May 2014
May 8, 2014
Dear Friends, 

We're excited to announce that registration is now open for the 5th Annual Conference of the Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent, which will take place on September 10, 11 and 12 in beautiful Waterton Park, Alberta. This year's conference includes:

--keynote addresses from Glacier National Park Superintendent Jeff Mow and Waterton Lakes National Park Superintendent Ifan Thomas; 

--presentations and interactive panel discussions featuring innovative efforts in SW Alberta and around the Crown of the Continent; and 

--a feature presentation on photographer Steven Gnam's new work, Crown of the Continent: The Wildest Rockies (check out this stunning companion video). 

 

We've also added an extended field trip, a poster session, and opportunities to learn about and get involved in issues you care most about. Please take a look at the draft agenda and visit crownroundtable.org for the latest updates and sponsorship information. Click here to register today!

 
As always, please be in touch if you have news or events you'd like to share in the next newsletter. 

Friends of the Crown
Friends of the Crown is an informal network of people and organizations that support the Statement of Values and Principles. 

Become a Friend of the Crown and join a network of organizations & individuals working to enhance the Crown of the Continent - click here.
"Common vision and values encapsulate the core identity of a culture. 

[We are] proud to support this effort to clarify critical land use and stewardship understanding in order to create a sustainable, resilient, and positive future for our collective communities in the Crown." 

- Friend of the Crown



Roundtable Leadership Team:
 
Clayton Matt
Culture Co-Chair, 
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes 
 
Stephen Legault 
Conservation Co-Chair, 
Crown of the Continent Conservation Initiative
 
Anne Dahl
Swan Ecosystem Center
 
Ian Dyson 
Crown Managers Partnership,
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development 
 
Shannon Frank 
Oldman Watershed Council 
 
Dorothy First Rider 
Kainai / Blood Tribe 

Heather Leschied
Wildsight
 
Alan Rollo
Sun River & Teton River Watershed Groups
 
Erin Sexton
Crown Managers Partnership, 
The University of Montana Flathead Lake Biological Station 
 
John T. Shannon 
U.S. Forest Service Regions 1 & 4 
 
Jim Stone
Blackfoot Challenge
 
Paul Travis
Glacier National Park Conservancy 
 
Melissa Weatherwax
Blackfeet Nation
 
Matthew McKinney
Roundtable Co-Director,
Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
 
Gary Tabor
Roundtable Co-Director, 
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Neighborhood News
Water system sales in Missoula. Missoula has amended an eminent domain filing as it seeks to own the water system that serves city residents. Missoulian, May 6. 

Commission works to stop invasive species. The Flathead Basin Commission is in the process of rolling out new tools meant to keep invasive species at bay. The Valley Journal, April 16.

Council to take comment on Clark Fork, Kootenai basin recommendations. The advisory council for the Clark Fork and Kootenai river basins has completed a draft report of recommendations it will forward to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation at the end of May. Missoulian, April 28.  
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This section features stories and updates from people and groups working around the Crown. If you didn't get a chance to speak at the 2013 conference or weren't able to attend, it's not to late to share -- Submit your story today!
 
Updates and stories will be included on a first come, first serve basis.
Beyond the Region

 

Forest products and gas will continue to fuel B.C.'s economy in the near term. Approaching the mid-point of the year, there is clear evidence that the tailwind of stronger global growth in general, and in the U.S. in particular, is making a significant positive contribution to growth in British Columbia. CanaData, April 24.

 
Endangered Asian mussel washes up on British Columbia shore. A non-indigenous mussel that likely hitchhiked its way across the Pacific ocean has been discovered on suspected tsunami debris from Japan's 2011 earthquake. The Province, April 21. 

Obama administration pushes back Keystone decision. The Obama administration announced Friday that it is extending the comment period on the State Department's Keystone XL pipeline report, a move that could delay a final decision on the project indefinitely. CNN, April 18.

 

Water Supply Forecast: Record snow in Northwest, dry Southwest. March storms increased snowpack in the northern half of the West but didn't provide much relief for the dry southern half, according to data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Water and Climate Center (NWCC) in its April 2014 water supply forecast. Cattle Network, April 16. 


Canadian economy will lose billions to climate change: report. By 2050, as much as $43 billion could be sapped from the Canadian economy because of natural disasters. A new report notes that while natural catastrophes are estimated to cost Canadians $21-$43 billion per year by 2050, popular economic measures fail to capture the escalation, discouraging preventative investment. The report estimates that every dollar invested in climate change prevention--severe weather resistant buildings, for example--will yield anywhere from $9-$38 worth of avoided costs in the future. Toronto Star, April 14.
 
B.C. First Nations Sign LNG Revenue-Sharing Agreements. The British Columbia government has moved to bring First Nations on board its much-anticipated multibillion-dollar liquefied natural gas boom. Canadian Press, April 9.
Regional News
Forever wild: Wilderness Act marks 50 years of protecting wild lands. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, a piece of legislation that has led to the protection of more than 109.5 million acres of land in the United States and 3.4 million in Montana. Great Falls Tribune, May 3. 
 
'Historic achievement' as B.C. replaces its 105-year-old Water Act. The Water Sustainability Act, which will replace and update B.C.'s century-old Water Act, was passed in the B.C. legislature. The Province, May 1. 
 
Western Montana snowpack may bring flooding, reduce fire intensity. A much-above-average snowpack in the mountains may produce flooding in many river drainages across western Montana. But the moisture should also keep the 2014 fire season below average in intensity. The Missoulian, April 30.

Getting at the root of the mountain pine beetle's rapid habitat expansion. The mountain pine beetle has wreaked havoc in North America, across forests from the American Southwest to British Columbia and Alberta, with the potential to spread all the way to the Atlantic coast. Escience News, April 24. 

 

B.C. Parliament settles with mining company for lost Flathead coal rights. The Parliament of British Columbia has agreed to a nearly $10 million settlement with a mining company that lost its right to develop coal deposits in the transboundary Flathead River near Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park. Missoulian, April 23.

Alberta Environmental Monitoring Agency soon to be operational. The Alberta Environmental Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Agency, or AEMERA, became operational on April 28, 2014, the date that the Protecting Alberta's Environment Act comes into force. Mondaq.com, April 23.

Climate change causing extreme weather on the prairies. 
Dr. David Sauchyn, a researcher at the Univeristy of Regina, is leading a $2.5 million research project on climate change, the only one of its kind in western Canada. He released preliminary research on how global warming is affecting the prairies. Global News, April 22. 

Province must develop new tourism attractions: Travel Alberta. Alberta's tourism industry must push to develop new attractions or risk being left behind. That was the message from Travel Alberta representatives to explain the concept behind the province's new tourism framework goal to turn what is currently a $7.8-billion industry into a $10.3-billion industry by the year 2020. Calgary Herald, April 14. 
Publications and Resources
The Roundtables' Adaptive Management Initiative, in its second year of funding, supports climate adaptation projects throughout the Crown of the Continent.  Here is a map summarizing project location and focus. Contact Melly Reuling for more information. The Roundtable website will soon share specific updates on each project.

Explore highlights of the 2014 US National Climate Assessment including and overview, the report's 12 overarching findings, and a summary of the impacts by region.  Download the full report. 

For a thorough report just published by the US Forest Service on the condition of whitebark pine in northern Idaho, click here. In sum, the condition of whitebark pine in northern Idaho is in serious decline due to white pine blister rust. 

 

Alberta, Ontario join forces to fund promising research projects. Alberta and Ontario are teaming up to fund innovative research projects that hold the promise of economic benefits for both provinces.The two-year Alberta-Ontario Innovation Program will target projects that show strong potential for commercialization and job creation with industry partners in sectors such as advanced materials and manufacturing, energy and environment, nanotechnology, agriculture and forestry, advanced health technologies, life sciences and biotechnology, and information and communications technologies. Learn how to apply here.
 
Whitefish photographer creates new book on Crown of the Continent. The Crown of the Continent just got a new jewel.

Millions of people think they're familiar with the landscape straddling the U.S.-Canada border between Missoula and Banff, Alberta. Whitefish photographer Steven Gnam forces readers to reassess that memory. Backed by writers Douglas Chadwick, Michael Jamison, Dylan Boyle and Karsten Heuer, Gnam's "Crown of the Continent: The Wildest Rockies" stretches the boundaries of Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park just as it reimagines how that region looks. The Missoulian, April 24. Flathead Beacon, May 1


Earth Day: New books on climate, energy. Here are 10 interesting books for Earth Day that look at climate change, energy and balloons. USA Today, April 22
 
National Geographic to revise and reprint Crown of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide. National Geographic Maps and the Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council are undertaking the first revision in six years of the Crown of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide.They will print 200,000 revised copies of the map in May 2014, which will be made available to visitors at no cost by the Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council and its partners in Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. CrownoftheContinent.net will continue to serve as the web-based interactive version of the printed Destination Map. 

See the US Fish and Wildlife Service training catalog for conservation professionals. The Service's National Conservation Training Center offers several courses throughout the year on topics such as climate change vulnerability assessment, invasive species management, and policy development.
Announcements
  

Braided River invites you to the official book launch party for Crown of the Continent: The Wildest Rockies. Enjoy photographs that show you just how special the Crown truly is, hear behind-the-scenes stories from the making of the book and mingle in the company of fellow Crown advocates and friends. O'Shaugnessy Center,1 Central Ave, Whitefish. Doors open at 6 pm, program starts at 7 pm. Admission is free. 

 

The Climate Science Centers and the National Climate Change and Wildlife Science Centers are now accepting Statements of Interest for research funding in Fiscal Year 2015.  Statements of Interest for FY 2015 CSC/NCCWSC Funding are due June 17, 2014. Learn more.  


North Fork prescribed burn planned to improve native grasses and shrubs. A prescribed fire project is planned in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park, approximately four miles northwest of Polebridge in the next month. The primary objective of the burn is to reduce the numbers of lodgepole pine seedlings and saplings, which are encroaching on the native prairie  
grassland. For information, contact the park at 406-888-7800.

 

The Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals announces the following webinars:

--Climate Change and Invasive Species and Pests, May 27, 2:00 - 3:15 p.m. PDT. Highlights current science on climate change and invasive species and pests in forest and freshwater ecosystems in the Pacific. Please register here.

--Climate Change Impacts on Forests, June 4, 2014, 10:30 - 11:45 a.m. PDT. Highlights of current science on climate change impacts on forests in the Pacific Northwest, and a discussion of the implications of these impacts for tribes.Please register here:

 
For groups seeking assistance with trails, fencing, and weeds, please contact Clifford Kipp, manager of the Northern Rockies regional office of the Montana Conservation Corps, who is building schedules for the 2014 crews. Visit the MCC website, or contact Clifford at the Kalispell office at (406) 755-3619.
 
Montana Watershed Coordination Council holds a workshop on water quality monitoring from May 13-15. Held at Canyon Ferry Learning Center, this workshop is intended for individuals who are involved in restoration work and water quality monitoring or management. Register here.
 
The 2014 annual conference of the Montana Section of the American Water Resources Association (AWRA) will be held at the Hilton Garden Inn in Kalispell October 9 - 10, 2014. The conference website has more information.
 
Tourism marketplace coming to Canmore. Canada's 27th West Marketplace trade show for more than 300 Alberta and B.C. tourism suppliers and 120 international tour operators and wholesalers from Europe, Asia Pacific and the Americas, will be held in Canmore on November 17-12, 2014. Find more here.

 

The USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station is pleased to announce a new webinar series, Invasive Plants - Issues, Challenges, and Discoveries. This free interactive series, which includes seven webinars, will provide attendees with cutting-edge information about invasive plants and their management.   

 

Save the date for the 2nd North America Congress for Conservation Biology to take place July 13-16, 2014 in Missoula, Montana.To learn more about key dates for this event, visit the conference website.

 

The 2nd Annual First Stewards Symposium is slated for July 21-23 in Washington, DC. Panels of tribal leaders and tribal and Western scientists will examine how native people and their cultures have adapted to climate change for thousands of years, and what their future--and that of the nation--may hold as the impacts of climate change continue. See the website for details.

 

Find more about Under Western Skies 3 to be held September 9-13, 2014 at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta. The theme is environments, technologies and communities. See the conference website.

 

Save the date for The Columbia River Basin: Learning from Our Past to Shape Our Future to be conducted in Spokane, Washington on October 21-23, 2014. Check here for updates.
The Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent provides a monthly newsletter to help connect people and organizations to news and events around the Crown. 
 
If you have an event or news item, an update from your group, or just a great picture to share, please send that information to susan@largelandscapes.org by May 28 for inclusion in the June 2014 newsletter.