ABSTRACT
Glacier National Park (GNP), along with Waterton Lakes National Park (WLNP) and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, are protected areas that comprise the relatively ecologically intact core of the CCE. Although these protected areas are arguably the least trammeled lands in the CCE, they are not isolated from the rest of the ecosystem or from other ecosystems. Compared to other areas in the coterminous 48 states, the GNP is unique in that it has a relatively pristine environment and is home to the full complement of post-Pleistocene carnivore species. The GNP also contains headwaters for three major river systems in North America (Columbia, Missouri, and South Saskatchewan). Many, but not all, natural processes (avalanches, wildlife migration, and sometimes fire) occur fairly unimpeded. Since it was established in 1910, however, the GNP has not been immune to human impacts. These impacts include park management actions (e.g., predator control), air pollution, landscape change on lands within and around the park, global climate change, and the effects of visitors on the park's resources. The GNP is the focal point for most visitors to the CCE, receiving approximately 2 million visitors per year, primarily in the peak summer season.
