House Bill No. [insert bill number] aims to revise laws related to the Block Management Program in Montana, specifically allowing the Fish and Wildlife Commission to adopt simplified rules for agreements that provide access to adjacent public lands for hunting. The bill amends Section 87-1-265 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to include new provisions that require the department to notify adjacent public land leaseholders, ensure proposed agreements do not violate existing lease terms, and allow leaseholders the opportunity to support or object to these agreements. Additionally, the bill introduces a framework for considering these agreements, including the possibility of exempting them from tracking public hunting access days and allowing flat fee payments to landowners.

Furthermore, the bill establishes a cap on payments to landowners participating in hunting access programs, limiting them to $50,000 annually, with a reduced cap of $25,000 for agreements that solely provide access to public land for hunting purposes. This aims to streamline the process and encourage landowner participation while ensuring that public access to hunting opportunities is maintained. The legislation reflects a commitment to balancing landowner interests with public hunting access needs.

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: 87-1-265