January 2015
Adaptive Managemment Initiative 

You can now find final summaries of all 14 projects conducted in 2014, and view the Adaptive Management Initiative projects selected for 2015. Simply go to the Crown Roundtable website AMI page. To join in on upcoming AMI webinars or learn more about the Adaptive Management Initiative, please contact AMI coordinator, Melly Reuling.

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 and individuals working to enhance it here.

Dear Friends,                                                   January 13, 2014 

 

Welcome to the New Year and another enriching year of activities in the Crown of the Continent! We start with an announcement for internship and fellowship opportunities in the Crown. Please visit this link to learn more about this opportunity for involvement in the Crown. Deadline for applications is February 1, 2015.  

A PlanningTeam is already designing the September 16-18, 2015 Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent conference in Missoula. Watch for a quick survey that will come your way next week to measure your interest in topics and workshops you'd like offered there. Or, you can contact us now with your ideas.

We've also summarized and uploaded latest information on the 2014 and 2015 Adaptive Management Initiative projects at the Crown Roundtable website. One of these projects is profiled below, and shares some excellent educational materials that are applicable throughout the entire Crown. After you take in this story, scroll down even farther to enjoy a few highlights of the latest local and regional news from the Crown of the Continent.

Best wishes for 2015!

The Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent Leadership and Support Team
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Profile: Scientists + Kids = Fresh Eyes on a Tough Problem

George Liknes, a Helena Forest fisheries biologist and volunteer on the project helps students from the Lincoln School collect stream flow information on Poorman Creek near Lincoln.
George Liknes, a Helena Forest fisheries biologist and volunteer on the project, helps students from the Lincoln School collect stream flow information on Poorman Creek near Lincoln.

 

You can't get much more "on the ground" than engaging school kids and community members in collecting data that will help inform us all about climate change. That's what makes the recipe for this Adaptive Management Initiative project in the Southwest Crown so successful. Two years running, the project engages expert scientists, motivated schoolteachers, excited students and curious community members in rigorous data collection. Information gleaned from this effort will be integral to community discussions started by Swan Ecosystem Center, Blackfoot Challenge, the Clearwater Resource Council, and The Wilderness Society. 

 

It all started when seasoned scientists Cory Davis (University of Montana), Bruce Rieman (USDA Forest Service, ret.), and others downloaded their expertise in rapid forest assessment and watershed health to educators like science education specialist Elaine Caton who then, as a team, train teachers and involve classrooms of kids in going outside to get information. The team has developed an entire curriculum available for all to access at The Southwestern Crown Collaborative's Community Ecosystem Monitoring and Education webpage. Caton says that "there's something about kids collecting data themselves that makes all of this real and relevant to them. Even though evidence of climate-induced changes may take a while to see, these students are collecting the concrete data that will tell the story."  

 

Right now, efforts focus on three stream reaches and forest study sites, with a new one in the works, accessible by five schools and four communities (Seeley Lake, Condon, Lincoln and Ovando). These sites were chosen on the basis of their accessibility, and habitat available to native species. Over the past year, the team has been busy. They established and instrumented the sites, completed the first season of stream measurements and forest assessments, taught methods to participants, refined materials, conducted complimentary biological sampling, and--key to the project--involved many volunteers. 

 

Davis says the areas of discovery are to monitor streamflow, temperature, turbidity, and forest conditions, all variables that will respond to climate change. "I am inspired and amazed by the response and enthusiasm shown by teachers and students. The project is creating a whole new awareness of our climate health." 

 

Project partners invite you to join these teams in the field any time to learn more. You can access contact information here



Roundtable Leadership Team:
 
Clayton Matt
Culture Co-Chair, 
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes 
 
Stephen Legault 
Conservation Co-Chair, 
Crown of the Continent Conservation Initiative
 
Mike Bruised Head
Blood Tribe

Jean Curtiss
Missouia County Commissioner

Ian Dyson 
Crown Managers Partnership,
Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development 
 
Shannon Frank 
Oldman Watershed Council 
 
Heather Leschied
Wildsight
 
Maria Mantis
Swan Ecosystem Center 
 
Jeff Mow
Glacier National Park

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, Tribal Liaison
Sam Williams, Intern
Neighborhood News

Voters say 'Yes' to clean water, wildlife, and open space in the Kootenai Lake Region. The rural areas around Kootenai Lake have become the second region in Canada to adopt a comprehensive local conservation fund tax.  Read the press release and see links here.

 

With key issues on horizon, Finley begins his year as CSKT chairman. PABLO - The new year has put a new chairman in charge of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes' government. Vernon Finley of Polson was sworn in Friday during CSKT's quarterly meeting. Continue reading


 

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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 2014 conference or weren't able to attend, it's not to late to share -- Submit your story todayUpdates and stories will be included on a first come, first serve basis.
Regional News 
Secured blessings: How decades of politics and compromises ultimately provided permanent protection for Montana wilderness. Bozeman Daily Chronicle, January 11. Related article: Wilderness accomplished through hard work, neighborly compromise. Missoulian, December 29. Related articleGathering celebrates North Fork protection near Glacier, CDA Press, December 22.

Alberta looks to partner with other provinces on climate change initiative. Environment Minister Kyle Fawcett says Alberta must form partnerships with other provinces as part of its new climate change strategy and he isn't ruling out new agreements on carbon trading across borders. Calgary Herald, January 2.

Negotiators approve revised Flathead water compact; meetings set. RONAN - Negotiating teams have released a proposed water rights compact with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, and will discuss it and take public comment. Ravalli Republic, January 9.

Albertans tell province to protect fresh water.
 Some concerns outlined in a government report call for better management of the health of lakes and restricting the use of fresh water and chemicals in hydraulic fracturing. Global News, December 18.

Fish Virus Detected in Kootenai River. FWP to redouble efforts to keep virus from spreading into wild kokanee salmon brood stocks. Flathead Beacon, January 9

Alberta tourism industry could benefit from lower oil prices. 
The lower value of the Canadian dollar combined with lower gasoline prices could boost tourism in Calgary and across Alberta in 2015. Calgary Herald, January 8.
Beyond The Region 
Interior Department funds climate change research in Montana, Northwest."These climate studies are designed to help address regional concerns associated with climate change, providing a pathway to enhancing resilience and supporting local community needs," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said. . . . Missoulian, December 26.  

Canada's Oilsands Largely Unusable If Global Climate Deals Take Hold: Report. British researchers have concluded that most of Canada's oilsands will have to be left in the ground if the world gets serious about climate change. Huffington Post, January 7
Publications and Resources
     
    The BC Stewardship Series challenges British Columbians with        a new vision: to link human development and natural ecosystems.      The series is a roster of 19 guides published over the past 18              years that provides scientific, legal and technical information on          protecting BC's natural heritage and implementing stewardship            practices particularly in urban and sub-urban areas. Learn more

     2015 Montana State Water Plan released. View it here.

     Listen to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes'  
     Climate Change Oversight webinar by Mike Durglo here.

     BC Ministry of Energy and Mines releases annual report. Read      it here.

     And, see the many links to updates at the bottom of this page.
Announcements
Kootenay Conservation Program's Winter Webinar series commences on January 15 with others on February 12 and March 5. Click here for more information.

 

Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration Grant Program 

seeks to develop nation-wide (US) community stewardship of local natural resources, preserving these resources for future generations and enhancing habitat for local wildlife. Applications due February 3

MWCC will host its Annual General Meeting at the Montana Wild Center in Helena, on Thursday, January 29 from 9-4. This year's focus will be on the 2015 Legislative Session.

Montana Watershed Coordination Council announces Building Capacity for Successful Community-based Conservation, a workshop for people who work on community-based conservation in the High Divide and Southern Crown of the Continent slated for February 4-6, in Dillon Montana.  Learn more here.

2015 Crown Managers Partnership Forum will be held on 
March 17-19, 2015 in Lethbridge, AB at the Lethbridge Lodge. To learn more about the work of the CMP, visit  crownmanagers.org.

Learn more about Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network (CABIN) field training sessions through the Canadian Rivers Institute.  

Regulated Rivers: Environment, Ecology and Management Conference. May 6-7, Castlegar. 
This conference will provide a cutting-edge opportunity for scientists and managers to share on regulated river environments, processes, and operations. Click for more information.

The National Adaptation Forum is scheduled for May 12-14, 2015 in St. Louis, MO. Registration is now open, with Early Bird registration ending February 28. For more information, visit the NAF website.

The 4th International Conference on Forests and Water in a Changing Environment, Kelowna, BC, Canada, July 6-9, 2015. Details here


 
For more upcoming events, visit these comprehensive calendars:

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 [email protected] by
February 4, 2015 for inclusion in the February 2015 newsletter.