MISSION VALLEY — With a more mild winter in the valleys and warmer weather heading into March, it's important to recreate responsibly. Especially when it comes to leaving culturally significant items alone and getting a permit when on Tribal land.
For non-tribal members planning to recreate on the Flathead Reservation during the rest of 2026, it's almost permit renewal time.
"There are some changes this year though. The system will no longer take cash," Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Communications Director Robert McDonald said.
Permits from 2025 are no longer valid on March 1, so it's necessary to get a new one either in person or online.
"In Lake County, Westland Seed and Ronan can do it. Walmart, of course, is in Polson. And in Polson is the wildlife recreation offices of the Tribe's Natural Resources Department," McDonald said.
CSKT is also looking to expand permit issuing locations this year.
"The technology the state told us was aging out and becoming a problem, so they started the ambassador program and the ambassador program is allowing more people to be vendors, more businesses," McDonald said.
If you can't go in person, you can either visit CSKT's website or open up the FWP app on your phone. Then, you can purchase a three-day pass or a full-year pass.
Separate licenses are required for fishing, trapping and hunting. Prices vary and refunds are not possible.
When recreating, leave no trace is always advised.
"Always mindful in our approaches of living that way so that the resource will always be there and if you're going to come into our homeland to recreate and you're invited with a permit," McDonald said.
Flathead Reservation also has many culturally significant sites that have artifacts and belongings. CSKT elders said to leave items where they lay.
"If you see something, leave it behind, don't dig up, don't take things that aren't yours," McDonald said.
Some locations are federally protected under the 1979 Archaeological Resources Protection Act which makes taking things illegal and violators could be fined or put in jail.
"We would just prefer people enjoy themselves and not stumble accidentally into legal trouble because there are federal laws in place that protect these sites," McDoanld said. "If they find something and they're so happy on YouTube and put it out there, it invites more people to come, and they could find themselves in some legal hassle and then make someone else think this is perfectly okay just to come and take and it's not," McDonald said.
