The Roundtable

Connecting People to Sustain the Crown

The Crown of the Continent is a remarkable place. Spanning the 49th parallel and anchored by Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, it has been the home of Native Americans and First Nations for thousands of years. Today, the stunning scenery, vast wilderness areas, iconic wildlife, and diverse recreational opportunities attract visitors from throughout the world. These amenities support a ring a communities around the Crown. Working landscapes help knit together the natural and cultural fabric of this region.

The Roundtable is an ongoing forum to bring together people who care about this special place. It is based on the observation that the future of the Crown of the Continent is being shaped by over 100 government agencies, non-government organizations, and place-based partnerships. While these various initiatives operate somewhat independent of each other, the Roundtable provides a unique opportunity to connect people that share a common commitment to the region.

Through workshops, forums, policy dialogues, and conferences, the Roundtable provides an opportunity to exchange ideas, build relationships, and explore opportunities to work together -- to sustain the natural and cultural heritage of this remarkable landscape. Participation is based on self-interest. People participate for their own benefit and to develop their own work. The Roundtable therefore tends to have fluid membership; people move in and out of the activities of the Roundtable based on how much they personally benefit from participating. As people exchange ideas, learn together, and develop a common sense of purpose, they gradually improve their individual and collective capacity and commitment. It is this capacity and commitment that will sustain the natural and cultural heritage of the Crown.

The advantage of the Roundtable is that it is inclusive, informed, and adaptive. By better understanding the mix of local, regional and sub-regional efforts in the Crown, individuals and organizations will be better positioned to mobilize the civic will and political power to facilitate change. Coincidentally, they will also develop and test new forms of governance and economic self-determination... to think regionally and act at whatever spatial scale makes sense.

The Roundtable is directed by a SteeringCommittee.

• Evan Berger, MLA for Livingstone-Macleod and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development for Alberta
• Len Broberg, Associate Professor, University of Montana; Co-director, Transboundary Initiative, University of Montana / University of Calgary
• Bill Dolan, Land & Resource Management Coordinator, Alberta Tourism, Parks & Recreation, Parks Division
• Gloria Flora, Executive Director, Sustainable Obtainable Solutions
• Lisa B. Flowers, Ph.D., Director of Conservation Education, The Boone and Crockett Club
• Racene Friede, Executive Director, Glacier Country Regional Tourism Commission
• Corlene Martin, Teton County Development Corporation
• Clayton Matt, Director of Tribal Services, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
• Erin Sexton, Representative, Crown Managers Partnership; Research Scientist, Flathead Lake Biological Station
• Mary Sexton, Director, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
• Edwin Small Legs, former Council Member, Piikani Nation
• Ted Smith, Former Executive Director, The Kendall Foundation (Boston)
• Jerry Sorenson, Director, Land Asset Management, Plum Creek Timber Company
• Steve Thompson, Executive Director, Cinnabar Foundation  

A Core Group of people provides additional input and advice.

Anyone interested in the Crown is invited and encouraged to participate in the Roundtable's annual conference.

The Center for Natural Resources and Environment Policy at The University of Montana provides staff support to the Roundtable.

The Roundtable is graciously supported by the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy and the Sonoran Institute.