Glacier border reopens for season

Town Crier “Briefs from the Region” (1) – 3/18/21

The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council voted unanimously to reopen the eastern border of Glacier National Park this week after being closed for most of last season. Glacier National Park was closed due to COVID-19 concerns and upon reopening in June, the Blackfeet Tribe decided against opening the east entrances, which reside on tribal land, limiting access to a number of popular places in the park. The tribe noted that it will still be requiring visitors to wear masks when social distancing is not possible and that it may be a couple of years until that mandate is lifted. According to Montana Free Press, since March 2020, about 1,400 Blackfeet residents have gotten COVID-19 and 47 have died from the virus. The tribe also announced that as of this week, 95 percent of their tribal members are vaccinated.