Governor orders immediate closure of Glacier Park

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock on Tuesday sent a letter to the superintendent of Glacier National Park, requesting the immediate, temporary closure of the park as the state experiences a surge in positive coronavirus cases.

But as of Thursday, there is no word from Glacier Superintendent Jeff Mow on whether Glacier will shut its gates as other national parks have, including Yellowstone and Grand Teton parks. Mow has not responded to email and phone calls from the Daily Inter Lake, but a park employee said Glacier is receiving high volumes of calls and that the park’s public affairs position is currently vacant, so all media inquiries are taking longer than usual.

Bullock’s letter stated “early season visitation to Glacier National Park is promoting unnecessary travel that both undermines our efforts to reduce exposures and exacerbates risks for all Montanans” and that visitors are “also straining local grocery and other facilities at a time when local officials are attempting to curtail gatherings and meet the need for essential services.”

The Associated Press reported on Thursday the Trump Administration will stick to its waiver of entrance fees at national parks — a move that has placed strain on some park managers as they attempt to keep visitors a safe distance apart from one another. The Interior Department has, however, agreed to closure requests from parks such as Yellowstone National Park, which is situated near Gallatin and Yellowstone counties where more than 30 of Montana’s current 71 positive cases of coronavirus reside.

Vice President Mike Pence, according to the Associated Press, on Thursday said the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would “provide specific health guidance” regarding national parks.