More money possible for Many Glacier Hotel

The Daily Inter Lake

The historic Many Glacier Hotel in Glacier National Park is on track to get more than $8 million for renovations, Montana Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus announced Thursday.

The $8.5 million for the hotel is part of more than $28 million headed to Montana from the Senate Interior Appropriations bill passed by Tester and his colleagues on the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Many Glacier, the biggest hotel in the park, was built on the shore of Swiftcurrent Lake in 1915 by the Great Northern Railway.

"Not only will these resources create jobs repairing and renovating Many Glacier, but now we can preserve this historic landmark for future generations of Montanans," Tester said in a news release.

"This is just one of the smart, worthwhile projects that are important to Montana, the people who live here, and to future generations."

The appropriations funding is in addition to $15.6 million in federal stimulus funding that has already been directed toward Many Glacier Hotel renovations.

The Many Glacier project, which involves structural overhauls, has been under way since 2000.

"I'm committed to protecting Montana's outdoor heritage," Baucus said. "With this funding, we get to do just that while creating good-paying jobs and helping to draw tourists to one of the most beautiful places on earth - Glacier National Park. This is truly a win-win- win."

The committee's decision to fund the project now goes to the full Senate.