Milltown State Park opens after yearslong Superfund cleanup and dam removal

MILLTOWN, Mont. — Officials, tribal leaders and cleanup partners on Saturday dedicated Milltown State Park after years of Superfund remediation, removal of a former hydroelectric dam and river restoration work that authorities said reopened habitat and public access at the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clark Fork rivers. "This is your vision. This is your perseverance," said Martha Williams, director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, at the ceremony. "A state park is a fitting full circle for this place because parks tell that story of place." The site, now a state park of 627 acres, was the focus of decades of cleanup and reclamation that federal and state officials described as a model of multi-agency and community collaboration. Doug Martin, restoration program chief for the Montana Natural Resource Damage (NRD) program, said the project depended on long-running local engagement and partnerships among tribes, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, state agencies and private companies. "Ultimately, what actually made this a…