The Initiatives

The following narrative provides a brief profile of major regional and sub-regional efforts to promote and support conservation and stewardship in the Crown of the Continent. This inventory is more representative than comprehensive. 

Ongoing Crown-Wide Initiatives

• Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium: Formed in 1994, COCEEC develops ecosystem-focused curricula, workshops, and projects. www.crownofthecontinent.org

• University of Montana/University of Calgary Transboundary Program.  This program, initiated in 1999 and supported by the Henry P. Kendall Foundation, offers student research and internship support, shared courses, and faculty exchange to explore and develop the knowledge and skills necessary to manage across domestic or international administrative boundaries. It is coordinated between the Environmental Studies Program at the University of Montana and the Faculty of Environmental Design and its affiliate, the Miistakis Instiute at the University of Calgary. http://www.cas.umt.edu/evst/students_grad_transboundary.htm

• Crown Managers Partnership: The Crown Managers Partnership (CMP) was created in 2001 as an inter-agency forum for about 20 land management agencies in Montana, British Columbia, and Alberta. This voluntary partnership seeks to build common awareness of Crown interests and issues, shape relationships, and identify collaborative and complementary tasks that the various participating jurisdictions can pursue. The Mistakis Institute (University of Calgary) staffs the CMP. http://www.crownmanagers.org/

• Crown of the Continent Resource Learning Center:  Developed in 2002 and located in Glacier National Park, the CCRLC provides coordination and information sharing between scientists and land managers. CCRLC projects are carried out through collaboration among government, academia, educational institutions, public interest, and private citizens, all of whom are committed to understanding and preserving the Crown's natural, social, and cultural heritage. The CCRLC has made communicating the impacts of climate change one of the highest priorities. http://www.nps.gov/archive/glac/learningcenter/learningcenter.htm

• Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council: This broad-based partnership of local community and business leaders formed in 2007 as an advisory committee to work with NPCA and National Geographic on the Crown of the Continent MapGuide and interactive website. Today, the Council describes itself as "a regional network of communities, tourism bureaus, conservation and business groups, educators, First Nations, government agencies, and others working together [to provide] information about the Crown of the Continent region for visitors and residents to understand, appreciate, and help preserve its geographic character, including historical, cultural and environmental heritage. Looking forward, the Council intends to pursue cooperative projects that promote regional understanding and appreciation, encourage sustainable businesses, support community well-being, advance landscape stewardship, and provide outstanding visitor experiences." http://www.crownofthecontinent.net

• Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent: The Center for Natural Resources and Environment Policy (CNREP) at The University of Montana and the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy initiated the effort in 2007. The purpose of the Roundtable is to provide a multi-stakeholder forum to exchange ideas, build relationships, identify shared values and interests, and facilitate working relationships. In addition to organizing periodic forums and workshops, CNREP and LILP will convene an annual conference beginning in 2010, and has taken the first steps to convene policy leaders representing the major jurisdictions within the Crown of the Continent to create a national pilot project on how to implement large landscape conservation. http://www.crownroundtable.org/

• University of Montana Crown of the Continent Initiative: Led by the Department of Geography at the University of Montana, this initiative was publicly launched in 2009 and includes research coordination at UM, educational outreach, and publication of an e-magazine and e-notes with updates about activities related to the Crown. The initiative expects to publish a book in 2011 with articles, stories, photographs, and maps reflecting the diverse research underway around the Crown. http://www.umt.edu/urelations/crown.html

• Crown of the Continent Conservation Initiative: This coalition is led by a steering committee of 15 organizations in the U.S. and Canada. Over the past year, the CCCI developed a comprehensive Conservation Agenda and Conservation Plan to achieve long term conservation goals and vision for the Crown in a time of climate change, as well as comprehensive and collaborative conservation strategies in four key areas: climate science, policy framework, communication/outreach, and capacity building. Climate change is the overarching them of the CCCI.

Major Sub-regional Initiatives

Keeping in mind that "the whole is greater than the sum or its parts" it is helpful to view the Crown of the Continent in four geographic quadrants -- divided by a north-south axis (the Continental Divide) and an east-west axis (the United States-Canada border).

  Southwest Alberta Sub-region

• The Castle Special Place Citizen's Initiative:  This broad-based, citizen-led initiative, which began in 2007, recently completed a proposal to protect this area north of Waterton Lakes National Park, currently being considered by the Alberta government. http://castlespecialplace.ca/index.html

• Alberta Land-use Framework: The Alberta Ministry of Sustainable Resource Development adopted the Alberta Land-use Framework in 2008. The Framework will guide conservation and development efforts throughout the province, including the area associated with the Crown of the Continent. http://www.landuse.alberta.ca/Default.aspx

• Waterton Park Front Project: Starting with a land purchase in 1997 and expanding in subsequent years, The Nature Conservancy Canada has protected 27,000 acres of land through purchases and conservation easements between Pincher Creek, AB, to Waterton Lakes National Park. These protected lands continue to provide homes and livelihoods for ranchers and farmers, as well as habitat and scenery, comprising the largest private conservation initiative in Canadian history.

   Montana's Eastside Sub-region

• Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front: Organized in 2006 to oppose federal oil and gas leasing on the Rocky Mountain Front, this local coalition of landowners, sportsmen, and others in 2009 released the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, a proposal for new federally designated wilderness and conservation management areas, as well as measures to control, prevent, and eradicate the spread of noxious weeds. http://www.savethefront.org/

   Montana's Westside Sub-region

• Flathead Basin Commission: This international body is made up of 23 members, appointed by various arms of state, provincial, tribal, federal, and local government entities. Created in 1983, the purpose of the commission is to monitor and protect the aquatic resources of Flathead Lake and its tributaries. Not a formal decisionmaking body, the commission makes informed recommendations to government bodies concerning protection and management of these resources. In recent years, the Commission has provided leadership in developing agreements between the U.S. and Canada to protect the ecological health of the region, including critical wildlife habitat and wildlife corridors. http://www.flatheadbasincommission.org/

• Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Project: A local coalition of landowners, loggers, snowmobilers, outfitters, and conservationists crafted a vision document for the Upper Blackfoot Valley in Montana. This evolved into a proposal for federal legislation (now part of Senator Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act under consideration in Congress), which would include stewardship contracting, biomass development, and wilderness designation. http://www.blackfootclearwater.org

• The Montana Legacy Project: In 2008, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) Montana worked with the Trust for Public Land and others to sign and agreement to purchase 310,000 acres from Plum Creek Timber. Much of the land is in the Seeley-Swan Valley, but the project reaches far beyond that valley to include lands between Libby and Yaak and other areas. As of 2009, TNC had purchased 240,000 acres, which will be conveyed to community, state, and national forest ownership for sustainable timber harvest, wildlife habitat, and public recreation access. The final portion is due to be purchased in 2010. http://www.themontanalegacyproject.org/index.html

   British Columbia Sub-region

• World Heritage Site Assessment: In 1932 Waterton Lakes National Park was combined with the Glacier National Park to form the world's first International Peace Park. In 1995, the United Nations recognized the parks' unique ecological qualities by designating the pair as a World Heritage Site, noting the area's spectacular natural resources, including its diversity of wildlife and its role as a "biological crossroads." In 2009, responding to a petition from 11 U.S. and Canadian conservation groups concerned with the threats to the parks posed by proposed energy and mineral development, the World Heritage Committee has sent a mission to the parks to assess the threats, consult with stakeholders and prepare recommendations.

• Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on Environmental Protection, Climate Action and Energy: In 2010, BC and Montana signed a Memorandum of Understanding that, according to BC Lt. Governor Steven Point, represents "A new partnership with Montana [to] sustain the environmental values in the Flathead River Basin in a manner consistent with current forestry, recreation, guide outfitting and trapping uses." Under the Memorandum, British Columbia and Montana agree to work together, and in partnership with federal governments, Ktunaxa Nation and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, local governments, and other community interests. The memorandum covers three components - environmental protection, climate action and renewable and low-carbon energy. http://www.mediaroom.gov.bc.ca/Download.axd?objectId=721

The Crown in Context: Larger Regional Initiatives

• Great Northern Landscape Conservation Cooperative:  The US Fish and Wildlife Service has initiated a partnership with states, provinces, federal agencies, universities and NGOs to develop scientific capacity to address climate change and other stressors to wildlife species and habitats in an integrated fashion within the Northern Rockies and Columbia Basin. The Great Northern landscape, as mapped for this initiative, is larger than the Y2Y region; however, cooperative organizers have expressed interest in coordinating with and building upon the inter-agency collaboration established by the Crown Managers Partnership.

• Yellowstone to Yukon Priority Area: The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2Y) includes and extends beyond the Crown of the Continent in its work to protect wildlife core areas and corridors across a 500,000-square-mile landscape. Y2Y began as a network of biologists and conservationists who were concerned about populations of wildlife "blinking out," generally on a northward trend. While Y2Y focuses on wildlife corridors and connectivity, it works closely with private landowners, community leaders, and others to address a range of issues related to land use, community and economic prosperity, and wildlife management. And, while it operates as a not-for-profit organization, it relies heavily on partnerships with diverse stakeholders to achieve its objectives. http://www.y2y.net/Default.aspx?cid=4-14-101-174

Other Organizations

The Crown Directory of Organizations - Contact information and links to organizations engaged in stewardship efforts in the Crown.

The Crown Directory of People - Names and contact information for people engaged in stewardship efforts in the Crown.

These directories are starting points. Contact Us about any additions, corrections, and updates.