Crowning achievement

Conference explores ?backbone of the world?

Update: This conference that had been scheduled June 6 has been postponed until September, according to organizer Rick Graetz.

The Crown of the Continent will take center stage this fall during a special program in Kalispell.

The conference, sponsored by The University of Montana and Flathead Valley Community College, features a variety of speakers.

Highlights of the conference include:

? Rick and Susie Graetz of The University of Montana Department of Geography will present a lecture and slide presentation defining the boundaries of the Crown of the Continent and its physical geography.

? Bill Farr of The University of Montana?s O?Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West will relate the story of the Blackfeet Nation and their historical relation to The Crown.

? Jack Stanford, the director of the Yellow Bay Biological Station of The University of Montana, will discuss Flathead Lake and the rivers that feed it.

? Personnel from Glacier National Park will outline the park?s educational opportunities, and Flathead Valley Community College representatives will talk about their Elderhostel and educational programs.

? Dan Fagre, a U.S. Geological Service scientist headquartered in Glacier National Park, will talk about the many aspects of climate change in the Crown of the Continent, especially in Glacier Park where he has been studying the glaciers and the changing terrain and wildlife habitat.

Last autumn, The University of Montana began work on an initiative aimed at establishing an eventual University of Montana/Glacier National Park/Crown of the Continent partnership.

For many years, numerous entities, including UM, have carried out significant research in Glacier and throughout the Crown. Much of this information has not been readily accessible to the public or shared broadly.

The initiative aims to translate the work into ?public speak,? to offer continuing and adult education opportunities for students and teachers, as well as general classes for the public, and to encourage and inspire new research and study.

A colorful Crown of the Continent newsletter will also be available to the public via e-mail to showcase much of the beauty, history and the fascinating studies taking place.

The Crown of the Continent name was coined in the early 1900s by naturalist George Bird Grinnell as he was leading the efforts to establish Glacier National Park. Previously the Blackfeet Nation had called the same terrain the ?backbone of the world.?

The modern-day Crown of the Continent extends well beyond Glacier, reaching into the north to Alberta and British Columbia at Crow?s Nest Pass and the headwaters of the Elk River.

From there it trails south following the Continental Divide through Waterton and Glacier parks and the Great Bear, Bob Marshall and Scapegoat wildernesses to Montana 200 and Rogers Pass.

The Rocky Mountain Front forms the eastern perimeter and Flathead Lake the western boundary.

Old Indian trails traverse the Crown of the Continent, as well as routes followed by trappers and early day forest rangers, but only two roads cross this magnificent landscape: Marias Pass (U.S. 2) and Glacier?s Going-to-the-Sun Road. In between, the population of wildlife is outstanding. And the landscape matches any found in North America.

Not only are the physical and animal attributes of the Crown noteworthy, but the history, while not deep, is rich and colorful. Flathead Lake and the rivers that fill it are also an intriguing component of The Crown.