scientific data they were basing their opinions on.
His opposition to paving allows spring snow melt to wash over a road that has been doused with chemicals the past few years, carrying them into the river. How much chemicals are entering the river?
One park service ecologist said that none of the data currently being collected properly addresses dust and other contaminates from the North Fork Road. Compare that record with the Kootenai National Forest just to the west of us, where stimulus money was used to “reduce sedimentary delivery” into creeks.
It’s simply scandalous that real pollution threats to the glaciers were not monitored in any serious way during his tenure.
He wouldn’t change his policy that calls for wildfires not to be fought unless structures are threatened, ignoring overwhelming evidence that the black carbon generated by forest fires has now been determined as the No. 2 contributor to global warming.
He never used his bully pulpit to fight to regulate the use of, limit the use of or demand higher standards for new wood-burning stoves in Flathead County, as other counties in Montana have.
Here’s hoping that the next park superintendent re-examines the priorities of the real threats to the glaciers and the river and starts to aggressively monitor them. The priority should be to reduce dust, reduce black carbon emissions and to protect the water of the North Fork of the Flathead River.
Joe Novak lives in Polebridge.