Group opposes reservoir winter cabin rental

An environmental group is opposing a proposal to allow winter rental of the Flathead National Forest’s Anna Creek Cabin, claiming it will lead to illegal snowmobiling in the protected Jewel Basin.

The Anna Creek Cabin is on the west side of Hungry Horse Reservoir about 22 miles south of the dam. This fall, the Forest Service proposed renting the cabin to the general public from June 1 through Oct. 31 and Dec. 1 through March 31.

Swan View Coalition chairman Keith Hammer said last week his group is concerned the cabin rental will result in more snowmobile traffic in the area. He also claims snowmobile enthusiasts want the West Side Reservoir Road groomed. Snow on the road badly washboards without grooming.

Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies said the Forest Service has no intentions of grooming the road. He said the number of miles of groomed trails allowed under Amendment 24 of the current Flathead Forest plan has already been reached. Grooming the West Side Road would mean not grooming another trail, and Forest officials have no intentions of making any changes, he said.

Hammer also claims snowmobile groups would rather have the West Side Road groomed than the Desert Mountain area because the west side of the reservoir offers more “play” routes.

Flathead Snowmobile Association president David Covill said his members are divided on the issue and are not actively pushing to have the road groomed. Some don’t want grooming because it could result in more crowds. On the other hand, there has been talk about grooming the road to promote the Flathead as a snowmobiling destination, he said.

Currently, the group works with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to groom about 220 miles of snowmobile trails in the Flathead, including the Upper Whitefish Lake, Canyon Creek, Desert Mountain and Crane Mountain areas.

Hammer claims combining grooming with the cabin rental could result in a situation similar to what happened in the Skyland-Challenge Creek area last spring, when snowmobilers illegally crossed into the Badger-Two Medicine area and traveled near grizzly bear dens.

FWP biologist Mike Madel found hundreds of snowmobile tracks in the closed area just as bears were emerging from their dens. There was concern bears would abandon dens if disturbed, and the Forest Service immediately closed the Skyland-Challenge Creek area to snowmobiling.

Hammer claims the snowmobiling season along the west side of the reservoir and in the Challenge Creek area is simply too long. In both areas, the season runs into May when bears are out of their dens. Hammer believes the season should close in April, like it once did.

Last year, Hammer claimed that after the Skyland-Challenge Creek area was closed, Forest Service officials told snowmobilers to go to the Swan, which is also important bear habitat.

“This is the equivalent of telling a child molester to simply move on down the street to the next playground,” he recently wrote to the Forest Service.

Davies said steps were being taken this season to stem the tide of illegal snowmobiling. More funding is available for patrolling the Skyland area both on the ground and in the air, he said.

Davies also noted that an initial offense could result in a $150 fine plus court costs, and repeat offenders could be fined up to $5,000. Forest Service officials are also working with a Cut Bank snowmobile club to put up signs at closed areas in the Challenge Creek area and to help with patrolling.

Davies said a decision on whether to rent the Anna Creek cabin during wintertime will be made sometime this spring.