Lessons learned from peace park

This week and next week, celebrations are taking place on both sides of the border to honor the 75th anniversary of the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

It is certainly worth a moment to pause and consider what the peace park can teach us.

First of all, it came about as the result of a public initiative, rather than because the Canadian and U.S. governments wanted it. Rotary clubs in Alberta and Montana spearheaded the drive back in the early 1930s to make the cross-border park a symbol of the friendship shared between the United States and Canada. That is an important lesson about people power.

Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, the peace park is a symbol of the fact that environments don't stop at political borders. Animals cross borders; so does water. Opportunities to preserve our natural heritage also shouldn't stop at the border.

Remember, this isn't about borders that divide one country from another or separate a state from a province; this is about what is shared across that border: not just a largely pristine ecosystem but also a common understanding of the importance of both conservation and recreation.

As Montana and British Columbia discuss their concerns about coal mining and coalbed methane extraction in the Canadian North Fork, there are no doubt lessons that can be taken from what has been accomplished already by those who work together in Waterton and Glacier.

Today, Montana's first lady, Nancy Schweitzer, will lead schoolchildren from both countries on a nature walk towards Hidden Lake Overlook, and starting Sunday, a four-day international conference will be held in Waterton to discuss trends and experiences in transboundary habitat management. After 75 years, this experiment is still paying dividends.