More than a hundred public and private organizations and thousands of individuals within the Crown of the Continent recognize the value of working collaboratively to achieve common regional stewardship results. Many communities; businesses; First Nations; provincial, local, state, and federal agencies; local schools and universities; individuals; non-profit organizations; and foundations have been involved in conservation partnership activities and projects that foster a healthy environment, livable communities, and a vibrant economy in the Crown of the Continent. The Network connects you to regional efforts as well as organizations engaged in stewardship within the Crown.
Key Regional Organizations and Groups. A few key groups focus exclusively on the Crown of the Continent region:
Crown Managers Partnership (CMP), started in 2001, is a voluntary network of 21 participating agencies including representatives from the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia, the state of Montana, federal governments, and First Nations. They work together to coordinate management across jurisdictions to maintain a healthy ecosystem in the Crown. Participants work to build awareness of common interests and issues, shape relationships, and identify collaborative tasks for the future.
Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium (COCEEC) was founded in 1995 to bring a bioregional focus to education in the Crown of the Continent. This group of educators and representatives of agencies and private organizations meet semi-annually and represent the ecosystem from Waterton and Castle-Crown region in southern Alberta, Canada to Missoula, Montana. COCEEC has been active in supporting ecosystem-focused curriculum, workshops, and projects.
Crown of the Continent Geotourism MapGuide Stewardship Council was created in 2006 to advise National Geographic during the development of the Crown of the Continent MapGuide. It includes community leaders, public land managers, food and hospitality sectors, native peoples, conservation and civic groups, landowner groups, historic preservation societies, artisans and artists, eco-tour operators, and others who support geotourism principles. The role of the stewardship council is evolving and expected to oversee the dynamic MapGuide web site and printed MapGuide, promote sustainable tourism practices, educate local communities and new residents about the Crown of the Continent, and support place-based stewardship initiatives.
Crown-Wide Staff Support. Most stewardship work is provided by volunteers and partner organizations. Some key Crown-wide regional support is provided by the following organizations:
The Miistakis Institute for the Rockies was founded in 1995 to build bridges between people, their perceptions and their information about this landscape. Miistakis is a non-profit corporation affiliated with the University of Calgary that undertakes and supports pure and applied research respecting the ecosystems of the Rocky Mountains and surrounding regions. The Miistakis Institute staffs the Crown Managers Partnership.
The Chinook Institute for Community Stewardship is a charitable non-profit organization that helps people become more sustainable in their use and management of Western Canada's natural landscapes. The Chinook Institute provides support to the Geotourism MapGuide Project and facilitates community involvement.
The National Parks Conservation Association mission is to protect and enhance America's National Parks for present and future generations. NPCA has taken a leadership role in the Crown of the Continent MapGuide Project, providing the Project Manager staff for the National Geographic MapGuide Project and Stewardship Council.
The Public Policy Research Institute is an applied research and education center at The University of Montana. The institute promotes sustainable communities and landscapes through collaborative governance, which includes citizen participation, deliberative democracy, multi-party negotiation, community-based collaboration, cooperative conservation, joint fact finding, and consensus building. The research institute supports regional stewardship activities in the Crown through workshops/conferences and facilitated meetings of stakeholders.
Network Directory
We have produced two Crown stewardship networking directories:
The Crown Directory of Organizations - Contact information and links to organizations engaged in stewardship efforts in the Crown.
The Crown Directory of People - Names and contact information for people engaged in stewardship efforts in the Crown.
These directories are starting points. Contact Us about any additions, corrections, and updates.
Profiles of Organizations
A report entitled "Profiles in Stewardship: Agencies and Organizations Working in the Crown of the Continent" was compiled for a workshop on Regional Stewardship in the Crown of the Continent held May 30-31, 2007, in Whitefish, Montana. The Profiles Report contains snapshots of 51 organizations and is intended to raise awareness and build understanding of the stewardship work being done in the Crown of the Continent region. By "stewardship," we mean caring for and sustaining the Crown's natural environments, communities, and economies. We hope people will use these profiles to reach across borders, jurisdictions, interests, and areas of expertise to network with neighbors far and wide. Some profiles may contain errors and inaccuracies, some have yet to be reviewed by the respective groups, and we are still soliciting profiles from other groups. If your agency or organization is not profiled here and you would like it to be or if you want to update your organizational profile please, Contact Us.