A federal judge ruled in favor of John and Stacy Ambler, allowing their private home on the banks of McDonald Creek in Glacier National Park to remain. The Flathead Conservation District had previously ordered the home to be removed for violating the Montana Streambed Protection Act, but the judge ruled that the Conservation District lacked jurisdiction to enforce state law within the boundaries of the national park.

The court found that the federal government has exclusive jurisdiction over all land within Glacier National Park, including private inholdings, and that state laws, such as the Montana Streambed Protection Act, do not apply within the park. The Conservation District argued that private inholdings were not included in the creation of the park, but the court disagreed, stating that only laws in effect at the time of the transfer of jurisdiction continue to apply.

The Conservation District also claimed that the Ambler’s home violated the National Environmental Policy Act, but the judge found that this claim was beyond the scope of the case. The ruling sets a precedent for private property owners within Glacier National Park, affirming that federal law supersedes state law within the park boundaries.