POLSON, MT — A few weeks ago, MTN reported on illegal dumping on the Flathead Reservation.
Now, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are taking action.
"The tribes are working hard to keep our lands clean," said Robert McDonald, with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.
The effort began in 2023, when the CSKT Tribal Council and Lake County started charging a yearly dump access fee of $180.
"If you're struggling to pay the bills and putting food on the table, finding $180 could be a lot to ask for a household under stress," McDonald said.
The Tribal Council now invests in dump access tags, spending $50,000 to purchase more than 200 for low-income families and elderly tribal members.
"In response to that, the tribal council started purchasing individual tags for people to use at the transfer station and the landfill," McDonald said.
The goal is simple: remove barriers to legal dumping.
"That's the whole idea, making it as easy as possible for people to do the right thing," McDonald said.
For the tribes, the investment reflects deeper values about environmental stewardship.
"We care very much about the land, the air, the environment, the soil and take every effort to make sure it remains clean for us and future generations," McDonald said.
In addition to the dump tags, the tribes will host the annual CSKT Highway Clean-up on Thursday, April 23, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The cleanup will take place from mile markers 50 to 52 in Pablo, mile markers 32 to 33 in St. Ignatius, and mile markers 76 to 77.
Participants will receive lunch at Quick Silver at 1 p.m.
For more information or to request an application for dump tags, contact:
Tom Johnson
Phone: (406) 675-2700, Ext. 1012
Email: tom.johnson@cskt.org
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