Lake Five access plan revived
By JIM MANN/Daily Inter Lake
After running into controversy and litigation in 2005, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks this week unveiled a revised proposal for developing a fishing access site on Lake Five.
The release of a new environmental assessment triggers a 30-day comment period that will include two December public meetings in Hungry Horse. The assessment considers two alternative approaches for a Lake Five access site.
One alternative involves developing existing state property on Lake Five with an 800-foot graveled access road from Belton Stage Road, a parking area for six to 10 vehicle/trailer combinations, a boat launch and a restroom. The cost is estimated to be $254,633.
Another alternative calls for the state to purchase a 5-acre strip of land from the owners of the Lake Five Resort. It would be developed with 500 feet of graveled road from Belton Stage Road, a parking area for six to 10 vehicle/trailer combinations, a boat launch and restroom. The cost is estimated at $244,946.
The 151-acre lake located just north of U.S. 2 between Columbia Falls and West Glacier has for years been stocked with kokanee salmon and rainbow trout by the state, but it has lacked guaranteed public access. Boaters have been able to launch at the Lake Five Resort for a small fee, but state officials view that as access that can be repealed at any time.
In 2004, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks purchased a 10-acre parcel on the lake with a donation from a former Flathead resident, Elizabeth Taylor, who wanted to have a fishing access site dedicated to her late son, Paul.
The agency released an environmental assessment in February 2005 outlining plans for an access site, with parking for six to 10 vehicles and a restroom facility. The proposal was met with stiff opposition from neighboring landowners on the lake who were concerned about the potential for boating safety conflicts, litter and other problems.
A Lake Five homeowners group filed a lawsuit alleging that the state had failed to conduct an adequate process in picking the best location for a new fishing access site. The court granted an injunction that prevented construction of the site from proceeding.
Lake Five had long been identified as a priority as a public water body that lacked public access, but rather than appealing the court decision, Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials decided to launch a new environmental review process that would consider other access options in Northwest Montana.
The process involved the extra step of forming an advisory committee made up of Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials, two members of the Lake Five group and two members of Flathead Wildlife Inc., a local rod and gun club. The committee developed criteria for selecting potential access sites on waters other than Lake Five.
"We went through that process and we went through a tremendous process in evaluating locations in Region One," said Dave Landstrom, the state's regional parks manager.
Most waters in the region have some form of public access, but the committee did locate some lakes and rivers where access is needed.
"There were some others in the hopper," Landstrom said.
Most notably, land was considered on Lake Blaine west of Kalispell, a once-popular destination that has long lacked any form of public access.
"But you have to have a willing seller, and when all was said and done, [the landowner] wasn't willing to sell it," Landstrom said.
Another property was identified on the Flathead River near Coram. But that land was sold before it could even be included in the formal analysis conducted by Oasis Environmental, a Bigfork firm hired by the state with a $12,000 contract to develop the draft environmental assessment.
"Ultimately what happened was we ended up evaluating only two sites, both of which are on Lake Five," Landstrom said. "One of those sites is the one we already own. The other is a private parcel."
Acquiring that parcel would require the state to sell or trade the one it already has.
The environmental assessment is 119 pages long and was written during much of the last year by Oasis, Landstrom said.
"That was a lengthy process," he said. "Their direction was to be very, very thorough and they were."
Landstrom said there is potential for some of the original controversies to rise again.
"From my read through the EA, I find it to be well written," he said. "That isn't to say that it isn't an emotional project for people involved, particularly people who live on Lake Five."
Comments on the draft study will be accepted through Dec. 22, with public hearings to be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 3 and Dec. 10 at the Hungry Horse Ranger Station.
By Friday, the draft environmental analysis will be available for review at Fish, Wildlife and Parks headquarters on Meridian Road in Kalispell or on the department's Web site at:
http://fwp.mt.gov/publicnotices
Reporter Jim Mann may be reached at 758-4407 or by e-mail at jmann@dailyinterlake.com