Montana House Bill 676 - This could sell off 1.25M acres of State Trust Lands - that's almost 25%!!! This is not the Homesteading Bill

[BuckRut]

This one seems to be floating under the radar! The main intent of the bill is water rights - but there's a catch. There's a section in this bill that FORCES the sale of school trust lands where the lessee requests it - if they have water rights on the lands and the lands are "isolated". This bill passed through committee today - and at the hearing it was stated that they assume this would affect 1.25 MILLION acres of state trust lands. What is "isolated"? one can only assume. It doesn't really matter - read the title of this thread again - THIS BILL WOULD FORCE THE SALE OF 1.25 MILLION ACRES OF STATE TRUST LAND!

Here's the link to the bill information - its moving along under the radar and needs to be stopped!

https://bills.legmt.gov/#/laws/bill/2/LC2991?open_tab=sum

 

[Legend]

Damn that Galt. He is supposed to be a local legislator from small town MT. But every session he dreams up a way to screw the average Joe. Rich kid out for more rich friends.

Here is another true story on the Galt family. They just stopped paying their school trust land leases....for years. The DNRC director was well aware and they did nothing. Galt new no one would bid on the land because the land had no public access. So he said screw the school trust system I won't pay.

Looks like they are going a step further and forcing the sale of school trust land. Crazy!

Every session I wait to see how Galt will try and screw the public hunter.

This bill is horrible and sneaky enough it might make it through.

Thanks for bringing attention to this one.

 

[rogerdoger]

This just shows how easy State Land can get sold for all who want or think federal land transfer is a good idea.

 

[Legend]

I just read the fiscal note. This bill will cost MT taxpayers 1.8 million annually to fund the staff and appraisers to sell off the our public land. Land that's SOLE purpose is to fund schools.

And they can't even with a straight face say how much revenue it will remove from the school. Somewhere around 5 million per year but that was polished for the politicians ( the first fiscal note was revised because the bill sponsor challenged it....which is code for it got political)

 

[Rotnguns]

I sure hope you folks can stop this in Montana. We had a similar event happen here in Idaho with state-owned land. Two texas billionaire brothers ended up with 300 000 acres of forested mountain land that the state sold at auction. They are now trying to sell several thousand acres near McCall for development.

 

[BuckRut]

This passed the house today and is headed to the Senate. The Senate is now out until the 14th but I will make sure to post it along with the committee members names, numbers and emails once it gets assigned to a committee.

 

[rogerdoger]

Thanks for being diligent on this BuckRut.

 

[goathunter]

This passed the house today and is headed to the Senate. The Senate is now out until the 14th but I will make sure to post it along with the committee members names, numbers and emails once it gets assigned to a committee.

Please do

 

[Stache Attack]

This passed the house today and is headed to the Senate. The Senate is now out until the 14th but I will make sure to post it along with the committee members names, numbers and emails once it gets assigned to a committee.

Lord I hope I don’t have to bring this up.

It passed the house 12-11 and it’s the speakers bill. I’m told it shouldn’t pass the senate, but Wylie and Knutson are lying all over capitol hill about dnrc stealing water and using this as a bargaining chip.

The info is from a lobbyist I trust and am on a board that funds him…

 

[Wrench]

I'd be dropping FOIA's like a mofo if I lived there. The alleyway deals are obvious.

 

[Legend]

Lord I hope I don’t have to bring this up.

It passed the house 12-11 and it’s the speakers bill. I’m told it shouldn’t pass the senate, but Wylie and Knutson are lying all over capitol hill about dnrc stealing water and using this as a bargaining chip.

The info is from a lobbyist I trust and am on a board that funds him…

I hope you are right on the senate.

I sent it over to MFPE who had not been active on this one. They will push back on it from a school revenue loss perspective.

I might have to call my contacts at DNRC and see how many years of back pay Galt owes the school trust. Might fit it into some testimony.

It is just a land grab.

 

[Andrew12gauge]

I sure hope you folks can stop this in Montana. We had a similar event happen here in Idaho with state-owned land. Two texas billionaire brothers ended up with 300 000 acres of forested mountain land that the state sold at auction. They are now trying to sell several thousand acres near McCall for development.

Not to be nitpicky but the 300,000 acres that wilks brothers bought in Idaho was not state land, it was Boise Cascade property that always had public access


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[Rotnguns]

Not to be nitpicky but the 300,000 acres that wilks brothers bought in Idaho was not state land, it was Boise Cascade property that always had public access


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My bad, you are indeed correct. I got mixed up on the ownership. Thanks for setting me straight.

 

[rogerdoger]

Not to be nitpicky but the 300,000 acres that wilks brothers bought in Idaho was not state land, it was Boise Cascade property that always had public access


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They own a lot of land in Montana as well.