A long-awaited public dock on Wild Horse Island is closer to becoming a reality, as a bill authorizing its construction will soon head to Gov. Steve Bullock’s desk for his signature.

State Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, introduced the bill on behalf of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, citing improved access for less able-bodied people and mitigation of impacts to private landowners, many of whom have docks.

“Members of the public are somewhat confused at times, they think these private docks are public docks,” Hertz said during a hearing before the Senate Fish and Game Committee. “A lot of times [the cabins] are empty so they kind of look inviting to tie your boat up to.”

After handily passing the House last month, the bill cleared the Senate last week by a vote of 45-3.

Wild Horse Island State Park, a 2,163-acre preserve covering the majority of Flathead Lake’s largest island, is accessible only by boat at the six public landing sites scattered around its coast. A 2013 appropriation of $40,000 by the Legislature opened the door for the construction of a dock, but Chas Van Genderen, the Montana State Parks administrator, said the agency realized it would need explicit lawmaker approval when it began an environmental assessment for the project.

He said the current plan is for a 60-foot floating dock with two wings on either side that would be able to accommodate six to 10 vessels. The dock will be located at the Skeeko Bay landing, which Van Genderen said receives about 90 percent of traffic to the island.

No one spoke in opposition to the bill during two committee hearings.

The park, which receives about 90,000 visitors per year, boasts a diverse range of wildlife living in the Douglas fir and ponderosa pine forests as well as one of the last examples of Palouse prairie, Montana’s native grassland. A handful of wild horses remain on the island, although they are not descended from the park’s original namesakes.

The island is better known for its bighorn sheep herd. Eagles, coyotes, osprey and mule deer also live there.

The dock would help mitigate damage to the island’s shoreline, which Van Genderen said occurs as repeated boat landings generate significant wave action.

Betsy Kirkeby, a public relations specialist for Montana State Parks, said the agency will also need approval from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, whose reservation includes the southern half of the lake where the island is located.

“It’s basically just a two-way flow of information,” Kirkeby said. “We’ll approach them and hear any concerns they may have regarding the dock.”

If the measure is signed into law by the governor, the state would begin its environmental assessment of the project, followed by a public comment period and a bidding period for the construction contract. Kirkeby said she isn’t yet aware of a timeline for completion.

Reporter Samuel Wilson may be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.