Montana
Couple build unauthorized house in Glacier National Park
California couple John and Stacy Ambler are in the midst of a legal fight to keep their home after building it without permission in Glacier National Park in Montana.
Newsweek contacted the Amblers’ legal team, the Flathead Conservation District’s legal team, and the Friends of Montana’s Streams and Rivers for comment via email.
Why It Matters
National parks in the United States are under constant pressure from environmental damages. While the Ambler house is small, allowing it to remain could have major ramifications for how construction in national parks is handled in the future.
The case could also set a precedent for how these kinds of disputes are handled.
What To Know
The Amblers built their home on the McDonald Creek, in Flathead County, Montana, but they quickly faced opposition over environmental issues.
“Glacier National Park did not ‘allow’ the construction on this private property,” the Flathead Conservation District said in a January 2024 court filing. “Glacier National Park has no regulations related to construction on private property. There are rigorous rules related to construction within Glacier National Park (and all federal lands), none of which were complied with by the plaintiffs…The plaintiffs obtained no valid permit, contract or agreement with the United States.”
The Amblers are now facing a federal lawsuit after suing the Flathead Conservation District, arguing that private inholding properties inside the national park are immune from state law as they are a federal jurisdiction.
According to Cowboy State Daily, the Amblers’ home is located in an area where there are no floodplain designations from Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) because it wasn’t mapped. Due to this, the county is limited to regulate floodplain development.
The Amblers’ new neighbors, who were annoyed at the loophole that they used to try and continue building the home, organized the Friends of Montana’s Streams and Rivers (FMSR), which campaigns to protect the integrity of the park’s streams.
The Cowboy State Daily reported that the house can be seen from a nearby bridge, where neighbors keep tabs on the property as they continue to organize against it.
Getty Images
What People Are Saying
Rob Farris-Olsen, an attorney representing Friends of Montana’s Streams and Rivers, said in a statement to the Cowboy State Daily: “It’s frustrating. There’s no continuity of regulation between downstream and upstream. For Wyoming, there’s not a lot of inholdings within Yellowstone. And the ceding of the Grand Tetons to the feds, that was very different than Glacier. I’m not really sure how much of an effect this will have on future Wyoming cases. However, it creates this regulatory void for a lot of inholdings because there’s no building permits necessarily.”
What Happens Next
The case remains ongoing in federal court. If the Amblers are successful, the court could grant them immunity from state law, allowing them to keep the house.
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MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) — Money Williams scored 15 points as Montana beat Ottawa (Arizona) 73-39 on Wednesday night.
Williams had 10 rebounds and six assists for the Grizzlies (2-0). Tyler Isaak added 12 points while shooting 3 for 5 and 5 of 6 from the free-throw line.
Carter Gittens led the Spirit in scoring, finishing with 11 points.
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Nov. 4, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Mega Millions numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
11-14-17-50-57, Mega Ball: 06
Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
03-13-17-27-44, Lucky Ball: 12
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Nov. 4 drawing
03-07-20-31, Bonus: 12
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
- Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
- Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
- Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.
Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.
Where can you buy lottery tickets?
Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.
You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.
Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.
BRAINERD — Award-Winning author Candace Simar will celebrate the release of her latest book, “Montana Matrimonial News,” 1-3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, at the Brainerd Public Library. The event is free and open to the public. Simar will present a book talk at 1:30 p.m. on this latest historical novel.
In “Montana Matrimonial News,” loneliness gnaws and chews like the relentless prairie wind. Dakota homesteader, Digger Dancy, props his feet in the oven and waits for the storm to end. His brother, George, barges into the soddy in a swirl of blowing snow. George announces he will abandon his claim to seek a wife. He can’ t stand the loneliness. Digger slaps a stack of old newspapers on the table and convinces him to place an ad for a correspondence bride in the Montana Matrimonial News. Doctor Gamla, the almost-doctor and midwife, treats George’ s frostbite, and offers a cure for his melancholia. She tells of two sisters living in tar-paper shacks along the Mad Dog River. The brothers cannot imagine how Doctor Gamla’ s cure will change their lives. Nickelbo’ s whole world is wheat. The homesteaders talk about crops, worry about the weather, complain about prices, and dream what they’ ll buy after the harvest. Asa Wainwright busts sod with a grasshopper plow. Ingrid Larson dallies over planting to avoid her sister’ s wedding. Drunken Oscar Borgom gets lost in a storm on the way to the outhouse. Through it all, Doctor Gamla delivers babies, treats ailments, and offers advice.“ My cures work if you can stand them.”
Contributed
“The text recalls John Steinbeck’s ‘Cannery Row’ with its short-story-like structure charting the lives of various members of the small community,” as stated in a recent Kirkus Review. “One of the most engaging aspects of the novel is the characters’ interactions with major historical events, such as Prohibition and North Dakota achieving statehood. While Prohibition is mostly discussed by the men (who are typically opposed) in the story, the women who are pro-Prohibition are not looked down upon. The novel is successful as an affirmation of the importance of community and connection in the human experience. Touching vignettes of everyday life and romance on the American frontier.”
“The setting is Nickelbo, North Dakota. Simar hands us the climate of every season, including the deathly chill of winter wind and the oppressive heat of a hot August sun, and everything in between,” stated book reviewer Charlie Johnson. “Descriptions of the landscape are diverse, even if it is North Dakota — tree lines, plowed fields, storefronts, and private homes thrive under her keyboard, not to mention the occasional dog, mule, goose, or misbegotten creature. The stories, too, are varied. There are tragic events, there are senseless issues, there are everyday events that turn into life-changing conflict. The pace flows well from story to story, from man to woman, from scientific practice to prehistoric thinking. Simar’s trademark of good story, good character and good setting make ‘Montana Matrimonial News’ yet another fine book to her list of writings.”
Pequot Lakes author Simar likes to imagine how things might have been. Her historical fiction combines her love of history with her Scandinavian heritage. Simar has been recognized by a Spur Award from Western Writers of America, a Will Rogers Gold Medallion, a Peacemaker Award from Western Fictioneers, and Laura Awards for Short Fiction. “Sister Lumberjack” received the Midwest Book Award, was a finalist for the Willa Literary Awards in Historical Fiction, and took 3rd place in the Catholic Novel category of the Catholic Media Awards. Learn more about her work at www.
candacesimar.com
. The book was published by North Star Press of St. Cloud and represented by Blue Cottage Agency.
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