Crown of the continent

What are the places, activities, or events that define the unique character and beauty of the “Crown of the Continent”? National Geographic Society wants to know, “What’s special about your place within the Crown of the Continent?”

National Geographic is working with local partners in the Rocky Mountain border region of Montana, Alberta and British Columbia to create a new kind of map. This “Geotourism MapGuide” will tell the stories and capture the pride that local residents feel for this globally significant region.

The project encourages stewardship efforts to sustain and enhance the region’s character of place for the benefit of local communities and the appreciation of visitors.

More than 100 years ago, conservationist and author George Bird Grinnell coined the phrase “Crown of the Continent” to refer to the rugged peaks, plunging valleys, native prairie and sparkling waters where the north-south Rocky Mountain Range intersects with the east-west border between the United States and Canada.

The Crown of the Continent covers more than 10 million acres in southeastern British Columbia, southwestern Alberta and northern Montana. At the core of the region is Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, established by the U.S. Congress and Canadian Parliament in 1932 as the world’s first international peace park.

You can learn more about this project and nominate your favorite places for the Geotourism MapGuide at www.crownofthecontinent.net. Nominations will be accepted until May 11, 2007.

The region to be covered by the Crown of the Continent MapGuide generally includes: The Rocky Mountain front range in Montana and Alberta, south of Calgary and northwest of Great Falls. In British Columbia, it includes the Elk and Flathead River watersheds and the Rocky Mountain Trench to Columbia Lake, including the communities of Kimberley and Cranbrook. In western Montana, the region includes the Flathead and Blackfoot River watersheds. The map will include the communities along Montana’s scenic loop around the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

Geotourism is defined as “tourism that sustains or enhances the geographical character of a place — its environment, heritage, aesthetics, culture and the well-being of its residents. Geotourism provides products, services and visitor experiences that maintain a destination’s sense of place rather than compete with the needs of local residents.”