Park partner looking ahead for projects

With a successful summer season behind them, the Columbia Falls-based Glacier National Park Conservancy already is looking ahead to next year and beyond.

As the nonprofit fundraising partner for Glacier National Park, the Conservancy raises money for pressing projects in the Park, such as educational stations, research or wilderness preservation.

“This season, we pushed for collaboration in the Park,” Conservancy president Mark Preiss said. “We’re looking forward to a future with a shared strategic plan, between us and the Park.”

The largest project this year was the opening of the new Apgar Visitor Center in May, which was made possible through collaboration with local businesses that donated time, skilled labor and materials.

The dominant issue facing the Park in the coming years will be the growing number of visitors. This year, Glacier Park posted the highest visitor numbers ever. By the end August, about 1.88 million people had entered the Park, a 5.7 percent increase over the same period last year.

“Many days during the height of the summer, you’d be incredibly lucky to find a parking spot at Logan Pass, unless you got there at 7 a.m.,” Preiss said. “We need to start planning for 2015 and beyond to fix those kinds of things.”

The Conservancy hopes to work with the Park’s department heads to come up with a collaborative plan to help ease the flow of visitors. The organization also will help replace handrail cable on the Highline Trail at the Rimrocks below Logan Pass.

The Conservancy also plans to award the title “Glacier Champion” to businesses that go above and beyond in donating not only money for Park needs but also volunteer time for projects such as trail maintenance.

“It will help create a spirit of awareness,” board member Bob Nystuen said. “We want to get employees and customers aware of the Park or make a financial commitment.”

This summer, the Conservancy donated funds for research and science, internships, educational programming and trail conservation. The group’s main fundraiser, The Backpacker Ball, raised nearly $190,000, according to Preiss, about $80,000 more than last year.

“The Park can’t do it on its own,” Preiss said. “It needs partners to help.”