The Crown

The Crown of the Continent is an international ecosystem totaling approximately 42,000 square kilometers (16158 square miles) in size with the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park at its core. Ranging from the Bob Marshall wilderness complex in Montana to the Highwood River in Alberta and Elk Valley in B.C., the Crown is of international significance with respect to its biodiversity and landscape form. Species such as the grizzly bear and the gray wolf share the region with human communities and an array of industrial and commercial activities.

Although the Crown of the Continent forms a single ecological unit, the ecosystem is divided by national and provincial borders and is managed by a number of provincial, state and federal agencies. As discussed in the State of the Canadian portion of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem report, an array of mandates exists to oversee preservation, tourism, forestry, mining, oil and gas extraction, energy developments and stock grazing. Native Indian councils, commercial developers and local citizens further diversify land administration. As one of North America's largest ecologically intact areas, there are clearly benefits of managing the Crown in a holistic fashion. Impelled by increasing human demands on the region and given the history of human settlement on the land, a variety of agencies and First Nations began to explore common issues and a new partnership initiative in the spring of 2000.