Glacier Park supporters to join forces

Two major organizations supporting Glacier National Park will become one.

The board of trustees of the Glacier National Park Fund and the board of directors of the Glacier Association (formerly the Glacier Natural History Association) have approved the merger of these two Glacier National Park partners.

The combined organization will be called the Glacier National Park Conservancy.

The merger will be effective Jan. 1, 2013.

The Conservancy’s goal will be to generate financial support for Glacier in an era of reduced federal budgets through increased private fundraising and philanthropic activities, and continued operation of the bookstores in Glacier National Park and at other federal agency partner sites in Montana.

The Glacier National Park Fund and the Glacier Association currently help the park in related ways.

The Glacier National Park Fund focuses on fundraising and philanthropy from individuals and organizations to help support designated park projects related to research, preservation, trails and education.  

The Glacier Association provides financial aid through sales of educational and interpretive materials to the public from bookstores at visitor centers and ranger stations throughout the Park, as well as from its headquarters bookstore at the Belton Depot in West Glacier.  

The Glacier Association also manages sales outlets at other federal agency sites, including The National Bison Range, The Flathead National Forest, the Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site and the Big Hole National Battlefield. These agency partners will continue to be supported by the new organization.