Secretary Salazar Commends British Columbia and Montana for Agreement to Protect the Flathead Valley

Washington, DC – Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar today commended an agreement between the governments of British Columbia and Montana to strengthen protections for the Flathead River Basin and the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

“This agreement is an historic milestone for the protection of the Flathead Valley and the extraordinary natural wonders that it contains,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “We would not have come this far if it were not for the leadership of people like Senator Baucus, who has worked tirelessly for so many years to protect the Flathead River for future generations. I look forward to continuing to work with Senator Baucus, Governor Schweitzer, Senator Tester, and others in Montana and Canada to build a long-term strategy to protect these incredible resources on both sides of the border.”

The Flathead River flows south from British Columbia into the United States and forms the western boundary of Glacier National Park. This action adds significant protections to an area that has already been identified as having global significance. Together with Canada's Waterton Lakes National Park, the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park was the world's first transboundary park when it was created in 1932.