SEELEY LAKE – When the Seeley Lake Nordic Club received an email from the Missoula Nordic Club that the U.S. Forest Service was proposing a user fee at the Seeley Creek Nordic area they were totally caught off guard. After further research and conversations with the Forest Service, the Seeley Lake Nordic Club is actively fighting the proposed fee for the Seeley Creek Winter Sports Site and said, "if it isn't broken, don't fix it." The Seeley Lake Driftriders Snowmobile Club, who manages the south trailhead and parking lot included in the proposed fee area have not taken an official position as of this article.
President of the Seeley Lake Nordic Club Mike McGrew said the Nordic Club has a partnership agreement with the Forest Service to maintain the trailhead and the Nordic ski trails in the winter. The Forest Service never contacted them before the proposal was released to the public.
"It was totally a top down decision and we feel it was really heavy handed," said McGrew.
At most of the proposed sites for the fee increase on the Lolo National Forest there is no partnership agreement in place.
"But we are different. When you have a partner that takes care of 90-95 percent of the expenses [at the Nordic Trails], who provides all the labor and there is all this happy talk about partnerships, yet this proposal comes down from people that I have never met, that I've never talked to? Where is the communication?," said McGrew. "If we hadn't talked to the local guys [at the Seeley Lake Ranger District] we would have no idea what is going on."
McGrew said there are several reasons for the club's opposition to the proposed $5 day use or $35 season fee from Dec. 1 - March 31.
First, one of the missions of the Seeley Lake Nordic Club is to provide free skiing to Seeley Lake.
McGrew has been actively involved in the cross country ski program started at Seeley Lake Elementary school. He has seen the children start skiing and that gets the parents excited about the sport as well.
"It is another expense that families probably can't afford or will refuse to pay," said McGrew.
Second, McGrew said the Forest Service contributes very little to the operations at the ski trails. The Nordic Club has always had the vision and led the way to improve the recreation site. They would propose changes to the Forest Service, fund the projects and do the work. The Forest Service's involvement was either to approve or disapprove.
According to Lolo National Forest Acting Public Affairs Officer Katelyn Jerman the Forest Service maintains and cleans the vault toilet and performs general and trail maintenance. Annual cost estimations for toilet maintenance and pumping are $11,500 per year.
Jerman added that over the past several years the Forest Service has also invested into the site with a bridge replacement in 2017 which was approximately $25,000, noxious weed treatments in the area, an information kiosk installation, and ongoing sign installation and maintenance.
Third, McGrew said the Nordic Club does the bulk of the work and funds the operations through grants, fundraisers and donations in the donation tube at the Nordic ski trailhead.
McGrew said they typically have 300-400 volunteer hours per year which includes eight volunteer groomers. Their total expenses for last fiscal year were $16,705 which included purchasing a snowmobile, grading and trail improvements, normal maintenance and operating expenses and putting on the OSCR ski race.
The Nordic Club receives $1,000 annually to reimburse them for gasoline and snowmobile maintenance. They also receive around $2,000 in donations throughout the year that go back into maintaining the ski trails. The Nordic Club believes the proposed fee would undermine the donations they receive.
According to Jerman, 95 percent of recreation fees collected from the fee locations are reinvested back into the District.
"There is a direct local reinvestment to continue to provide and improve upon these high-quality experiences for the public," wrote Jerman in an email.
McGrew said it is at the Forest Service's discretion how it is used. While the Nordic Club has always had an excellent relationship with the local staff at the Ranger District, due to past experiences and broken promises between the Forest Service and the Nordic Club, McGrew doesn't trust them as an organization.
"They are going to take away the Club's fee tube and they are going to institute their own fee collection service and then they are going to promise to give that money to us," said McGrew. "What was a free will offering, is now a requirement. It just doesn't make sense."
Fourth, they are coupling the Seeley Creek Nordic Trail system and the developed snowmobile trailhead across the road that is used by mushers and snowmobilers. Since the Forest Service maintains the snowmobile trailhead, pavilion and vault toilet yet the area is used significantly less than ski trails, McGrew questions how the money will be split and will the fees be collected at both trailheads or just one. The Nordic Club also asks why the Seeley Creek area would have a fee attached to it but the West Side Snowmobile Trailhead and musher Trailheads at Fawn Creek was not included in the proposed fees.
Finally, the Nordic Club feels there are too many questions left unanswered: How much will actually be raised? How will payment be enforced? How will the fee improve the services and conditions at the Seeley Creek Site?
The Nordic Club would like to see the area remain free to use. However, if fees are implemented they would like to see the Nordic Trail systems separated from the snowmobile trailhead and fees collected separately.
"If you want to see free skiing continue, get involved and make a comment," said McGrew. "We've been providing an excellent service for 25 years without any user fees and we would like to see that continue so it isn't a burden on anyone."
McGrew can be contacted at info@SeeleyLakeNordic.org. Comments on the proposed fees will be accepted until Sept. 30. For more information on the individual sites and to comment visit, https://usfs.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=5c3d141937204a4e9d6b65023e9f88bc
Annual cost estimates for Seeley Creek Winter Sports Site and the Nordic Club's response (noted in italics) The U.S. Forest Service provided these cost estimates to the Seeley Lake Nordic Club. The costs are based on a 17 weeks season (Dec. 1 - March 1) for the Nordic ski and snowmobile trailheads and associated facilities at the Seeley Creek Recreation site. Nordic Club President Mike McGrew provided the comments for the "Nordic Club remarks" that are italicized below. Lolo National Forest Acting Public Affairs officer Katelyn Jerman said, "The Seeley Lake Ranger District wants to continue to invest in these recreational opportunities for the community. One way of doing that in the future is through the current recreation fee proposal. Fees proposed could add additional capacity to improve the services at the site for the future."
Vault pumping: 2 toilets once a year, $600: Yes this is done by the Forest Service
Trailhead Maintenance & Cleaning: 2 trailheads, 2 restrooms + 1 pavilion, 1X/week for 17 weeks, $4,000: The Forest Service sweeps out the restroom. The Club replaces the toilet paper provided by the Forest Service and keeps the area clean.
Trash Services: 2 dumpsters, 1X/week for 17 weeks, $1,200: Trash services and dumpsters don't exist at either trailhead. It is pack it in, pack it out
Sign Maintenance: Annual maintenance or upgrade, $2,000:They replaced a few signs a few years ago. While signs do need to be replaced, $2,000 annually is exorbitant.
Groomer Shed Maintenance: Deferred maintenance as needed, TBA: It is a concrete shed owned by the Forest Service. It needs very little maintenance.
Restrooms/Pavilion Maintenance: Deferred maintenance needed on pavilion, $5,000: The pavilion is in the snowmobile lot and is not used by skiers. The use of the snowmobile trailhead is very low compared to the Nordic ski trailhead.
Parking Lot Maintenance: Deferred maintenance as needed, TBA: The Nordic Club paid for the parking lot expansion. The parking lots at both trailheads are in good shape.
Plowing: Cost and frequency based on snowpack, $5,000: The Forest Service is not responsible for plowing. The road to the trailheads is plowed by the county. The Nordic Club plows their lot and the Seeley Lake Driftriders plow out the snowmobile trailhead.
Law Enforcement: LEO and FPO compliance patrols, $10,000: The Federal Officer's salary is not paid from the Forest Service budget.
Trail Maintenance: Annual trail maintenance including logout, brushing, grass cutting, sign posting and grooming, $15,000: The Forest Service does not do trail maintenance on the Nordic Ski trails. They provide the Nordic Club with $1,000 per year, except for last year. The Club provides the funding and labor to clear, brush, improve and groom the trails.
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST - SEELEY CREEK WINTER SPORTS SITE: $42,800
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