July 2014
Adaptive Managemment Initiative 
The Adaptive Management Initiative grantees have been progressing in their work. Click here for a midterm progress report briefing. For a nice visual review of project locations, you can check this link.  If you would like to join in on upcoming AMI webinars, contact AMI coordinator, Melly Reuling.

July 8, 2014

 

Dear Friends,

 

We're pleased to share this latest edition of the Crown e-Newsletter. As usual, there's lots of news and events to share, so we hope you find a few minutes to review what's happening in and around the Crown of the Continent. 

 

We also want to remind you 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 10-12, in Waterton Lakes National Park.  Sign up early to secure the best rate.  Make sure to grab a room by August 10, too!   

 

>>Click here to register now at an earlybird rate!<<

 

For additional information, please review the draft agenda and lodging options posted on the Roundtable's website.  If you have any questions about the conference, please contact the Roundtable's conference coordinator, Sue Higgins.

 

As always, let us know if you have news or events you'd like included in next month's 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
 
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
 
Maria Mantis
Swan Ecosystem Center 
 
Matthew McKinney
Roundtable Co-Director,
Center for Natural Resources and Environmental Policy
 
Sheena Pate
Crown of the Continent Geotourism Council 
 
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
 
Gary Tabor
Roundtable Co-Director, 
Center for Large Landscape Conservation
 
Paul Travis
Flathead Land Trust 
 
Melissa Weatherwax
Blackfeet Nation
Roundtable Support Team:
 
Mary Sexton, Coordinator
 
Susan Higgins, Communications
Shawn Johnson, Policy
Melly Reuling, Adaptive Management
Carole Stark, Capacity Building
Lea Whitford, Native Voices
Neighborhood News
Teams comb Flathead Indian Reservation for clues about ancient, recent fires. MSU News, June 16.

Tapping into geotourism: Crown of the Continent Discovery Center opening in West Glacier. Daily Interlake, June 14

Court filings: Fight for Mountain Water Co. likely to get rough, Missoulian, June 22.

Glacier Park program aims to prevent aquatic invasive species. Missoulian, June 15.
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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.
Regional News 
Supreme Court expands land-title rights in unanimous ruling. The Supreme Court of Canada has put aboriginals on a new footing in a landmark ruling that has huge implications for natural-resource industries across the country. The Globe and Mail, June 26. Related story, Vancouver Sun, July 1.

Using traditional ecological knowledge to adapt to climate change [Video]. The Blackfeet are now in the process of adapting and evolving to what some environmentalists call a new Earth. Read more.
 
Poll finds strong support for public land conservation across political spectrum. 48 percent of Montanans cite conservation issues as a primary factor in who they will support for office. 

Alberta's international exports top $10 billionCalgary Herald, July 3.

Pine beetles continue to survive Alberta winters. Field surveys show that beetles continue to survive the winter across much of the pine forests. Edmonton Sun, June 18. See a related story and video here
 
Alberta First Nations sue Ottawa over safe drinking water. Huffington Post, June 16 
 
Consultant raises issues with NorthWestern Energy's purchase of Montana dams. Missoulian, June 16. 
 
Opinion: Across rural-urban divide, Montanans in this together. Missoulian, June 22

Beyond The Region 
NEWS BRIEF: EPA Releases New Policy Statement on Climate Change Adaptation; See EPA website here.

Publications and Resources
Download the recently published 2014 U.S. National Climate Assessment here

WCS report maps out a future that protects wildlife and landscapes. Discover more.  

Authors log thousands of miles, document all 55 Montana State Parks. Missoulian, June 2
Announcements
  

Support climate hike through Glacier!  Renee Callahan of the Center for Large Landscape Conservation is putting boots to trail the last week of August 2014 to raise awareness about one of most pressing issues facing our planet:  the effects of climate change. Find details of Renee's trip.

 

Tribal wildlife biologists request information on nesting trumpeter swans. The CSKT program staff is requesting observation information from the public about trumpeter swan nesting and production of cygnets throughout northwestern Montana. 

 
Webinar on July 22: Climate Change, Mountain Pine Beetles, and Whitebark Pine Forests of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Presented by USGS. Register here.

If you own a boat, be warned. The Province of Alberta is ramping up inspections this summer for invasive species to prevent damage in Alberta lakes and rivers. Learn more about making reports here

Weed blitz planned for July 15 in park. Daily Interlake, July 2

Starved for educational webinars? Check the Montana Watershed Coordination Council's latest newsletter under "Resources".

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.
 
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.
 

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.

  

Conference: Restoring the West: Down by the River: Managing Resilient Riparian Cooridors, October 21, 22, Utah State University. Find more here
 
Tourism marketplace coming to CanmoreCanada'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 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 July 27 for inclusion in the August 2014 newsletter.