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It took more than 25 years, but they finally did it. It took going all the way to the top to get it done, and now the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) are in charge of the National Bison Range.

"This is a great historic event and we worked hard to reach this point," said Robert McDonald, communications director for the CSKT. "This comes after a century of being separated from the buffalo and the Bison Range, and after a quarter-century-long effort to co-manage the refuge with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service," added McDonald after President Donald Trump signed the Montana Water Rights Protection Act on Dec. 27, which included the National Bison Range being turned over to the Tribes.

"After a difficult history of partnership efforts under the Tribal Self-Governance Act, the Fish & Wildlife Service approached the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to ask if we'd be interested in receiving the land back, a restoration of 18,000 acres taken without tribal consent 100 years ago. That approach received widespread support and is now a reality," added McDonald.  

The National Bison Range (NBR) is situated in the middle of the Flathead Indian Reservation. It was created in 1908 as a refuge for a small herd of bison, also known as American Buffalo, and managed by the U.S. Biological Survey, a forerunner of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). The Tribes were not pleased when the federal government erected a fence around the NBR. In addition, the government did not allow local Native Americans to work at the refuge when it first opened, a policy that McDonald believes was due to racism.

Although the CSKT has been working to get control of the range since 1994, it was the FWS that recently reached out to the Tribes and asked if they would be interested in the return of the refuge. The federal government holds the land in trust for use by the Tribes. The NBR would now be "managed holistically," according to McDonald, who added that the CSKT was not attempting to get the land returned, but just be given the opportunity to manage the refuge. "A primary goal of the legislation's two-year transition period is to ensure as little disruption as possible for the bison and other wildlife as the Tribes assume management from the Service," said Joe Szuszwalak, a public affairs specialist with the FWS. 

"In order to ensure a smooth transition, the Tribes intentionally drafted the Bison Range restoration legislation to include a two-year transition period," said McDonald, a Salish Indian. "Even when we were working on getting self-governance agreements at the Bison Range, we were always on record as saying we were not trying to get the land itself back, which some of our opponents kept insisting was our real goal, only since the idea was raised by FWS in 2016 have we pursued restoring the Bison Range to federal trust ownership for CSKT," added McDonald. Over the next two years, the tribal government will be working with FWS and eventually have full management responsibility of the refuge.

McDonald said the transfer would be seamless. The refuge, which is partially located in Sanders County, will continue to be open to the public, as stipulated in the legislation. He said fees will remain the same and the senior citizen passes to U.S. parks will continue to be honored. "A primary goal of the legislation's two-year transition period is to ensure as little disruption as possible for the bison and other wildlife as the Tribes assume management from the Service," said Szuszwalak. He added that the FWS is proud of what its staff has accomplished at the NBR and is confident in the Tribes' ability to successfully manage the land, bison, and natural resources of the refuge. "The environmental professionals at CSKT have been leaders in natural resources and wildlife management for many decades," he said.

Stephanie Gillian of CSKT public affairs sent out a press release reminding people that the rules of the NBR, such as hunting, fishing, weapons, fireworks usage, and motor vehicle operation, will basically remain the same as when the refuge was with the FWS. "The Tribes will review fishing within the Bison Range, as allowed by the tribal/state annual fishing regulations, for any necessary modifications before the third Saturday in May 2021, when stream fishing opens and sections of Mission Creek become available within the Bison Range, as they have in previous years," said Gillian. "During this immediate transition period from federal management to Tribal management of the Bison Range, the Tribes have adopted the current FWS Comprehensive Conservation Plan as an interim management plan," said Gillian in the press release.

McDonald said the FWS will work closely with the Tribes to ensure that the bison herd, as well as the other wildlife at the refuge, is managed for conservation purposes. In addition, the Tribal Council will be responsible for funding the refuge instead of the federal government, including "maintaining or increasing the current level of visitation." In addition, "maintaining reasonably-priced entry fees would be essential to supporting the Tribes' interests in public education and visitor experiences at the Bison Range, whereas exorbitant fees would undermine those priorities."

Bison have been an important part of the Native American life for thousands of years. "The bison/buffalo sustained the area tribes. We respected the animal by using all parts of the animal with nothing wasted. We were and still are deeply thankful to the bison," said McDonald, adding that Native American people have a deep spiritual connection to the bison. The estimated 300 bison aren't the only featured wildlife at the refuge, which also has antelope, black bear, elk, bighorn sheep, deer, coyotes, mountain lions, and over 200 types of birds. The NBR is presently operating under winter hours with only the 6.5-mile Buffalo Prairie Drive and the 1.5-mile West Loop open to the public with no entry fee. The entire refuge usually fully opens in May, including the 19-mile Red Sleep Drive, though no date has yet been set.   

McDonald is uncertain whether or not there will be some kind of official turnover ceremony. He also said that it's undetermined at this point how many people will be employed at the NBR, but added that they envision increases to the current staffing level. The refuge has eight full-time employees and a handful of seasonal staff members and interns. Amy Coffman has been the refuge manager for about two years. 

Ed Moreth

REST TIME – A bull elk takes a break along Mission Creek at the National Bison Range.

Szuszwalak said the two parties will work together to assure a smooth transition for the bison, natural resources and the staff and added that NBR staff can apply for positions with the CSKT to work at the refuge. "The Tribes are excited to bring fresh perspectives to the Bison Range Visitor Center and, in the long run, expect to provide a great deal more interpretive and educational materials that address the ecology of the Bison Range and the greater reservation ecosystem, cultural aspects of the buffalo and other natural resources, the Tribes' history with this specific buffalo herd, and much more," said McDonald, who expects that because of the constructive relationship with the FWS, he expects the transition will go well. "We're focused on what's best for the refuge animals, the lands and working transition to Tribal management," said McDonald, who added that the annual bison roundup will be a topic of discussion. The FWS did not have a roundup in 2020 out of consideration of the staff's health during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

"We are excited to let our award-winning wildlife and lands management teams display their skills," said McDonald. He noted that the Bison Range legislation received broad, bipartisan support from various elected groups, conservation groups, agricultural groups, and private citizens. "In the past there were signs of resistance, but the Fish & Wildlife Service has demonstrated a supportive and cooperative stance with this restoration."