BY CHRIS PETERSON
Hungry Horse News
His only child was born in a cabin on the North Fork of Flathead. One of his first assignments as a young journalist was howling for wolves with renowned wolf biologist Diane Boyd in North Fork.
So yes, Michael Jamison has a soft spot for North Fork. While he doesn’t live there all the time, it’s still his home and he’s worked tirelessly over the years to ensure it remains one of the best backyards in the United States.
Earlier this month, the North Fork Preservation Association named Jamison a recipient of the Glacier National Park Stewardship Award for 2022.
“Michael Jamison is a passionate, timeless, brave, thoughtful and fearless leader in the world of conservation in the universal sense. He literally knows no bounds in his endeavors. Without him, the North Fork would not be what it is today,” said Flannery Coats Freund, President of the NFPA.
Jamison is a longtime resident of Montana. He earned a journalism degree from the University of Montana and worked for several years with the Hungry Horse News and as a reporter for the Missoulian for 14 years, focusing his reporting on the Glacier National Park region with an emphasis on natural resources. Political and scientific reporting. His reporting has earned him numerous national awards recognizing his professional contribution to writing about environmental and conservation history and the interaction between people and landscapes. He is currently campaign director for the National Parks Conservation Association’s Crown of the Continent initiative. Jamison notes that North Fork is a special place, largely because “you’re not at the top of the food chain. I’m really enjoying this. It makes you feel like you’re living your life.”
For example, a hiker could at any time come across a deer carcass that was killed by a mountain lion that was chased away by wolves, and the wolves were chased away by a grizzly, and the coyote and ravens are now chewing on the scraps.
He said it was an honor to be recognized by people who were his friends. The award comes with a small grant. Jamison said he would like to use it to set a free bar menu so other conservationists at Home Ranch Bottoms Bar could have a pint on him. The Glacier National Park Stewardship Award is presented every few years by the North Fork Preservation Association to recognize the work of local conservationists and their commitment to the continent’s crown. The award was established by Headwaters Montana and was formerly known as The Jack Potter Stewardship Award. Past recipients include Glacier Park biologist Lisa Bate, FWP biologist Tim Manley, Glacier Park ranger Brad Blickhan, and conservationist Dave Hadden. If an individual knows someone who deserves this recognition, please let the NFPA know by visiting www.gravel.org or by contacting one of the members listed on the site.