The Flathead-Kootenai Chapter is the Montana Wilderness Association’s oldest chapter, formed in 1968. The Chapter keeps a finger on the pulse of local wildland issues. Some of the best-known wild places in our area are: The Bob Marshall and Mission Mountain Wildernesses, Glacier National Park, Tuchuck, Mt. Hefty, Thompson Seton, Ten Lakes, Jewel Basin, and the Wild Swan Range. An all-volunteer board of directors governs the chapter.

What we’re working on now

New wilderness proposals!

• The Winton Weydemeyer Wilderness Proposal: The Montana Wilderness governing Council endorsed this proposal in 2005. Located in the northern Whitefish and Galton ranges, the proposal spans 171,000 acres immediately west of Glacier National Park and contiguous with the US - Canadian border. The land comprising this proposal boasts one of the densest populations of grizzly bears in the intermountain west. The proposed wilderness gets its name from Association's first Vice President, and Montana conservation luminary, Winton Weydemeyer. More details about the campaign are at Winton Weydemeyer Campaign.

• The Swan Crest Wilderness Proposal: Still in the formative stages of campaign development, the Association has none-the-less worked for decades to protect the Wild Swan Range from inappropriate motorized use and industrial forestry. A local organization has been formed to provide information about the area as well as ways for people to become involved. For more information, visit Swan Range.

• The Mission Mountain Wilderness Additions: Congress established the Mission Mountains Wilderness in 1964 with the initial passage of the Wilderness Act. Today the Montana Wilderness Association works to augment that wilderness to protect wildlands adjacent to it and to the Tribal Wilderness established by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Conserving the “Transboundary Flathead” Region: Energy development (coal and coal bed methane) in the Canadian headwaters of the North Fork Flathead River threatens water quality, wildlife and the integrity of the Glacier – Waterton International Peace Park. The Montana Wilderness Association works in partnership with other regional conservation organizations and businesses through the Flathead Coalition. The Transboundary Flathead and greater “Greater Crown of the Continent” has been identified by the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative as one of the key conservation areas in North America. Read more about the Transboundary issues at Northwest Montana.

National Forest Management: The Chapter also monitors the Flathead and Kootenai National Forests’ Forest Plan revision efforts. Learn more about these plans for the Kootenai National Forest and the Flathead National Forest.

Upcoming Events

Terry Meyers and Janis Taylor are Co-Presidents of the Chapter Board. You can reach them at Flathead-Kootenai.