In the Presence of Bears: Waterton-Glacier Peace Park

Posted by Florian – June 27, 2009

In the Presence of Bears

Grizzly country of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

There is nothing that gives more to the sense of place of wilderness, than the presence of a grizzly bear. Imagine the Rocky Mountain landscape without the great bear. It is, as if the landscape has lost part of its soul. Most of the western states have suffered this fate. Grizzlies have lost over 90% of their former range. Now their most important enclave in the lower 48 is at stake. It is the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park and the adjacent Flathead River Valley, that conservationists have been trying to protect for years.

Encounters with the King of the Mountains

Rocky Mountain Grizzly in the alpine meadows of the Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

FROM MY BOOK: YELLOWSTONE TO YUKON – FREEDOM TO ROAM:

” ….I was sitting on a high alpine slope, looking over mountain lakes and ranges. It was a peaceful September day. Flocks of migrating water pipits fluttered by, filling the air with their soft calls, while golden eagles shot through the skies above me, arching in acrobatic grace. It was late afternoon, and slowly the mountain cast a shadow of blue light over me. I had been on that alpine ridge for days, waiting for something to happen. I was watching a large bighorn sheep when I noticed that it had become quite alert. I turned my head, following the direction of its gaze. My eyes met with those of

a silver-tipped grizzly.

It was as if the mountain wall had simply given birth to the grizzly—it appeared that quickly and silently from out of the blue light. In a single instant, it seemed the whole mountain came alive, vibrating with anticipation. In awe I sat there, watching the magnificent creature digging for roots. I knew he was aware of my presence—the wind had long since carried my scent over to him. Slowly the bear came closer, and everything seemed to fall into a hush. Silence filled the place, as if the whole world was

holding its breath, watching the king of the mountains enter the stage . . .”  —F.S. 

Imagine the American West without the grizzly bear. THE WEST is a great part of America`s history and identity. It needs to keep the symbol of the west alive. This struggle over Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park goes far beyond the status of ” A PARK IN DANGER”. It is about the WILDLIFE GATEWAY between the USA and Canada. The Flathead River Valley can be seen as a “Wildlife Superhighway”, where moose, wolves, grizzlies, black bears, lynx and wolverine move across political border as well as in and out of protection. Such north-south running valleys are extremely rare and the Flathead is one of a kind that still offers wild-land qualities that animals depend on. 

Get involved and send your message to the Canada’s Minister of the Environment. We need to protect this place for the grizzlies! If you have not already read some more about the issue on my blog: Canada selling out World Treasures!

Y2Y Wildlife Corridors Book

My book: Yellowstone to Yukon – Freedom to Roam has a wonderful collection of essays by Dr. David Suzuki, Douglas Chadwick, Karsten Heuer, David Quammen, Rick Bass, Ted Kerasote and other great contributors, that look at the dream of a interconnected ecosystem with functioning wildlife corridors from many different angles. 

Get the BOOK

Canada selling out World Treasures!

Posted by Florian – June 27, 2009

Will Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park receive Endangered status?

Blooming wildflower meadow in Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

What is happening, Canada? That is what I have been wondering for a while. As I was working intensively on my Yellowstone to Yukon: Freedom to Roam Project I was stunned about Canada`s policies on the environment and their practices in regards to their natural resources. Of all countries CANADA! A country that wants to stand in strong contrast to its big brother the United States. It is Canadians who make the point to sow Canadian flags on their backpacks so they do not get confused with “war hungry, environment trashing” Americans. 

Scars left by clearcut operations in the Flathead River Valley

And yet it is Canada that is raping its natural resources with seemingly no environmental ethics. Whether it is the ongoing clear-cuts, the rape of earth with Alberta’s Oilsands or the National Parks that seem to resemble more amusement parks with golfcourses, ski areas and  growing towns within their boundaries. There is nothing like an “Endangered Species Act” that gives the bases of a legal protection to endangered species…….. the list goes on.

Elk Valley Coal mine near Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park. Multiple mines in the area have a tremendous environmental impact on the area

World Heritage Site in Danger

But I am sure the core of the Canadian People are not agreeing with such environmental policies. They probably feel betrayed and ashamed like large portions of the American Public under the Bush administration. They need help from an international public. This is where everyone of us can make a huge difference.

UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has voted today to send representatives to Canada to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The committee reacted to a petition written by Earthjustice, representing 11 conservation organizations including NPCA, Wildsight, Sierra Club Canada and others. The groups see the park under a severe threat posed by energy and mining proposals in southeastern British Columbia.

Accounts of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

I have spent several summers and falls in this wonderful place. It is a linkage hotspot for wildlife connecting the US with Canada. The famous Flathead Valley allowed wolves to repopulate parts of Montana after they had been shot and trapped out. Grizzly bears cross back and forth across the border in the Flathead River Valley. Scientists described the Flathead valley as the most important refuge for carnivores in the continental North America.

Grizzly wandering through the high alpine meadows in Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park

For the concept of a continuous wildlife corridor from Yellowstone to Yukon (Y2Y) – the area and its surroundings, often referred to as the “crown of the continent”, are of utter importance! Yet development is encroaching from every corner. Just outside of the roads lead into every valley for coal-bed methane extraction. Elk valley coal operates multiple enormous coal mines just outside of the park that have huge environmental impacts.

Lakes along the Flathead River Valley

Yet the park is a true Rocky Mountain Gem. It is probably one of my most favorite places along the Rockys. The amount of wildlife that comes together in such a small concentrated area lets your heart rejoice and the vistas take your breath away. I remember the wonderful alpine gardens that fill the vallies with and explosion of colors, the long days in the high alpine observing the rocky mountain grizzly bears and the winter fall day when tracking wolverines with one of my favorite writers and friend Doug Chadwick. 

Black Bear family wondering the mountains of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park

The core of Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is missing an important peace of land to fill a void: It is the Flathead River Valley. It needs full protection. Please sign the petition to make your voice heard! Check also the SaveWatertonGlacier site

To learn more about wildlife corridors and the Y2Y initiative read the essays in my book: Yellowstone to Yukon – Freedom to Roam and check out the website of the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative (Y2YCI).

Also watch for the upcoming RAVE of the ILCP ( International League of Conservation Photographers ) that will call further attention to the protection of this wonderful Park.

Prudhoe Bay – Largest Oilfield in North America

Posted by Florian – June 23, 2009

Prudhoe Bay Oil Fields

 Strong winds and dense fog did not allow us to set up a base-camp at Teshekpuk Lake. I had hoped to cover the area around the lake because of plans to open up vast parts of the lake to oil drilling. In 2006 the Department of the Interior  sold leases to 500 000 acres in and around Teshekpuk Lake. 

It already is late in the afternoon and the fog sealing is slowly lowering.  We decide to fly out towards Prodhoe Bay. Because of the strong wind we fly extremely low over the ground to where we gain a few miles an hour in speed. It does not take long and we see the first man-made structure: a test well. This is only the beginning. For the next 60 miles we see one industrial structure after  another. 

People often only envision a small developed spot in the arctic landscape around the Prudhoe Bay area. The truth is, that the Prodhoe Bay Oilfield is the biggest oilfield in North America. The main operating companies are PB, Conoco Phillips and Exxon Mobil.

Most of the activity happens in the midst of winter while it is easier to move equipment across the frozen tundra. While the industry is using special tires to keep down the damages, I see long tracks in “vergin” landscapes made by the heavy machinery. Those tracks are encrouching on the Teshekpuk Lake area, one of the most important arctic bird habitat in the world.

I will try to cover more of the habitat and wildlife at Teshekpuk Lake over the next weeks as the weather gives us a break. Teshekpuk Lake is such an important ecological gem, that oil development simply must not go forward. Stay tuned!

Over the Arctic Plains

Posted by Florian – June 23, 2009

Our support plane above the migrating Caribou

After flying hours below the layer of fog we see a silver lining at the horizon. We need to put the plane down on a gravel bar and set up camp for the night. My pilot Ken wants to look for a spot where we can get out of the wind. We are fighting a stiff breeze of 20 – 30 nots on the nose of the plane.

As we are flying further inland, the sun finally breaks through the layers of fog. In the far distance I see the brooks range. Dark clouds are hugging the mountains and create a dramatic backdrop for photographs. We follow a river drainage south as I see a group of caribou in the riverbed heading to climb a steep snowbank  to join their group up on the extended plains, where food is plentiful.

We swing around with the plane while I keep an eye on the group running up the step snowbank seemingly without effort. I am trying to caputre the images struggling to keep the horizon straight in the viewfinder while the pilot goes into  a steep bank and balances out the gusts of wind. After hours of flying through bad weather, there it is: A few seconds of action in wonderful golden arctic light.

Exploring the Western Arctic

Posted by Florian – June 13, 2009

A group of muskoxen in the Western Arctic

A few weeks ago I started to document America`s Western Arctic. Coming fresh from Mexico I had a few days in Seattle and then Anchorage to aclimate to the north. The Western Arctic is a huge wilderness area that not very many people know about. For most people it is a “blank spot on the map” with very little visual reference. In the past years the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) has received a lot of attention, while the Western Arctic was forgotten about. During that time a lot of resource development projects went forward and oil leases were sold largely unnoticed. 

It is very hard for people to care for a place that they don’t know, let alone they cannot picture. As part of my FREEDOM TO ROAM PROJECT I want to change that. I want people to be able to visualize this incredibly precious landscape of the Western Arctic. This becomes increasingly important as natural resource exploiting industries are finding their way into those very remote places. Red Dog Mine is one of such examples. There are so few people living in those areas, that there is very little local opposition. Next to Red Dog, there are new major mining projects in the works including a strip coal mine accessing one of the largest coal reserves on the planet. Over 10% – some 4 trillion tons, of the worlds coal reserve is located there. 

If this project goes forward, it would not only be a climate disaster, but destroy one of the last true wilderness areas in America. It is a place that is home to to America`s biggest caribou herd: The Western Arctic Herd. Their annual migration route goes directly though the mining project areas. Last summer Emil and I worked extensively to document the Western Arctic Herd. It was one of the most memorable wilderness experiences of our lives. Read Emil’s story here >>

For several days I worked out of a MAUL bush plane to reach remote locations