(C) Daily Montanan This story was originally published by Daily Montanan and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . FWP developing visitor amenities at Somers Beach State Park on Flathead Lake – Daily Montanan [1] ['Keila Szpaller', 'More From Author', '- April'] Date: 2023-05 Somers Beach State Park on the north shore of Flathead Lake will include trails, picnic areas, and three rental cabins, but no tent sites, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. In a news release this week and corresponding notice of decision, FWP said it modified its decision to remove six proposed tent campsites at the park of some 106 acres. FWP also noted the park will include a hand launch area for boats, although that feature and a group picnic shelter may be delayed depending on funds. “FWP will also enhance an additional 922 feet of park shoreline with an erosion control beach,” the news release said. FWP will build vault latrines, but it does not plan to build flushing restrooms, an entry station or natural playground there, according to the news release. Purchased in 2021, Montana’s newest state park is “an area of high recreational demand,” the news release said. Many members of the public called for more opportunities on Flathead Lake, although many also said FWP should preserve the quiet, natural feel of the area, which sits between the federal Flathead Lake Waterfowl Protection Area and the town of Somers. FWP said it intends to develop amenities in a way that minimizes visitor impacts and conserves important natural, cultural and recreational resources. It issued its final decision for the park plan on Monday. “Benefits include improved accessibility, opportunities for outdoor recreation, wildlife viewing and interpretive and educational programming,” the news release said. A plan to add six tent sites had been considered, and some members of the public said it was a way to open up more options for people to camp on Flathead Lake, especially for locals, according to the decision notice. In the notice, FWP said the sites were intended to be “rustic” and modeled after other camp sites that have functioned well “with little operational challenge.” It also said camping opportunity on the lake is limited, with 161 campsites combined over five parks, compared to 1,014 “front country” sites in Glacier National Park. But FWP said its data show Montanans are the bulk of the people camping on the lake. Through August of 2023, it said 67% of the reservations at four reservable campgrounds on Flathead Lake are held by Montana residents, and resident use accounted for 71% of first-come, first-served camping during shoulder seasons in 2022. In comments, some members of the public worried overnight use would result in noise and light disturbances to neighbors, and FWP said it was sensitive to that concern. FWP also said it received little support for RV sites there, and they are not included in the plan. Some members of the public also said they appreciated the idea to include cabins, which can each accommodate four people, because they are accessible to seniors and mean people who can’t afford an RV can enjoy an overnight experience at the park. FWP offered a similar remark. “Cabins provide an opportunity for people who may lack camping equipment or are physically unable to partake in traditional forms of camping,” the decision said. In an email, FWP’s Dillon Tabish further explained the reason the final plan doesn’t include tent sites. “Although comments received in our public processes are not regarded as votes, in our final decision, we acknowledge many people did not want overnight accommodations at the park,” said Tabish, regional communication and education program manager, in an email. “With that in mind, we modified our preferred alternative and removed the proposed tent sites to strike a balance between very modest diversified lodging options and maintaining most of the park in a natural undeveloped state.” The news release noted FWP already has completed interim developments at the park, including an access road, parking lot and erosion control beach. It also outlined public engagement leading up to the final decision, including a survey that collected nearly 1,300 individual responses, with 80% from the Flathead Valley; subsequent in-person and virtual open houses; and an additional 202 correspondences after the initial draft plan was released. The news release said the complete development plans are outlined in the final decision notice and environmental assessment posted on the FWP website here https://fwp.mt.gov/news/public-notices. [END] --- [1] Url: https://dailymontanan.com/briefs/fwp-developing-visitor-amenities-at-somers-beach-state-park-on-flathead-lake/ Published and (C) by Daily Montanan Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/montanan/