Individuals and organisations passionate about the Crown of the Continent came together Thursday and Friday to discuss the future of the landscape. The third annual Crown of the Continent Roundtable conference took place in Fernie and was an opportunity to connect those concerned with the sustainability and conservation of the area.
The Crown itself encompasses 18 million acres of alpine mountains, rivers, timber, and prairie, and includes Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, Flathead Lake, the Rocky Mountain Front, as well as the snowy slopes of Fernie. From Missoula, Montana to Sparwood, B.C., roughly 160,000 people call the Crown of the Continent home. The area also holds over 100 government agencies, tribes, First Nations, non-profits and community based partnerships, as well as countless tourism and natural resource based enterprises.
With an organising theme of ‘caring for communities’, this year’s Roundtable conference was all about finding new ways to enhance the community and culture of the area.
With a variety of forums and guest speakers, the majority of the conference was spent indoors. Participants did get a chance to experience the landscape on Thursday afternoon with a fieldtrip that took them in and around Fernie, including a stop at the Ancient Cottonwood trail in Morrissey and Mount Fernie Provincial Park.