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Conference Program

Remarkable Beyond Borders:
Shaping the Future of the Crown of the Continent

First Annual Conference
Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent

September 23-24, 2010
Bayshore Inn
Waterton Lakes National Park
Alberta, Canada

If you are a U.S. citizen, please be advised that you will need a current passport for travel to Canada for the conference.

Questions or comments can be directed to Shawn Johnson, shawn@cnrep.org or 406-457-8475.

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The program agenda examines the past, present and future of the Crown of the Continent.  It begins with reflections on the history, culture, and heritage of the region, continues with an examination of the people and places that characterize the Crown today, and ends with an exploration of ideas for addressing many of the key issues facing the Crown.

DAY 1

8:00 AM    Registration

8:30  Welcoming Remarks

9:00 Overview of Program Agenda

9:15   Jack Nisbet, teacher, naturalist and author
  Introduction by Ted Smith, formerly with the Kendall Foundation (Boston)

The Natural and Cultural History of the Crown
The keynote address will review and celebrate the Crown of the Continent's unique and remarkable history - an ecological crossroads and a place where culture and community is deeply embedded in nature.

10:00    Break

10:30    Chiefly Speaking
Tribal/First Nations leaders will respond to the keynote's historical perspective and offer their own perspective on the natural and cultural history of the region.

Moderator:  Clayton Matt, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes

Panelists:

12:00 PM   Lunch On Site

1:00   Jonathan Tourtellot, Center for Sustainable Destinations; National Geographic Traveler
  Introduction by Steve Thompson, Cinnabar Foundation

Local Communities in a Global Context
This keynote address will place the Crown of the Continent in a global context. It will reflect on the ways in which the Crown is recognized internationally, and the importance of sustaining both the natural and cultural values of the region while building resilient communities and vibrant economies.

1:45    The Nature of Our Communities
Community leaders from the four sub-regions of the Crown will respond to the keynote address and reflect on the ways in which their communities are successfully integrating economic development, community heritage, and landscape conservation.

Moderator:  Mary Sexton, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation

Panelists:

2:45    Break

3:15    Darrell Kipp, Piegan Institute
 Introduction by Lisa B. Flowers, Ph.D., Boone and Crockett Club; Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium

Discovering a Sense of Place
This keynote address will examine how people with diverse interests build community around a common sense of place. It will reflect on the role of personal values, cultural traditions and languages, education, and the landscape in bringing people together to solve problems.

4:00    Unusual Allies and Uncommon Stewards
This panel will highlight one collaborative initiative in each of the four sub-regions of the Crown - southwest Alberta, southeast British Columbia, Montana's westside, and Montana's eastside. Speakers will describe who is doing what to sustain the natural and cultural resources of these particular places; highlight what is/is not working with respect to engaging people with diverse interests; and offer lessons learned on place-based collaboration.

Moderator:  Nina Chambers, Sonoran Institute

Collaborative Initiatives:

Kimberly Pearson, The Nature Conservancy of Canada

Representatives from the Office of the Premier (BC) and Office of the Governor (MT)

Jerry Sorensen, Plum Creek Timber Company

Jennifer Ferenstein, The Wilderness Society

5:30     Conclude Sessions For The Day

6:00     No-host Cocktail Hour

7:00     Dinner on site at  the Bayshore Inn
                       
Entertainment by:
Jack Gladstone, Native Poet/Singer from the Blackfeet Nation

Day 2

8:30 AM   Opening Remarks and Synthesis of Day 1

9:00  Options for the Future

While the Crown is blessed with the vision, passion, and commitment of many individuals and communities, its potential to achieve the multiple objectives of large landscape conservation is limited by a number of barriers. This session will review the findings of recent research on challenges facing the Crown, and set the stage to explore how regional (i.e., Crown-wide) and national initiatives may add value to ongoing efforts.

9:45   Break

10:15          Building on Existing Regional Initiatives
This panel will critically examine selected Crown-wide initiatives to build regional identity and capacity. It will discuss the challenges of thinking regionally and knitting together local and sub-regional efforts into a coherent Crown-wide strategy, and offer lessons learned and strategies for the future. Each speaker will talk for 15 minutes followed by a facilitated discussion.
                                               
Moderator: Carole Stark, Water Matters

Crown-wide initiatives:

Lisa B. Flowers, Ph.D.
Boone and Crockett Club
Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium

Bill Dolan, Alberta Tourism, Parks, and Recreation

Steve Thompson, www.crownofthecontinent.net

Charles C. Chester, Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative

Yvette Converse, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

11:45   Lunch

1:00  Linking Regional and Federal Efforts
This session will look to the future of the Crown of the Continent and explore how various national programs and initiatives might support homegrown, place-based collaboration in the Crown.

Moderator - Gary Tabor, Center for Large Landscape Conservation

Panelists:
Office of the Secretary, US Department of the Interior (invited)
Office of the Secretary, US Department of Agriculture (invited)
Hon. Jim Prentice, Canada's Minister of the Environment (invited)
White House Council on Environmental Quality (invited)
           
2:45  Break

3:00  Keynote Address: Emerging Lessons and Opportunities
Lynn Scarlett, Visiting Scholar, Resources for the Future and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior
Introduction by Matthew McKinney, Center for Natural Resources & Environmental Policy

The final keynote address will synthesize the major themes that emerged during the conference, highlight the major barriers to large landscape conservation in the Crown, and offer options on how to move forward (reflecting in part on lessons learned from other regions).

3:45            Concluding Remarks

4:00            Conference Concludes

 

CO-SPONSORS

Boone and Crockett Club
Brainerd Foundation
Castle-Crown Wilderness Coalition (100)
Castle Special Place Working Group
Center for Large Landscape Conservation (100)
Cinnabar Foundation
Clark Fork Coalition
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium
Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council
Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center, Glacier National Park
Crowsnest Conservation Society
East Kootenay Conservation Program
Freedom to Roam
Friends of the Rocky Mountain Front
Headwaters Montana
Miistakis Institute
Missoula County Rural Initiatives (200)
Montana Association of Land Trusts
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (100)
National Parks and Conservation Association
National Forest Foundation
Nature Conservancy of Canada, Alberta Region
Plum Creek Timber Company
Trust for Public Land
University of Montana, Crown of the Continent Initiative
University of Montana, Flathead Lake Biological Station
University of Montana/University of Calgary, Joint Transboundary Initiative
U.S. Forest Service, Region 1
The Vital Ground Foundation (100)
The Wilburforce Foundation
The Wilderness Society
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative