In a dramatic change of course from its historic management goals, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service entered the first stage of negotiations to cede control of the National Bison Range to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
The discussions between the agency and CSKT came to light in emails distributed Feb. 5 by Fish and Wildlife Service administrators, who informed agency employees of the decision, citing the inability to reach an annual funding agreement with CSKT that would allow the tribes to jointly manage the Bison Range.
The agency-wide messages, sent by both FWS Refuge Chief Cynthia Martinez and Mountain Prairie Regional Director Noreen Walsh, explain that talks have begun about drafting “legislation that would transfer the lands comprising the National Bison Range in Montana to be held in trust by the United States for the benefit of the CSKT.”
The talks mark a departure from the federal agency’s past commitment to maintaining a measure of control of the refuge and would effectively end more than a century of FWS management of the Bison Range, removing it from the National Wildlife Refuge System.
Walsh wrote that such a proposal would require Congressional approval, and that while “at this point, we don’t know if or when such a transfer would occur,” the agency believes it is the best solution at hand.
“This was not an easy decision to come by, nor one that was taken lightly, but in the end, I believe that this is a good path for the Service, the CSKT, and for the conservation of our fish and wildlife resources,” Walsh wrote in an email obtained by the Beacon.
She continued: “In an effort to achieve the best, long-term solution for our many conservation priorities, the specific conservation goals of the National Bison Range, and to support the principles of Indian self-determination there was a discussion today with the CSKT about the potential for the Service to support legislation that would transfer the lands comprising the National Bison Range to be held in trust by the United States for the CSKT.”
CSKT Spokesman Rob McDonald said the proposal was not sought by the Tribes and that the discussion, while welcome, “came out of the blue.”
“We were surprised but happy for the opportunity. This proposal makes historical and managerial sense,” McDonald said. “As the original managers of the bison herd on the Flathead Reservation prior to the establishment of the National Bison Range, we look forward to learning more about the opportunities related to U.S. Fish and Wildlife’s proposal of restoring tribal ownership of the Bison Range.”
Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, which has adamantly opposed tribal involvement at the Bison Range, said the move comes on the heels of more than five years of failed attempts by the agency to partner with CSKT, and sets a dangerous precedent – if established, it could spark demands by other tribes for similar handovers at 18 other U.S. national wildlife refuges and 57 national parks, according to Jeff Ruch, executive director of PEER.
“Once again, the National Bison Range is a political trading card whose conservation mission is an afterthought,” Ruch said.
Anna Munoz, assistant regional director for external affairs at FWS’s Mountain-Prairie Region headquarters in Colorado, confirmed that discussions had begun, but declined to comment on PEER’s claim that such a move could leave other public lands vulnerable.
She also did not have additional details on why negotiations to achieve an annual funding agreement had failed.
“We are at the very beginning of this process, which is going to require ongoing discussions,” Munoz said. “We do believe that right now is the appropriate time to begin a transition.”
In her email, Walsh said Feb. 5 was the first discussion with CSKT about the idea, and assured Bison Range employees not to worry about their future with the agency.
“As we go forward, my pledge is to ensure that wherever the discussion leads us, the talented and committed staff of the National Bison Range are taken care of,” she wrote
Seven Fish and Wildlife Service employees currently work at the refuge, according to Munoz.
On the same day the emails were distributed, Walsh and two other agency employees spent the afternoon at the National Bison Range in Moiese.
“In our conversations, I emphasized that they will all remain valued employees of the Service, regardless of the outcome of these discussions,” she wrote.
The Bison Range was established within the boundaries of the Flathead Indian Reservation in 1908, “for the express purpose of conserving the American bison during a time when the species was on the verge of extinction,” Walsh said.
CSKT has been trying to become a part of the operation and management of the Bison Range for 22 years, ever since the 1994 Tribal Self Governance Act enabled the tribes to do so.