NFPA Honors Wilderness Scholar, Longtime Glacier Employees
University of Montana law student Davis R. Paul received the 2026 Loren Kreck – Edwin Fields Wilderness Scholarship for his work on transboundary water law and the Elk-Kootenai Watershed
By Tristan Scott
The North Fork Preservation Association (NFPA) capped its annual meeting last week by handing out its top honors, recognizing conservation advocates in northwest Montana alongside burgeoning stewards of a region brimming with public lands.
University of Montana law student Davis R. Paul received the 2026 Loren Kreck – Edwin Fields Wilderness Scholarship for his work on transboundary water law and the Elk-Kootenai Watershed, where open-pit coal mines located in the Elk Valley of southeast British Columbia have leached contaminants into the watershed for decades. Paul, a second-year law student and legal intern at the Flathead Lake Biological Station, also helped lead the campaign behind Kalispell High School’s first successful levy in 18 years.
NFPA also recognized retired Glacier National Park employees Amy Secrest and Matt Kennedy with its Glacier Park Stewardship Awards.
“Both Loren and Edwin dedicated their lives to protecting the natural resources of Northwest Montana,” NFPA Secretary Suzanne Hildner said in a press release. “We are honored to award this scholarship to Davis, who is an exemplary ;aw student using his education to champion the same biodiversity and wild landscapes these men fought so hard to protect.”
The meeting closed with a potluck and a talk from retired U.S. Geological Survey glaciologist Dan Fagre, who paired historic and modern photos of Glacier’s glaciers to illustrate the park’s changing landscape.
