Landscape Restoration

Southwest Crown of the Continent (SWCC) Collaborative Forest Restoration Project (CFLRP) represents a 10-year program of work on National Forest lands focused on reducing the risk of fire to rural communities, restoring forest and aquatic ecosystems. The SWCC encompasses the Seeley Lake, Swan Lake, and Lincoln Ranger districts and lands linking the Bob Marshall, Lincoln Scapegoat, and Mission Mountain Wilderness areas. The CFLRP is one of ten collaborative efforts funded across Forest Service the United States engaging local communities, non-governmental organizations, government agencies, and universities to restore and monitor terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

CRC working in collaboration with The Wilderness Society, Lolo and Flathead National Forests, Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station and the US Geological Survey Northern Rockies Laboratory has played a lead role in development of an aquatic monitoring strategy for this work that includes a new application of two established monitoring methods known as by their acronyms of “PIBO” and “GRAIP” that is being piloted in the Clearwater Watershed.  We have led the work with Aquatic Invasive Species.  We have also extended our work with students and volunteer “Citizen Science” (see “Adopt a Stream” and Morrell Creek Students in Action”) to neighboring Swan and Blackfoot watersheds

For additional information, visit Southwestern Crown Collaborative Aquatics Monitoring.

Photos by Jeff Harrits