This bill amends Section 87-1-265 of the Montana Code Annotated to revise the state's block management program, which facilitates public access to private and public lands for hunting. The bill allows the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt simplified rules specifically for agreements that provide access to adjacent public lands. Key provisions include requirements for notifying adjacent public land leaseholders, ensuring proposed agreements do not conflict with existing lease terms, and allowing leaseholders to express support or objections to the agreements. Additionally, the commission may consider leaseholder feedback and may exempt certain agreements from tracking public hunting access days.

The bill also introduces specific financial caps on payments to landowners participating in these agreements, limiting them to $25,000 per year for agreements that solely provide access to public land for hunting purposes, while maintaining a higher cap of $50,000 for other agreements. The legislation aims to streamline the process for landowners and enhance public access to hunting opportunities while ensuring that landowner interests and liabilities are adequately addressed.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 87-1-265
HB0763_1(1): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(2): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(3): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(4): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(5): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(6): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(7): 87-1-265
HB0763_1(8): 87-1-265
HB0763_1: 87-1-265
HB0763_2(1): 87-1-265
HB0763_2(2): 87-1-265
HB0763_2(3): 87-1-265
HB0763_2(4): 87-1-265
HB0763_2: 87-1-265
HB0763_X(1): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(10): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(2): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(3): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(4): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(5): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(6): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(7): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(8): 87-1-265
HB0763_X(9): 87-1-265
HB0763_X: 87-1-265