When Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama took time at the recent G20 summit to note the historic memorandum of understanding to protect the trans-boundary Flathead River Valley, signed by the B.C. Premier and Montana Governor in February 2010, we were pleased to see that the Flathead Valley is on their radar.  However, the Flathead urgently  needs permanent protection in the form of a national park and wildlife management area. Current threats include clear-cut logging slated to begin this summer, small-scale mining, increased road access and trophy hunting—all of which will impact the adjacent Waterton-Glacier World Heritage Site. The mining, oil and gas development ban announced by the B.C. government in February was a promising start. But it is only the first step in a three-part plan to protect the Flathead, home to some of the world’s purest water and rare and at-risk species like grizzlies,... Read More