Chris Downs

Aquatic and Physical Science Programs Manager for Glacier National Park

Wednesday, July 17, 2024
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM

Where: Glacier Park Lodge

Chris Downs will discuss Glacier National Park's efforts to conserve native fish using a multi-pronged approach to implement on-the-ground conservation actions.

Chris earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst in 1990 and an M.S. in Fish and Wildlife Management from Montana State University, Bozeman in 1995. Prior to coming to work as Glacier’s Fisheries Biologist in 2008, he spent 10 years working as a Senior Fishery Research Biologist with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game on the Kootenai River, Lake Pend Oreille, and the lower Clark Fork River. He has worked on collaborative efforts to acquire and protect critical aquatic habitats, to provide fish passage at hydropower facilities, implement stream habitat restoration projects, develop and implement non-native fish management programs, and conduct research into native salmonid population dynamics and life-history. For the park, Chris is responsible for management and monitoring of park aquatic resources, development and implementation of the parks AIS prevention program, is parks point of contact for various water rights and water quality related issues, and manages the parks air quality monitoring program.