Environment (Public Lands)

This joint resolution expresses the Montana Legislature's support for the state's beef producers, who raise over 2.5 million cattle and contribute significantly to the agricultural economy and rural communities. The document outlines general policy preferences, including calls for fair market conditions, reduced regulatory burdens, and better trade relationships for Montana ranchers. It also states opposition to federal initiatives like the Green New Deal and the promotion of lab-grown meat, framing these as threats to the beef industry. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies to various government officials and agricultural organizations to communicate the Legislature's position.

This bill modifies Montana's conservation easement laws by limiting their maximum duration to 40 years and preventing restrictions that would stop current agricultural activities on the land. It also prohibits conditions that would require land under easement to be transferred to federal control. The legislation affects public bodies and private organizations that hold conservation easements, ensuring agricultural producers can continue farming on their land and that easements cannot force land into federal administration. These changes update existing statutes to provide clearer time limits and protect ongoing agricultural use while maintaining conservation goals.

This bill seeks to remove approximately 663,000 acres of land in Montana from consideration for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. The legislation directly affects federal lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service that were previously designated as wilderness study areas under state and federal laws. By releasing these areas from wilderness designation consideration, the bill aims to resolve legal uncertainty and reduce federal litigation costs associated with managing these lands. The measure would allow federal agencies to manage these areas without the restrictions that would apply if they were officially designated as wilderness.

This bill amends Montana's gray wolf management laws to give the Fish and Wildlife Commission more flexibility in setting hunting and trapping regulations. It allows the commission to apply different techniques across regions, including permitting multiple wolf licenses per person, unlimited harvests per license, and the use of night vision or thermal scopes for hunting. The legislation also enables landowners to take wolves on their property without a license if the animals threaten livestock, dogs, or human safety, provided they report the taking and stay within annual quotas. Additionally, public land permittees with livestock depredation issues can obtain special permits to remove wolves without purchasing standard licenses.

HB 782 revises the membership requirements for county planning boards. This bill changes a provision that currently mandates at least one member of a county planning board must also be a member of a conservation district or a state cooperative grazing district. If enacted, county planning boards would instead have the option to include such a member, rather than being required to. This directly affects how county planning boards are constituted and who serves on them.

Montana's SJ 14 is a state legislative resolution requesting the federal government release over 660,000 acres of designated wilderness study areas from consideration for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. It specifically targets seven Montana wilderness study areas (including West Pioneer, Sapphire, and Big Snowies) and 37 Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas that have remained in legal limbo since the 1977 Montana Wilderness Study Act. The resolution argues these lands are hindering multiple-use management (like timber harvesting and agriculture) and causing federal management uncertainty, and asks for their formal release to allow standard federal land management under the National Forest Management Act. The resolution was tabled in committee and died in process in 2025, so it has not become law.

HB 676 proposes revisions to state laws governing land and water rights. It would eliminate the Water Court's duty to complete water rights adjudication by July 1, 2030, and repeals several related statutes. The bill also prohibits the Board of Land Commissioners from acquiring private water rights for state lands. Additionally, it requires the state to sell isolated land parcels with water rights to their current lessees, impacting water rights holders, the Water Court, and state land management.