The Nature Conservancy transfers 132-acre preserve to Tribes

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) recently announced the transfer of the 132-acre Safe Harbor Marsh Preserve to the Tribes.

The preserve in the northwest area of King’s Point north of Polson is within a larger block of CSKT-owned lands.

“TNC originally purchased the property to protect its outstanding conservation values, centered around a large perennial wetland marsh,” TNC State Director Amy Croover said in a prepared statement. “Transferring the property to CSKT will ensure those values remain protected and restore ownership to the original stewards of the land.”

The transfer is also helping fulfill a long-term vision of the Tribes.

“The wisdom and generosity expressed through the return of these lands is something we can hope others will see fit to follow,” CSKT Chairwoman Shelly Fyant said. “The rebuilding of the last remaining lands of our homeland has remained a key goal for our Council going back to our first Tribal Council in 1935. Our deepest thanks go out to The Nature Conservancy.”

The preserve is part of a perennial wetland marsh that lies entirely within the boundaries of the Flathead Reservation and is bordered on three sides by CSKT Tribal trust land.