MONTANA'S MOST
ENDANGERED PLACES 2006

The Lewis & Clark County Commission voted last year to make parking its priority in redesigning new facilities for the county fairgrounds.  The site they chose, despite having over 300 acres, was on the historic state racetrack. The commission has decided that horseracing is "dead in Montana" and are unwilling to locate the new facility alongside rather than on top of the track. The State Historic Preservation Review Board at its June meeting in Whitefish approved a nomination for the track, over the objections of the county's representatives. A lawsuit is pending over whether the county violated open meeting laws by laying the plans for siting of the building in private, unpublicized meetings.