Park Board discusses man's 'footprint' at Beaver Creek Park

Among several issues discussed at Monday’s monthly Hill County Park Board meeting was a desire to leave as little imprint on Beaver Creek Park as possible, although several audience members said the board is sending conflicting messages on that.

Board member Robbie Lucke said he is planning to draft a statement on his desire that the 10,000 acre county-owned park be kept as close to wilderness as possible, keeping man’s “footprint” on the park as small as possible.

“I’ve been thinking about what our park should be,” he said.

He said in his 10 years working at Glacier National Park he saw the effort to keep man’s footprint as small as possible, and wants to continue to do that at Beaver Creek Park.

“What we have going for us is 10,000 acres of wilderness and we should be charged with keeping it as it is and keeping man’s footprint small,” he said.

While amenities like outhouses, picnic tables, garbage cans and fire rings are appropriate, the park should not build items like restaurants or golf courses, he said.

“Rustic is what it’s all about,” Lucke said.

But audience members Roy Lembke, Lowell Alcock and Blanche Kellam said the board is not being consistent with that, pointing out that it discussed park staff helping to erect a swingset at Eagles Campground, plans to pour a new, larger concrete slab at the Havre Police Protective Association campsite and a request from the Railroad Pagers group to run power poles to bring electricity to its campsite.

Conrad Nystrom of the Hill County Conservation District earlier in the meeting asked the board to help fund rebuilding a corral across from Camp Kiwanis, saying if the board could buy materials, which he estimated would cost about $4,000, he thought local ranchers could help rebuild the corral.

At the end of the meeting, Alcock asked why the corral should be there at all, saying unless it provides revenue, he saw no reason for it to be in the park.

Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said he uses the corral at times, such as when cattle that get into the park have to be rounded up and returned to their owners. Board members also said the facility can be used by ranchers who lease grazing on the park in the fall and early winter, as well as park users who bring horses.

Kellam said the board on the one hand is letting groups pour larger cement pads, and other the other is saying cabin owners can’t build larger storage sheds.

“You’re contradicting yourself,” she said.

At the April meeting, the Hill County Commission presented a statement that it would approve some board recommendations including allowing more colors to be used for trim on cabins and use of metal siding on cabins.

But unless the board could show most cabin owners want the change, the commision would not approve changing the requirements on cabin site fences and doubling the size of outbuildings allowed, the statement said.

Kellam echoed board member Renelle Braaten, saying not everyone would have to increase the size of their outbuilding so requiring a majority to approve seemed unnecesary.

Nystrom had asked the board to pay half of the cost of printing some new brochures for a walking trail developed by the Conservation District, as the existing brochures are almost all gone.

Ursula Brese of Friends of Beaver Creek Park had told the board she would bring that request up to the board of Friends. Nystrom asked the board to pay half of the $1,125 printing cost, $592.50, to print the two brochures. One is for a self-guided tour and the other for a guided tour.

Kellam said the board might imitate the Conservation District in finding some help in paying for rebuilding the stock corral if it approves that work.

The board also heard from local Boy Scout Brandon Taylor, who said he will be working on repairing an outhouse and walking bridge at the Boy Scouts Campground at Beaver Creek Park.

It also heard an update on the plans of the family of former board member and cabin owner Mel Gomke to rehabilitate a campground, as a memorial campground to Gomke. Gomke died last year.

Edgar said park usage is up, with quite a few people using the park over Memorial Day Weekend. He added that most people followed park rules well over the weekend.

Edgar said work is proceeding, including work repairing the outside of Beaver Lodge at Camp Kiwanis, and on flood damage repair. He said some major flood-repair projects are likely to start within the week. Work to provide access across the creek to cabins in Blackie Coulee also has been completed, he said.