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Bison Range’s Red Sleep Drive now open

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News from CSKT 

Spring has finally arrived in Western Montana, which means baby red buffalo calves will start to appear at the Bison Range, formerly known as the National Bison Range.  

On Dec. 27, 2020, Congress passed and the President signed, the Bison Range Restoration legislation. Through Public Law 116-260, Congress has now restored the Bison Range to federal trust ownership for the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The tribe is currently working with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to transition from federal to tribal management.

The CSKT Tribal Council has adopted, as its interim Bison Range management plan, the current Comprehensive Conservation Plan that was developed and adopted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2019 (for which CSKT was a cooperating agency).

Over the next few months, people will begin to see a new look in signs and the remolding of the Visitor Center; however, the annual re-opening of Red Sleep drive over Mother’s Day weekend remained the same. This 19-mile one-way gravel scenic auto tour increases the opportunity to see baby red calves and other wildlife that reside on the Bison Range year round.  

The front gate opens at 6 a.m. and closes at 8 p.m. The range is open seven days a week. Beginning Saturday, May 8, Red Sleep Drive opens at 7 a.m., with the last car allowed on the drive at 6 p.m. Prairie Drive is open year around, and we ask that you exit the front gate by 8 p.m.  

May 8 was the first day the Visitor’s Center was partially open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Facilities are available to pay fees and to pick up maps/brochures. “We are still following CSKT COVID guidelines and require anyone entering the building to wear a face mask, over your mouth and nose. Please adhere to social distancing,” Bison Range management states. 

Visitor Center staff will be available daily to assist visitors with resource questions. New informational and educational materials will be added during the summer months. Please be patient with the remodel of the museum and new gift shop, which is projected to open in June.  

A daily or annual pass, per vehicle, will be required to enter the Bison Range. The entire Bison Range is a fee use area, including the day use area. The new rate is $10 per car, daily. The Bison Range annual pass is $20 per year. All proceeds go back into the management and operation of the Bison Range. As it has been in the past, there is no charge for Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal members with tribal identification.  

Because the Bison Range is no longer a USFWS or NPS facility, any federal use pass will no longer be accepted for entrance fees or sold at the CSKT Bison Range, and these include, but are not limited to, the America the Beautiful or Golden Age passes.   

Please be courteous of other visitors, respect all wildlife from a distance and please remove your garbage. For more information visit www.bisonrange.org or contact the CSKT Natural Resources Department at 406-883-2888.

 

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