Montana Land Board Votes To Change Land Exchange Rules For First Time In Over 20 Years

Bozeman, Mont. — A vote tied to public land exchanges brought a major rule change that could affect how land trades move forward in Montana.  

On Monday, May 18, the Montana Wildlife Federation and the Montana Land Board met to vote on land exchanges. Land exchanges are a process that happens when the state or federal government trades public land for private land or land owned by another agency.  

The U.S. Forest Service says land exchanges are most often used to consolidate ownership for more efficient land and resource management. The forest service also has a previous history of land exchanges happening in Montana, between the DNRC and Lolo national forest. 

The Montana Land Board voted unanimously, 4-0 to change the rules for those exchanges. Before Monday's vote took place, the rules for land exchanges had stayed the same for the last 20 years. 

One of the major rules that stands out is a detail regarding land of equal or greater value. When the land exchange rules were put in place, the Montana Board of Land Commissioners said that the land being acquired by the state had to be at least as valuable as the state land being exchanged. 

A recent statement from the Montana Wildlife Federation says that another part of what helped the vote pass was removing the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's ability to deny land exchanges.  

That means the DNRC no longer has authority to reject land exchanges that are not in the public's best interest. That power now rests only with the Montana Land Board.  

In the comment section of the Montana Wildlife Federation’s recent statement, one Facebook user reacted to the vote with a blunt message about public access.  

"Our state government sold us to the highest bidder....public lands in public hands and accessible for all," they said.   

While Nonstop Local has reached out to both the Montana Wildlife Federation and the Montana Land Board for comment on the recent vote, we have not heard back yet. Any updates regarding this story will be posted on our website as they become available.