Helena, Mont. —As a member of the Montana Land Board, State Auditor James Brown is pleased to inform Montana ranchers and farmers about the opportunity to apply for Habitat
Conservation Leases managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) before April 15th.
Last year, Brown voted as a member of the Land Board to approve Habitat Conservation Leases covering 112,000 acres of working agricultural land in Montana. These leases offer compensation
to landowners in exchange for them agreeing to keep the land in production agriculture and enhance public access.
Habitat Conservation Leases are not block management; the program is more flexible and landowner-friendly. Additionally, the leases are not funded directly by Montana taxpayers, but rather,
by a mix of marijuana tax revenue, proceeds from state hunting licenses, and the federal tax on hunting equipment imposed under the Pittman-Robertson Act. Habitat Montana funds are
matched at a 1:3 ratio with federal funds, meaning every dollar from Habitat Montana is supplemented by three federal dollars.
