GLACIER NATIONAL PARK – A house in Glacier National Park has been spared demolition following a federal judge’s ruling.
The three-story structure was built without a permit directly on the shore of McDonald Creek on private property owned by John and Stacy Ambler. The 0.05 acre property—known as an inholding—was grandfathered in as private land when Glacier became a national park in 1910.
In 2023, the Flathead Conservation District ordered the Amblers to demolish their partially constructed home, saying it violated Montana’s Streambed and Land Preservation Act, which is intended to protect streams, fish habitat and the ecosystem.
But the Amblers sued the conservation district and won with their argument that the conservation district does not have jurisdiction over property contained within a national park, which is federally controlled.
“The state of Montana ceded, and the United States accepted, exclusive jurisdiction over all land within Glacier National Park, including private inholdings like the Ambler Property,” wrote Judge Kathleen DeSoto.
The conservation district has appealed the ruling.
NATIONAL PARK NEWS
