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Contact: Melissa Wilson, 406 888-7895
WEST GLACIER, MONT. – Officials at Glacier National Park announce that two separate Findings of No Significant Impact (FONSI) were signed by Acting National Park Service Intermountain Regional Director Bob Moon on May 30 for improvements to the West Entrance Station and the Headquarters Campus Plan. The decisions were reached after reviewing public comments on the environmental assessments (EA) released in April. The West Entrance Station is the primary entrance to the park from the west and receives heavy use during the summer months. Changes will include the creation of an additional approach lane to reduce waiting times during the peak visitor season. “The new approach lane and bypass lane will reduce vehicle backups at the entrance station during peak summer months and will also help reduce possible congestion caused by rehabilitation construction traffic,” commented Superintendent Mick Holm. Other changes will include utility and security upgrades, handicap accessibility improvements, and construction of an employee restroom and breakroom. The primary purposes of the Headquarters Campus Plan are to: 1) clearly establish and delineate designated parking areas and vehicle storage areas, 2) identify locations within the Headquarters area that are appropriate for future development, 3) designate locations for and address impacts of a large vehicle washing facility, a new museum building, and a structural fire brigade building, and 4) identify buildings that could potentially be converted from housing to office space as needs arise. “This plan will provide guidance for management of the Headquarters area for many years to come and will help protect the integrity of the Headquarters Historic District,” Holm noted. The large vehicle washing facility is scheduled for completion this summer and will be used to clean the park’s new transit system buses. The FONSIs are both available through the park’s planning Web site: https://parkplanning.nps.gov/parkHome.cfm?parkId=61. - NPS -
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Last updated: February 24, 2015