Public comment supports rebuilding Sperry Chalet as it was

WEST GLACIER, Mont. – The National Park Service says public comments favour plans to rebuild the Sperry Chalet dormitory using its rock walls where they stand after the building in Glacier National Park was gutted by a fire last August.

The park service says it is fast-tracking the project and expects to have a draft environmental assessment ready in mid-April. A final decision is expected by mid-May.

The agency says 72 per cent of the 400 comments favoured rebuilding the chalet as it was or with some modernization — in both cases using the existing rock walls if they are stable enough.

About 5 per centfavoured building a new dormitory building in a different location and 5 per centfavoured a proposed tent-like structure for overnight accommodations. About 4 per cent suggested allowing the area to return to a natural state.