(Montana) A group of Montana’s top elected officials are expanding their oversight of the agency responsible for managing state trust lands. This comes after recent disputes over private water rights.
The Land Board voted unanimously Monday to be more involved in the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s management of state trust lands.
This decision comes after people leasing state lands for agriculture said DNRC tried to claim partial ownership of their individual water rights – after that water was used for livestock or irrigation on state land.
Under a change proposed by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, DNRC must now receive permission from the Land Board if it wants to challenge water ownership.
