Park Board hears request to start Bear Paw Marathon this year

The Hill County Park Board heard proposals for events and future projects at its monthly meeting Monday including a plan to revive the first local marathon.

Havre Area Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Julea Robbins asked the board for permission to hold a marathon beginning in Beaver Creek Park later this year.

She said the event was supposed to take place last year but it had to be canceled due to the pandemic, and, this year, the event will be run partially remotely for the same reason.

Robbins said out-of-state runners would have to participate virtually but locals will have the choice to do it in-person or remotely.

She said if a spike in COVID-19 happens later this year there are contingency plans for the event to go fully remote.

She said the event will follow health department guidelines and preliminary numbers suggest there will be 50 people at the event in person, but if there end up being too many the Chamber can put a cap on participation.

The plan was approved unanimously by the board.

Cliff Plum of the Bullhook Bottoms Black Powder Club also appeared before the board to ask if his organization could hold an event at Beaver Creek Park if their first choice of location at Montana State University-Northern falls through.

He said the event, which was canceled last year due to the pandemic, would last for three days over Memorial Day weekend and would involve a number of shooting related events and would require an area of at least 100 yards of open space and room for 20 to 30 campers.

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Edgar said normally shooting is not allowed, but Beaver Creek Park does enjoy hosting local events and Plum is hoping they will make an exception.

Plum said the weapons event participants use are not high-powered, and they are able to put up signage to keep what ever area they use safe.

He also said the clean up after themselves well and will not disrupt normal park activities.

“It’ll be like we were never there,” he said.

Plum said most attendees are locals and many already have park permits as well.

Board Chair Tony Reum said Memorial Day weekend is one of the busiest of the year and Edgar said there is a possibility that the park simply won’t be able to accommodate the event, but members of the board said they’d be willing to discuss the matter further, investigate possible sites for the event and come back to the subject at next month’s meeting.

Plum said that would be great as there is still some time before he would need an answer.

Cody Welch of the Chippewa Cree Natural Resources’s Forestry Department asked the board for a letter of support for a program he’s trying to develop out at Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation to set up a field management team that could assist places like Beaver Creek Park.

He said the program would use money from the federal government to fix things like fire damage.

Edgar, whom Welch had been corresponding with regarding the program, said it could help planting trees around Mount Otis, clean up debris left by past fires and maintain nature trails.

He said he thinks it would be an asset to the park, and could provide the Rocky Boy area with some jobs.

Welch said the program likely won’t start until next year, but he would need a letter laying out what the board would want from such a program.

The board voted unanimously to approve the writing of the letter of support.

The board also heard from Montana State University-Northern Associate Professor Terri Hildebrand, who presented them with a vegetation report and said she’s putting together another report on water work which will likely be ready next month.

Hildebrand said she wants the presented report to be a living document and asked board members to provide feedback before she puts together a more final document.

“I think it’s interesting and I think you’ll find it interesting,” she said.

Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson thanked her for her work, and the work of her students.

Hildebrand said it would be a good idea for the report to be available to the public and requested that it be put up on the park’s website.

Beaver Creek Park Assistant Superintendent Aubrey Williams said it would be difficult to put the whole thing online, but she could announce its availability and have people email Hildebrand directly.

Williams also said she’d been recently contacted by the owner of Montana Wireless, who said the company is interested in setting up the park with wireless service, but they did not show up to the meeting and Williams said she had no further information for the board.

Edgar reported that park usage is still low, but compared to this time of year is doing better-than-average with people enjoying the mild weather.

He said reservations this year are about average so far and the park now has its online system operational which can take reservations.

He said the recent wind storm did cause some damage to the park, blowing over an outhouse and destroying a barn door.

Trees fell on the chapel and a shelter near First Lake as well, he said.

Edgar said he’s collected some bids for repairs and is working on insurance-related issues as well.

He also proposed a new project to seal the concrete floor at the lodge permanently through acid staining, which he said will look nice and prevent them from needing to wax the floors or peel up the wax ever again.

He said taking the wax off the floor this past October was a huge job, but now that it’s off there is a window of opportunity to do something different.

He said the project would cost $1,500 based on what he’s seen.

Peterson said board members should do more research before making a decision but it seems like a good idea.

Edgar also reported that he’s still building garbage cans but has been in contact with Jason Tanner of Northern, who said he can build six racks of cans for $1,200 which Edgar said he thinks is worth the money.

The boar unanimously approved the expense.

Edgar said he’s also in the process of looking for a new patrol truck as approved last year, but hasn’t had luck finding a good fit.