- [Anna] Coming up next on "Impact", Glacier National Park's vehicle reservations are changing, again.

- We've really changed the system probably to the greatest extent that we have in the four years of working with vehicle reservations as a tool to manage visitation.

- [Anna] We'll explore what those changes mean for you.

And for these young people, the primary election is the very first chance they've ever had to vote in a national election.

What are they most concerned about as new electors?

- Because I feel like we need to vote for like the better leader for everybody, not just like how we always feel about a political party.

- [Anna] That's next on "Impact".

- [Announcer] Production of "Impact" is made possible with support from the Otto Bremer Trust, investing in people, places, and opportunities in our region.

Online at ottobremer.org.

The Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans, and viewers like, you who are friends of Montana PBS, thank you.

- Welcome to "Impact," our news and public affairs series exploring issues important to you.

I'm Anna Rau.

Glacier National Park officials created a vehicle reservation system in 2021 to alleviate traffic and overcrowding, but it also created unintended consequences and negatively impacted some local businesses As Montana PBS's AJ Williams reports, park officials have responded to the criticism and some tweaks are in the works.

- [AJ] For the last five years, Glacier National Park's visitation numbers have hit record highs.

But the increase to 3 million park goers annually has led to overcrowding in some of the most scenic and popular areas, and the traffic they bring has led to safety concerns.

- Glacier is a very special place.

It's natural that people wanna come here, but if there's too many people in the park, then the park experience becomes one that just won't be enjoyable.

- [AJ] In the last four years, the park has been piloting a vehicle reservation system for travel through Glacier's most congested areas.

- We've really been leaning into learning in each iteration of the pilot reservation system that we've been doing.

- [AJ] Superintendent Roemer says that they used monitoring across the park with cameras and traffic counters to inform their decisions, as well as staff observations and hearing from the broader Glacier community.

This year comes with substantial changes.

- We definitely leaned into those comments as we were planning this fall for what we would do this year.

And in 2024, we've really changed the system probably to the greatest extent that we have in the four years of working with vehicle reservations as a tool to manage visitation.

- [AJ] The first big change for the 2024 season is the daily hours that the vehicle reservation system will be in effect.

- We've changed the hours of the vehicle reservation system from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM, and that's consistent throughout all the areas.

We went from 6:00 PM to 5:00 PM to 4:00 PM to 3:00 PM over the years and trying to rightsize that system.

- [AJ] Locals say that the hour changes are an improvement, but for those without a vehicle reservation, entering mid-afternoon still doesn't necessarily afford getting far into the park.

- If they wanna do a long day hike, that's not gonna work, you know, you need to be up there really early in the morning, and I find a lot of my guests are leaving really early in the morning to beat that, as is everybody else who doesn't have a ticket.

This is probably most people's favorite.

- [AJ] Lucinda Cristler is the owner/operator of Mini Golden Inns just outside of Glacier's west entrance.

She took over the family business five years ago just before the pandemic hit.

And despite the park's drastic increase in visitors, Cristler has seen a decrease in revenue since the vehicle reservation system has been put into place.

- It has affected me in a negative way revenue wise because of occupancy rates, mostly with cancellations or more than that even, people cutting their trips short.

- [AJ] Cristler says the amount of revenue lost is a hit that she can currently take, but part of moving out here was to enjoy the area, and her long work days during the summer make it difficult for her to plan getaways into the park.

- You'd be surprised how many people work on vacation, so in my suites, I have space, I put little workstations.

I am so busy during the tourist season that I oftentimes don't know when I'll be able to get away and get to the park.

I certainly don't know 120 days in advance, and, usually, I don't know the morning before either.

Even though I've been here living solid since 2019, I've only been to the park four times and that was in the off season after the tickets were no longer required because I simply couldn't get 'em.

My window of opportunity, sometimes, I only know an hour in advance if I can get away and that leaves me out and I hear that from a lot of other locals too.

- I think the most common critique is that, I can no longer visit the park in an unplanned, spontaneous fashion.

I can't just say, "It's a nice day on Saturday, I'm gonna take my family into the park," because it requires a little bit more planning now and there's not a guarantee of being able to get a vehicle reservation - [AJ] According to the park, after reviewing data and receiving input from the Blackfeet Nation Tribal Council as well as east side businesses, the park opted to keep two of the east side entrances out of the vehicle reservation system.

- Paired with Two Medicine, we wanted the east entrance to Going-to-the-Sun Road at St. Mary to also be a free floating entrance, so there aren't vehicle reservations there either in the summer of 2024.

That's partly to alleviate any problems they could develop in Two Medicine.

If it was the only valley that didn't have a vehicle reservation, then people will probably be drawn to it and we don't want it to get hammered.

So we've got two options there on the east side where people will be able to visit the park in an impromptu unplanned fashion without needing to obtain vehicle reservations every day.

- [AJ] Flathead County Commissioner Brad Abell sees that sense, but understands the need to keep vehicle reservations on the west side entrances near his district.

- Here in the Flathead, we have motels and people can, and there's more to do here that, in years past, you know, it was really easy, everybody got in, and they were trying to limit it and they were turning people around and so those people were frustrated.

- [AJ] Abell says his constituents have complained about additional traffic from the west side's entrance lines since the vehicle reservation system went into effect and believe that contributed to backups on Highway 2.

- Trying to make a left hand turn into Glacier Park with the ticketed entry and traffic, you know, a rear end collision or something, you know, everybody's concerned about waiting in a line where you're kind of trapped there in the middle of traffic, you got traffic speeding by you on both sides.

- [AJ] Because of these concerns in part, the park decided to change where vehicle reservations begin when entering from the west side.

- We're moving the filter point for West Glacier in towards Apgar, another two miles inside the park.

And so, we've tried to move our management further away from Highway 2 so that there'll be less of an issue there.

- [AJ] According to Commissioner Abell, businesses within Apgar expressed that they experienced financial loss due to the vehicle reservation system.

- I have heard from the businesses that are inside the park, they did have concerns about the ticketed entry because those people could not get in to do business with their businesses, even if they weren't gonna go over Logan Pass, a lot of people just wanted to go in and look at the lake, be at Apgar, have a meal in those little restaurants.

And the ticketed entry people were kind of going right straight on through and those businesses were suffering.

And I think the park has been, you know, has listened to those and has worked with those people.

- Having that area be accessible without the need for a vehicle reservation, I think is gonna be beneficial to businesses that operate in Apgar, as well as to park visitors to locals.

- [AJ] According to the park, another change for the upcoming season is when you can book vehicle reservations.

Outside of months in advance, they hold a certain number of reservations for each day.

Before, those reservations could be made 8:00 AM the day of entry.

Now they can be made at 7:00 PM the night before.

- I think that's a change that is gonna be beneficial to both people that live locally.

7:00 PM is outside of your work hours, and for people planning a trip, just plan your dinner around that 7:00 PM hour.

- [AJ] The vehicle reservations now last one day instead of three, which the park believes will also cut down on unused reservations and increase availability.

Cristler says, as a business that provides lodging to park goers, the vehicle reservation system puts another burden on her to educate every customer how to navigate this complex system.

- A lot of people have problems navigating that internet system and they want a voice to talk to, and oftentimes, that voice ends up being me, which, you know, I don't wanna complain about that, but it does take a lot of time to explain that system to them, a system that I'm not even really fully 100%, you know, an authority on.

I always defer them to the website and that's not easy for some folks to do.

So if they had a call in system or something like that, that would be really nice.

- [AJ] Roemer emphasizes that even if visitors aren't able to secure a reservation, there are still options for visiting areas of the park.

- Whenever the message focuses on the vehicle reservations, I think that that makes people think that that's the only way to visit the park, period, and that's not true.

There are plenty of opportunities to visit the park in a non-vehicle reservation area or outside of the hours of vehicle reservations.

- [AJ] For Cristler, she expects the system to smooth out and hopefully for the visitor experience to get better with time.

As a resident, she hopes that the park will work better with the locals to make sure they can also enjoy the park itself.

- I think that it's really important that the powers that be that make these rules be aware of how upsetting it is for a lot of Montanans, who this is their backyard and they can't even enjoy it, that's unfortunate and I don't know what the answer is, but, you know, there should be something done that would allow these people access.

- We're in the forever business, the Glacier National Park has been a national park since 1910.

We're all about sustainability, we need to protect and preserve what we have here for now and for future generations.

People are still gonna come to Glacier and they're still gonna enjoy Glacier, but we've removed those peaks, those high points where things get really congested, unsafe and not enjoyable, not conducive to a park experience that's gonna be inspiring, that's gonna be educational, that could be spiritual, all the things that people come to Glacier for.

You can't experience that in gridlocked traffic.

- [AJ] As Glacier enters year four of piloting its vehicle reservation system, visitors will be the judge of what changes are working.

Roemer says they'll continue to fine tune the system and hopefully create a park experience everyone can enjoy.

- Hi, welcome to Glacier.

- [AJ] For Impact, I'm AJ Williams.

- Vehicle reservations start on May 24th for the west entrance and can be booked at recreation.gov.

On the other side of the park, St. Mary and Two Medicine entrances do not require vehicle reservations.

However, the Many Glacier entrance does starting on July 1st.

Well, Montana's primary election is right around the corner, and with each election, comes a new wave of first time voters.

Stan Parker sat down with nine young voters to discover what's on their minds as they forge their emerging political identities.

- [Stan] To vote is to come of age.

- I honestly, I feel empowered to be able to vote.

- Pressure to make the right decision.

- I'm excited, I've been pretty involved with politics my whole life and now it feels like I can actually do something about it rather than just like share my opinion.

- [Stan] It's a milestone that comes with a range of emotion.

- Mostly there's excitement to like, you know, have a part to play in politics in the state of Montana.

- Nervous because I wanna pick the right person.

- I'm pretty excited just because there's a lot of issues that I've been passionate about for a while and I'm excited to have a voice on those, like outside of activism.

- Honestly, I have some pretty hard feelings about voting for the first time, I don't think I will vote because I don't know a lot and I'm not very educated on it.

I kinda shut myself out of that because I see what politics can do to people.

- To get a sense for what's on young voters' minds, we invited nine first time voters, seniors and a recent graduate from two public high schools in the heart of Billings to share their views on elections, voting and political identity.

These are all the races that voters in Yellowstone County are gonna get a chance to weigh in on this election.

Are there any races on there that you've never heard of?

- Soil Conservation District Supervisor.

(all chuckling) - Yeah, I didn't know that was on the ballot either.

While young voters typically turn out in smaller numbers than their more seasoned counterparts, the insight they offer is a window to the future.

The ways their concerns differ from their elders offer clues to the shifting priorities of an ever evolving electorate.

But before they get a chance to weigh in on those priorities, the first choice posed to them is one about their political party.

Deciding whether to vote in the Republican primary or the Democratic one is not a straightforward decision for those still shaping their political identities.

You know, during the primary election, which is the first opportunity to vote, the first choice you'll have to make is which party's primary to vote in.

So under our current system, if you wanna fully participate in the process, you have to make a decision about political party before making a decision about any candidates or issues.

And, as first time voters, I'm just curious how you feel about that setup?

- I feel like it's so unfair.

Like, I have never had an opportunity to vote in my life and I'm just now learning about it, and you wanna force me into identifying myself as something that I'm not even totally sure what I identify as.

- Yeah, what about you?

- I, also, I don't like that idea just because there are times when I feel like I could go both ways and I would like the opportunity to pick which candidate on both sides, I would like to choose between eventually and by limiting myself, I just, it feels like wrong, I guess.

- Come November, I have a feeling that I'm gonna end up having a split ticket and I wanna be able to vote in both, like I agree that it's important to be able to see, okay, who's the top performer in each party so we can have, you know, those two main at the end.

But like I wanna be able to vote for both of 'em, I wanna be able to say, okay, in the Republicans, this is who I think could be the best, and the Democrats, this is who I think could be the best.

- [Stan] We had to play a little musical chairs to give everyone the chance in the hot seat.

- If Nikki Haley was still in the race, my urge was to register as a Republican and vote for Nikki Haley just because I do not wanna see Trump on my election ballot.

And so, I feel like that if I had the urge to game this system, I'm sure a lot of other people did too.

Maybe that's not the best thing to do, I would've preferred just to see like everyone's name on my ballot.

- I think that's a perfectly valid reason and way to use your vote.

I don't know, I just think that you should be able to use your vote how you want and if that is against a candidate rather than for another candidate, then I think that is completely valid.

- I think that it should all just be on like one piece of paper for you to choose from then 'cause then you don't necessarily have to choose between one or another rather than just following through with what you believe in, rather than having to go through one party or another.

- Feelings of still forming a political identity were a common theme, and it makes sense why picking a primary ballot is a complicated choice for this group.

Do you feel like you identify with a certain political party and why or why not?

- I used to think I did but I don't necessarily do anymore.

I don't know, I'm just trying to get like all the different viewpoints from all different aspects and trying to compile my own thoughts with all that, so I don't necessarily take to one side or another.

- I would probably say that I would fit more into a democratic viewpoint, but I don't know, it's really hard to say anymore.

- Riddic, do you feel like you identify with a certain political party and why or why not?

- As of right now, no, just because I'm still trying to learn what the difference is between the two and figure out what the big difference is.

- [Stan] Even for those feeling closer alignment to a party, there's still some reluctance to go all in.

- Yeah, I definitely identify with the Democratic party, not on everything, but on the things that matter to me.

- I think for the most part, yes, I think like my values align pretty closely with the Democratic party but I think that, I don't know, it just depends, I think I'm not a hundred percent anything.

- I definitely align with one but I wouldn't say that identify with them just 'cause I want to be open to voting both ways in any election because I feel like we need to vote for like the better leader for everybody, not just like how we always feel about a political party.

- I think when I look at my values as a person, I definitely would be a part of more of like the Republican party, but I also say that in a sense of like I feel very moderate about things like, I'm pro-life, so that's a big Republican ideal but also I feel very strongly about immigration and allowing people into our country, which is a very democratic or Democrat ideal.

So I definitely would say probably Republican but more in that moderate sense.

- Part of this hesitation may be explained by the impressions the parties have left on them.

Chloe, what are your opinions about political parties?

- I think it's like kind of a necessary evil but also it's just hard to know that if you say you're some way, that some people will just completely discount you.

Like, that's hard for me, and I don't know, I think people should be a little more open-minded and not just stick to one belief, I think they should pick what's best for them in the moment and not just be a lifelong Democrat, Republican, whatever.

- So divisive, I think they really just tear people apart.

I mean, you see over and over, like, I have family members that like are so to one side that they just like get mad at you for being slightly to the other side, and I think that is, I think it's harmful but I also think that they really serve as a great way to connect people to politics, right?

- I do think that they are necessary to the way that our government functions and like getting the nominations for candidates and all that, but I don't necessarily agree with them.

I think that they've become very polarized and have really divided our country.

- I think having a three party system would be much better 'cause I think we need more like choices when it comes to voting 'cause it seems like, at least recently, it's been voting for the lesser of two evils and voting for what people really want to vote for.

- They do definitely have their use, but, at the end of the day I honestly kinda hate that we have political parties, like George Washington warned us against having political parties and I very much so agree with that warning 'cause I feel that, if we didn't have them, we'd have more sense of unity within the country.

- These misgivings about political parties are consistent with nationwide trends.

The Pew Research Center says the number of Americans with unfavorable views of both parties is at an all time high, with voters under 30 most likely to feel that way.

It's no wonder the number of Americans identifying as independent has risen over the last 20 years from 31% in 2004 to 43% in 2023, according to Gallup.

Democrats and Republicans now sit at 27% each.

These trends could indicate a seismic shift somewhere on the horizon, but for now, political parties remain a fact of American politics.

They're the entities most poised to move the needle on the issues these young voters care about.

Well, what issues are are most important to you?

- Women's rights and stuff like that, that's something that's really important to me, partially, obviously, because I'm a woman, but also just 'cause women deserve to have a say in what they wanna do with their body.

I also care about the planet.

- I would definitely have to say rights as well.

- I'm very pro-choice and I have been since I could like conceptualize that situation.

I also care a lot about climate change.

- I've been thinking a lot about like the mill levy and like, education funding, I think that's a super big deal.

I also think climate change is a huge thing that I'm pretty focused on, so.

- I think that housing is gonna be a big importance to at least my generation, 'cause of the housing market right now, it's almost unaffordable to own a home and that everyone that's graduating or in my situation, like, we don't know how we're gonna be able to live for the next 10, 20 years.

- Abortion is a really big one for me, I personally am pro-life, so that's a really big thing for me when it comes to voting.

And then, immigration, I come from a family of immigrants, so I feel very strongly about it.

- Time will tell how their priorities shift over time and how new influences play a role in shaping their views.

What are your biggest influences in creating your own political views?

- Honestly, I'd say I only have one influence and that's gonna be my faith.

- I don't know whether or not I would be influenced, but if I was, it would definitely be my dad, I trust my dad with my whole heart.

- I think that school has actually been a really big influence on me just because I've been exposed to so many other people that have such different backgrounds than I do, and I've gotten the opportunity to read a bunch of like books and things that I probably wouldn't have picked up and it's really like opened my eyes and opened me up to new perspectives.

- I think my family has had the biggest influence on me, even though my parents always tell me like, "You can vote either way and like kinda make your own choices," I think definitely just talking with them like at the dinner table and watching TV with them, I've adopted pretty close to their ideology.

But one group that I don't think has any influence on it that I thought would was my friends 'cause many of my friends have different political beliefs than I do and I feel like that's really strange that I wouldn't kind of like slowly over time follow their beliefs too, or at least have like kind of meet in the middle.

- [Stan] It's yet to be seen how these new voters and the rest of their Gen Z cohort will ultimately influence the direction of the country, the state, and their communities.

They won't be young voters forever, the future is theirs for the making.

For "Impact", I'm Stan Parker.

- Mail-in ballots go out on May 10th and Montana's primary election will be held on June 4th.

That's all the time we have for this episode.

On the next "Impact", we follow up on our investigation of PFAS in composts and fertilizers.

In our next story, we'll scrutinize how far PFAS has made it into our food supply.

And are bolts on rock climbing roots in wilderness areas and appropriate use of the resource?

A national fight is brewing.

We'll see you next time for those stories, thanks for joining us.

(dramatic music) (dramatic music continues) - [Announcer] Production of "Impact" is made possible with support from the Otto Bremer Trust, investing in people, places, and opportunities in our region, online at ottobremer.org, The Greater Montana Foundation, encouraging communication on issues, trends, and values of importance to Montanans, and viewers like you, who are friends of Montana PBS.

Thank you.

(bright music)