February 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, conference calls (the next is at 9 a.m., February 26, MST) or learn more about the Adaptive Management Initiative, please contact AMI coordinator, 

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,                                                   February 10, 2015


 
What do large landscape collaborations, like the one we have in the Crown of the Continent, have in common? It's a shared identity with, and care for, the landscape we call home. It's always heartening to revisit the many partnerships--the "network of networks"--in the Crown. The list here is growing every day. Please contact us with renewed information on the partnership you bring to the Crown.

 

Besides what you can review when you scroll down, we have a few items of note: The Crown Roundtable conference planning team meets next week to continue planning your September conference in Missoula. Thanks for the survey you filled out last month to assure a relevant and exciting conference! Also, if interested in learning more about the AMI project profiled below, join the AMI call on February 26 at 9 a.m. with a presentation from Todd Larsen. He'll discuss the importance of weed management in the British Columbia portion of the Flathead Valley, challenges and opportunities, and important collaboration with neighboring weed managers. This will be a "call in" only, no webinar. Call in using (605) 475-6720; Pin # is 215-9543.

 

We hope you are enjoying a productive winter in your area of the Crown of the Continent.

 

Sincerely,

The Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent Leadership 
and Support Teams
__________ 

Profile: Invasive Species Don't Stop at the Border 

Canadian ecologist Todd Larsen is quick to remind that invasive plant species like orange hawkweed and rush skeletonweed don't stop at borders. That's one reason he and his colleagues in the Crown of the Continent aspire to build more regional partnerships on invasive species awareness and management.  

 

Todd Larsen (left) working with volunteers to remove the only known site of Yellow Flag Iris in the East Kootenay region. This species is known to invade riparian habitats in neighbouring jurisdictions. 

 

Todd is program manager for the East Kootenay Invasive Plant Council (EKIPC) in Cranbrook, British Columbia, which is a two-year recipient of a Crown Roundtable Adaptive Management Initiative (AMI) research grant to manage invasive plants in the Flathead Valley of Southeast BC. This pristine region is under threat of infestation by invasives and, by working with other provincial collaborators and funders in the Crown of the Continent, EKIPC leverages AMI funding to eradicate proliferation.


 
Whether spread naturally or by humans, invasive species are known to reduce biodiversity and diminish wildlife habitat.  More and more, with altered environmental conditions, invasives are establishing in new places. That's why EKIPC employs two outreach staff who highlight the importance of invasive species management. Scores of sites have been treated with herbicides by EKIPC in the region targeting species like Blueweed, Burdock, Caraway, Common Tansy, Scentless Chamomile, Spotted Knapweed, and Common Toadflax.

 

Todd had long been interested in conservation, a passion that has led him across North America as a wildlife biologist, environmental educator, naturalist, and guide. In this work, Todd became aware of the impacts of invasive plants and how they can be unintentionally spread across the landscape. He pursued a Master's of Science degree in Agriculture, with research focusing on management of Japanese Knotweed in Nova Scotia. Coming full circle in work with the EKIPC team and other groups like the Crown Managers Partnership, his hoped-for outcomes include improved invasive plant inventory, broad outreach to landowners on best management practices, and, most of all, effectively decreasing the spread of invasives within the Crown of the Continent landscape.   



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
Winds of Change: Energy Keepers leads management of Kerr Dam. Lake County Leader, January 21

Stoney Nakoda flood repairs lagging, say First Nation residents. CBC News, February 2

 

<>               <>               <>
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 
Glacier Park's Prominent Role in Global Conservation. Flathead Beacon, January 29. Related story: Differences, shared challenges highlight World Parks Congress in Australia. Missoulian, January 25.

Deeper cuts, more pain for companies riding out global oil price war. Kootenay News Advertiser, January 2

Blackfeet delegation descends on D.C.
Glacier Reporter, February 4.

Board members call for action on Zebra mussel threat. Mountain View Gazette, February 3. Related story: Bilateral efforts in combatting invasive mussels. Blue Review, January 12

 

Nature Conservancy closes on major land purchase. The Columbian, January 24.  Related Commentary, Montana Standard, February 2

 

Record-Setting Year For Canadian Wind Energy In 2014. Clean Technica, January 27.

Beyond The Region 
Yellowstone Bison removal program in process. Char-Koosta News, January 29.

How The Keystone XL Pipeline Decision Will Influence UN Climate Change Talks In Paris. International Business Times, February 2Related story: Alberta Premier Says Keystone XL Pipeline Benefits U.S. And CanadaNPR, February 3

Climate Change Complicates Efforts to End Poverty. World Bank, February 6

Canada's economy beyond petroleum. The Economist, January 21
Publications and Resources
      Review Southwestern Crown Collaborative's Stream Monitoring       with Local Schools and Communities materials. Find them
      here

      New study on impacts of native fungus on whitebark pine              restoration. Read more.

     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

     And, see the many links to updates at the bottom of this page.
Announcements
Listen to the GNLCC Rocky Mountain Partner Forum webinar entitled: Building cross cultural capacity in the Crown of the Continent on February 11. Register here

Call for Abstracts for the Bow Basin Council Science Forum on April 15, 2015 at Mount Royal University. Deadline is February 13. Find details here.

Kootenay Conservation Program's Winter Webinar series continues on February 12 and March 5. Click here for more information.

Call for Abstracts deadline February 17 for the CWRA conference: Adapting to Climate Change to be held in Red Deer on April 19-21. See event listing

Westslope Cutthroat Trout Stakeholder Workshop: Updates, Successes and Future Recovery Efforts, on February 24 at MD of Ranchland. Registration info here.

 

International Conference on Water Management Modeling, Toronto. February 25, 26

 

Template for Assessing Climate Change Impacts and Management Options.February 26, 11:30 a.m. MST

 

Free college-level online class, April 1- May 1: "Water in the American West" offered by The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Western Water Assessment at the University of Colorado. Register now

 

Rocky Mountain Land Use Conference, University of Denver. March 12, 13.
 

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.