WEST GLACIER — Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality owns and operates businesses around the world, including in and around Glacier National Park.
The company owns multiple businesses in the West Glacier area and has proposed building a “work camp” on 24 acres just outside of the park’s entrance to house seasonal employees.
The proposed work camp is located on R.E.A. road in West Glacier and would consist of RV’s, dormitory housing and management cabins for seasonal employees.
Click here to learn about the proposal:
Pursuit has applied for a Minor Land Use Review for the project with the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Department.
An application submitted to the planning department states the work camp would accommodate approximately 230 workers seasonally from May to October.
The application states that the work camp will only be used for housing and would also consist of a gravel parking lot with approximately 135 parking spaces.
The existing road would be modified into a 22-foot gravel roadway loop that would allow access for fire service.
Pursuit Pacific Northwest Chief Operating Officer Gary Rodgers stated the following to MTN:
"Pursuit is committed to providing a quality housing experience for all of our seasonal team members. We currently provide seasonal housing to over 800 team members across all our Glacier National Park operations. Specifically, in West Glacier, we house up to 220 team members seasonally.
Unlike our other GNP locations, the West Glacier housing is provided over a dispersed number of Pursuit owned properties throughout the Middle Canyon area, across a combination of individual homes and condominiums as well as dormitory-style accommodation.
Longterm, our goal is to create centralized employee housing on the boundary of West Glacier to relocate our work force housing closer to their place of work. We have applied for a Minor Land Use Review for this project on a Pursuit-owned site nearby to the West Glacier RV Park.
This will be a phased process over a number of years and aims to provide a combination of accommodations options including site for RVs, dormitory housing and management cabins."
An online petition opposing the proposed work camp has garnered more than 1,000 signatures, citing public safety risks, threat to wildlife, a jurisdictional law enforcement gap and eroding the community character of West Glacier.
The petition states:
"We, the undersigned residents, neighbors, and friends of West Glacier, demand that the Flathead County Planning and Zoning Office prioritize community safety and environmental preservation over corporate profit. We ask you to deny the permits for the Pursuit Attractions and Hospitality Inc. GPI work camp and require the developer to find housing solutions that do not jeopardize our town."
No approvals for the project have been granted as the planning department continues to review the proposal.
If approved, Rodgers said the work camp would be developed in phases over multiple years, subject to Flathead County review and public input.
