Montana owns more than 5.1 million acres of school trust lands that are managed by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to generate revenue for the support of public schools, parts of the university system, and other endowed institutions. Conservation and protection of the natural resources on these lands are important components of the school trust responsibilities, tied not simply to short-term considerations but to long-term productivity.

In addition to logging, mining, and grazing, the school trust lands are also available for special uses such as: commercial, industrial, and residential development; wildlife habitat; preservation of open space; and development of public facilities.

RECENT NEWS

• The State Land Board voted on December 21st, 2009 to lease the Otter Creek coal tracts for mining.
• The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation released a draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP). They are proposing to INCREASE the timber harvest on state school trust lands for the next 50 years in order (they claim) to protect threatened and endangered species. (December 2009)
• DNRC Sets the Stage for Subdivisions on Plum Creek Timber Co. Land