Land proposed for state park

$15 million is asking price for property

By LYNNETTE HINTZE/The Daily Inter Lake

The high cost of Flathead Lake lakeshore property will be a challenge - and perhaps a deterrent - in creating a state park on 60 acres in the Deep Bay area south of Lakeside.

The Himsl family corporation owns the property, which includes 767 feet of lake frontage, and has offered to sell it to the state for $15 million. It's located off U.S. 93 four miles south of Lakeside.

"It's been in the family for over 60 years," said Allen Himsl, president of Himsl Wohlwend Motors Inc. "It sure would make a nice park. We would consider financing it for the state."

Dave Landstrom, regional parks manager for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said the state is interested in obtaining the land and lake access, but that amount of money makes it difficult to pursue.

"I respect the fact that the Himsls are making such an effort to provide public access," Landstrom said. "If ever a viable partnership could be found," it would give the state a financing option.

The 2007 Legislature approved $10 million statewide for Access Montana, a program to acquire land for parks and fishing access in rapidly growing areas. A portion of that money will be used to help buy 160 acres to establish a state park and wildlife area on Flathead Lake's north shore.

"We were hand-wringing on that project, and that was $2 million," Landstrom said. "But we thought, 'It's now or never.'"

Other Access Montana purchases include a Yellowstone River ranch east of Billings with five acres of river bottom and a Marias River ranch southwest of Shelby with 14 miles of river bottom. Both cost a fraction of what the Deep Bay park would cost, Landstrom said.

Several local legislators attended a meeting of the Lakeside Parks Advisory Committee in April to talk about the project. While legislators could sponsor a bill to pursue the park purchase, that's not the preferred method of dealing with such a proposal, said Hal Harper, chief policy adviser for Gov. Brian Schweitzer.

"The preferred way is to let the parks division deal with the process and see how it would fit in," Harper said. "It's a very valuable property and that's a problem with prioritizing."

Harper said members of the Himsl family have provided information to the governor's office that has been "submitted into the process."

Sometimes, funds can be combined for land acquisition or other groups and organizations can collaborate on funding. But buying on credit is something the Schweitzer administration has shied away from, he said.

"That offer [of financing the purchase for the state] shows the heart this family has to keep that property in the public domain," Harper said. "I served with Matt [Himsl] in the Legislature and that's the kind of guy he was."

Matt Himsl served in the state Legislature for 24 years; he died in December 2006 at age 94. The Himsl family has said it was Matt Himsl's wish to see the property one day used as a state park.

"The offer shouldn't be taken off the table," Harper said.

THERE IS revenue potential for the property, Allen Himsl said. Rental cabins could be built at the site, providing income beyond day-use fees. And 400 feet of the shoreline is "nice, pebble beach" where piers could be built to accommodate boat rentals, he said.

Adjoining properties offer the potential for an even larger park area along the lake. The county owns 100 feet of shoreline on the southeast side, next to the Himsl tract, and there is 400 feet of shoreline around the point that's for sale, Himsl said.

"That would give [the state] over 1,100 feet of contiguous shoreline," Himsl said. "Ours is big enough on the north side to put in a community septic system."

Now that the election is over, Himsl is talking with legislators again to see who might have an interest in the project.

"Obviously finances are the big thing," he said.

Landstrom said Fish, Wildlife and Parks continues to be interested in the property, but doesn't want to give the Himsl family false hope of a deal anytime soon.

"The bottom line is that we totally agree it's an ideal location," Landstrom said. "But it could be out of reach for us."

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by e-mail at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com