On Jan. 31, about 30 people including Seeley Lake residents, nonprofit representatives and Missoula County government officials gathered in the cafeteria at Seeley Lake Elementary School to discuss the town's struggles and suggestions regarding tourism in the area.
Glacier Country Tourism — recognized by the state of Montana as the official marketing and management organization for western Montana — started developing its destination stewardship plan in response to the covid-19 pandemic in 2021. Racene Friede, president and CEO of Glacier Country Montana, said the concept of destination stewardship focuses more on how tourism impacts the quality of life of tourism-oriented communities, rather than economics or the number of people coming in and out.
Glacier Country Tourism has hosted similar meetings in Glacier, Flathead, Lincoln, Mineral, Sanders, Lake and Ravalli Counties.
Friede said the key to destination tourism is that it is community-driven.
“The optimism and pride in the community (Seeley Lake) is loud and clear,” Friede, who grew up in Ovando and went to high school in Seeley Lake, said. “People are so proud of their community.”
One element of the destination stewardship plan was focused on leveling out the impact of tourism across a broader timespan.
Friede said an issue in small towns, especially ones that are so seasonally-dependent on tourism, is that it is hard to keep employees when visitors leave. Three or four years ago the busy months were July and August, Friede said. Now, that’s extended to mid-June through mid-September.
Friede said those in attendance at the Wednesday night meeting were in favor of leveling things out. Other topics of conversation included housing, employment, infrastructure and the fallout of the covid-19 pandemic and the busyness brought on destination towns as “urban people flooded to rural areas,” Friede said.
Michelle Dunn, owner of True North Massage, echoed housing and infrastructure as key issues the community faces in regard to tourism.
“I love the tourism. I love the energy it brings,” Dunn said. “I love Seeley in the summer.”
But, Dunn said the way everything from boat ramps to garbage cans get overcrowded makes it hard to account for the influx of population. There needs to be more space, she said.
Change is coming, Dunn said, “And it would be great for people in Seeley to help be a part of that change.” She appreciated that Glacier Country Tourism came to Seeley Lake to hear how tourism affects the community from the people who live there.
And to Friede, that’s one of the main elements of destination stewardship.
“We want you to be really, really open with us about the things that you’re seeing on the ground,” Friede said.
Perfectly competent at too many things
Keely's journalism career started with staff positions at the Lone Peak Lookout and The Madisonian in southwest Montana and freelancing for Dance Spirit Magazine.
In 2023, she completed a legislative reporting fellowship with KFF Health News during Montana's 68th legislative session and graduated with an MA in Environmental Journalism from the University of Montana. Keely completed a summer fire reporting internship with Montana Free Press in 2022.
Her bylines include Scientific American, Modern Farmer, U.S. News & World Report, CBS News, The New Republic, KFF Health News, Montana Free Press, Ars Technica, Mountain Journal and Outside Business Journal.
She also is a producer and editor for a Montana Public Radio podcast.
Keely received her undergraduate degrees in History and Religious Studies from Montana State University in 2017.
In her spare time, she's dancing, drinking processo and running around the mountains.
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