Conservation Beyond Campus
UM has a strong record of engaging in conservation practice. UM scholarship, research, and monitoring contribute knowledge of local, regional and even global significance.
The Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) on Flathead Lake was founded by UM Biology Professor Morton Elrod in 1899. Professor Elrod classified many plants and animals in Western Montana and brought students and faculty from campus and around the world to participate in research at the station. It is important to note, however, that modern conservation ideals – like the equal management of natural resources for the benefit of all – were not always practiced in good faith. The Flathead Lake Biological Station was incorporated into the university when the federal government opened the Flathead Reservation to white settlement. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes lost over one million acres of their land during this process.
The Lubrecht Experimental forest was incorporated into the University of Montana in 1937 when the Anaconda Copper Company donated over 19,000 acres to the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. It was named after W.C. Lubrecht, who was the general manager of the Anaconda Company lumber operations at Bonner. It has been managed by the university for decades, providing important educational and research opportunities for students and faculty in forest management.
The Flathead Lake Biological Station (FLBS) on Flathead Lake was founded by UM Biology Professor Morton Elrod in 1899. Professor Elrod classified many plants and animals in Western Montana and brought students and faculty from campus and around the world to participate in research at the station. It is important to note, however, that modern conservation ideals – like the equal management of natural resources for the benefit of all – were not always practiced in good faith. The Flathead Lake Biological Station was incorporated into the university when the federal government opened the Flathead Reservation to white settlement. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes lost over one million acres of their land during this process.
The Lubrecht Experimental forest was incorporated into the University of Montana in 1937 when the Anaconda Copper Company donated over 19,000 acres to the Montana Forest and Conservation Experiment Station. It was named after W.C. Lubrecht, who was the general manager of the Anaconda Company lumber operations at Bonner. It has been managed by the university for decades, providing important educational and research opportunities for students and faculty in forest management.
