Longtime Montana Newsman Says Tourists are Killing Glacier

"Montana, we need to get a grip on the disaster unfolding in Glacier National Park.

I was there today, and what I saw was heartbreaking. People were parked wherever they pleased—shoulders, no-parking zones, even blocking traffic. There was zero enforcement. At nearly every turn, crowds were trampling through sensitive areas with no regard for the land or the rules." -Sarge

Those were the words of longtime radio newsman and great Montanan Jim Sargent, aka "Sarge", in a Facebook post earlier last week.

He added this, "We are watching one of our greatest natural treasures being destroyed in real time. If we don't act now—through better enforcement, visitor education, and smart policy—we're going to lose what makes Glacier so special. This park belongs to all of us, and it’s up to us to protect it. Question to all our followers? What can we do?"

I've loved Glacier since I was a kid. We made several trips through the park just for fun, or on the way to visit family. When I got back from my first deployment to Iraq in 2006, one of the first stops I made was Glacier National Park and stopping at the top of Going to the Sun.

Here's my knee jerk reaction to Sarge's question: Maybe if more Montanans could get into the park, there'd be more folks in the park to keep the visitors in line?

For those who aren't aware, Glacier now requires reservations to get through the park. So for everyday Montanans, it's not as easy to access Glacier with the throngs of out of state and international tourists. The folks who know and love the park, and know how to act in the park, can't get in. Meanwhile, the park is getting overrun by people who don't know how to act, according to Sarge.

Let's be honest, park police can't be everywhere...but if more Montanans were able to access the park like we used to, folks who know and love Big Sky Country would help police up the tourists.

What say you? Shoot us a message on the "Montana Talks" app.