Headwater Summit, Sept. 15-17

Local Conference Begins with Author David James Duncan

By Robert Struckman, 9-12-08

Local author David James Duncan will speak about what you can do about climate change in his keynote address for the free two-day Headwaters Summit in Missoula, hosted by the Clark Fork Coalition, Western Progress and the National Wildlife Federation.

Duncan’s talk will be (did I mention that it will be free?) Monday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at the University Theater at the University of Montana campus. Afterward, the Clark Fork Coalition will hold a cocktail reception at its office, 140 S. 4th St. W. (The nonprofit, in my experience, does a great job hosting parties.)

Duncan will launch the conference, which is subtitled “Re-visioning How We Use Water in a Changing Climate.” Duncan’s talk and the conference will bring together leaders from Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming to discuss solutions for dealing with climate impacts on the waters of the Northern Rockies.

Here’s some more information from the Clark Fork Coalition’s press release: Duncan is the author of bestselling novels The Brothers K and The River Why and the nonfiction collections My Story as Told by Water and God Laughs & Plays.  He is a Montana resident and a longtime advocate for rivers, streams, and the environment.  As a dedicated father and fly fisher, Duncan is a practitioner of what he calls “direct, small-scale compassionate activism.”

Duncan has given talks throughout the U.S. about the importance of rivers and wilderness, and has most recently been involved in efforts to protect wild salmon by advocating for the removal of four dams on the Lower Snake River.  His talk in Missoula will explore how we can most effectively speak about global warming to bring about maximum change.

On Tuesday, summit participants will convene at UM to share strategies to raise public awareness of the likely impacts of climate change on water resources and communities in the Northern Rockies.  Summit participants will also explore public policy options to respond to these impacts.

The summit and Duncan’s keynote address build on Low Flows, Hot Trout: Climate Change in the Clark Fork Watershed, a recent report that examines the many local realities of a warming West and explores how climate change could drastically reshape how we experience our rivers, streams, and way of life in western Montana.

Click here to learn more about the Headwaters Summit and Duncan’s keynote address or the Coalition or call at (406) 542-0539 x200.

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