#MTGov Daily Rundown: Bullock Admin Working to End Public Access at Hell Creek

"But for many Montanans, the best way to access Fort Peck Lake is through the Hell Creek State Park and Marina at the south side of the lake. Unfortunately, the current administration under Gov. Steve Bullock is working to take that access away." -State Sen. John Brenden

Appointees of Governor Steve Bullock on the State Parks Board are working to close Hell Creek State Park on the South side of Fort Peck Lake. For many boaters, anglers, and recreators the state park serves as the primary access point to the lake on its south side.

"The state parks board threw down the gauntlet to state legislators, federal and private partners, as well as the users of Hell Creek State Park on Thursday: Either come to the table with proposals to help out with the park’s infrastructure funding requirements within the next four years or the state will walk away in 2021." -Billings Gazette, 12/16/2015

Users of the access, however, dispute the state's characterization that it cannot fund the state park.

"State parks is manufacturing a crisis,” said James Gustafson, a Helena resident and Hell Creek user since 1987.

Gustafson has been critical of the park’s management. He said the impending departure by state parks is a way to gather support for other funding sources at the expense of Hell Creek Marina’s future." -Billings Gazette, 4/24/2016


State Sen. John Brenden published an op-ed today taking the administration to task for failing to support Hell Creek.

"In fact, just last fall, Bullock’s appointees on the newly created parks board proposed walking away from Hell Creek State Park entirely. And you know what their excuse was? Money. That’s right, the political appointees in state government have no problem throwing nearly $8 million at taking a cattle ranch out of production, but then claim that they have to shut down Hell Creek State Park in eastern Montana because -- money?" -State Sen. John Brenden in the Helena IR, 7/22/2016


State officials have tried to argue that the Army Corps of Engineers could take over the site and preserve access. However, this is disputed by Army Corps officials who say they can't afford to manage the site.

"The Corps currently does not have funding to run Hell Creek,” Daggett wrote in the email that he copied to Habermann and The Gazette. “It is not a given that we would operate Hell Creek at its present service level. We may have to close it or reduce services significantly. It would all depend on funding, which is very difficult in our Rec Program.” -Billings Gazette, 12/16/2016


Greg Gianforte supports keeping Hell Creek State Park open and will work to do just that as governor.

"Hell Creek is one o the primary accesses on the south side of Fort Peck, and we need to be working to keep it open. We have a concessionaire there, we need to renew that." -Greg Gianforte on the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, 7/9/2016

Asked the same question about keeping Hell Creek open on the same episode of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, Bullock refused to directly answer, and would not commit to keeping Hell Creek open.