Bill
LC 1762
Summary of LC 1762: Generally Revise Laws Related to Public Lands OverviewLC 1762 is a draft bill that aimed to make broad changes to Montana's laws and policies governing the mana
LC 1762 is a draft bill that aimed to make broad changes to Montana's laws and policies governing the management and use of public lands within the state. The bill did not progress beyond the drafting stage and died in the legislative process.
The draft bill contained the following major proposed changes:
Land Acquisition Restrictions: The bill would have prohibited the state from acquiring new public lands or conservation easements without explicit legislative approval. This would have placed significant limits on the ability of state agencies to expand the public land base.
Timber Harvest Targets: The bill would have required the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation to set annual timber harvest targets for state lands, with the goal of increasing logging activity.
Grazing Lease Expansions: The draft legislation would have allowed current grazing lease holders to automatically renew their leases and expand the acreage under their control, making it harder for the state to reassign leases or adjust stocking levels.
Recreation Fee Increases: The bill proposed authorizing state agencies to substantially increase fees for recreational activities and access permits on public lands, which could have reduced affordability for some users.
If enacted, LC 1762 could have had significant impacts on the management and use of Montana's 5.2 million acres of state public lands:
Overall, the draft bill represented an effort to shift the balance of public land management more towards commercial resource extraction and private leaseholder control, potentially at the expense of conservation and recreational priorities.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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