PABLO - A month after a self-imposed deadline to reach a draft agreement on a tribal takeover of the National Bison Range, there is no agreement in sight.

However, negotiations between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and the U.S. Department of Interior continue.

Meanwhile, opposition to tribal management of the Bison Range appears to be solidifying among some national conservation - and conservative - leaders.

Paul Hoffman, who is overseeing the tribal-federal discussions for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Washington, said Thursday that no draft agreement is in the offing at this time. But public input will be solicited when one is drafted, he promised.

He said a 90-day comment period on a draft management and funding agreement will be offered after a draft plan is released. And Congress will have final say over any such proposal.

In May, he told the Missoulian he was confident that the June 30 goal for the draft agreement would be reached, and earlier, tribal and federal officials had laid out an aggressive timeline, saying the final plan could be wrapped up and approved by Nov. 30.

A tribal spokesman said Friday that a month or so delay is not a significant hitch in the planning.

"This will move it into the next fiscal year, but that's appropriate and very doable," said a tribal official who did not want to be named. Tribal Council Chairman Fred Matt was on personal leave and unavailable for comment last week.

Meanwhile, considerable national opposition to the plan has emerged. Earlier, about 2,000 signatures were collected by western Montana opponents of the transfer and were delivered to Montana's congressional delegation in late May by Roland Morris of Ronan and Bob Larsson of St. Ignatius, among others.

"The important thing now is that there are people all over the country now saying this is not a good idea," said Lisa Morris, Roland's wife.