This summer, after years of wanting to make the trip, I finally made it to Glacier National Park. And it quickly became one of my favorites, thanks to its rugged, alp-like landscape, gorgeous lakes, and endless miles of backcountry to explore.
    Even the news that Glacier's namesake glaciers are in a serious state of retreat didn't overshadow my visit. True, it's a shame that climate change, or global warming, or whatever you want to term it, is melting these rivers of ice. But it's not melting the mountains or their forests, which are riveting.
    But there are subtler, less obvious impacts that are threatening to undermine this great park. Jack Potter, the park's chief of science and resource management, tells the Hungry Horse News that outside pressures such as non-native fish and plants, road construction in Canada, and mining and mineral exploration to the north AND south of the park combined could exact serious consequences on Glacier.
    "I think it's unprecedented that so many things are going on outside our boundaries," Potter told the newspaper.