Post by Steve Sutton on Jun 18, 2010 11:51:12 GMT -5
By John Grassy, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Information Officer
What are state school trust lands? What makes them different from other public lands in Montana? Is public recreation allowed? How do I get access? These are some of the most frequently-asked questions about those blue-colored blocks of land appearing on most maps of our state.
School trust lands offer some outstanding year-round recreation opportunities for Montanans, but the rules for using them differ from most other public lands in the state. School trust lands are special places set aside for a special purpose.
Montana’s 5.2 million acres of state school trust lands are managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to produce revenue for public institutions, including public education. Last year alone, school trust lands generated $61.2 million for K-12 education and $24.2 million for school facilities and classroom technology. Since 2005, these lands have contributed more than $300 million to K-12 education in Montana.
Across much of Montana, state lands are sections 16 and 36 of each township, though in some places, such as state forests in western Montana, school trust lands are consolidated into larger blocks.
Public recreation is allowed on many acres of school trust lands that are not leased or licensed for specific uses, such as cabin sites, raising crops, commercial buildings or even wind farms – but the rules for using them are tailored to protect the income-generating capacities of the land.
General recreation activities on trust lands include daytime hiking, sight-seeing, overnight camping, and daytime horseback riding. If any of these activities are on your recreation agenda this summer and you want to visit a tract of state school trust land, you will need a $10 recreation use license, which is available for purchase at any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks license agent, or at a regional FWP office.
For those interested in hunting and fishing, these activities are covered, in an agreement between FWP and DNRC, by a $2 access fee included in the cost of your conservation license that gives you automatic entry to any school trust lands open to recreation.
Recreation rules on state school trust lands are somewhat unique:n
Camping is permitted at designated camp areas for 14 days, and for only two consecutive days at nondesignated sites within 200 feet of a normal access point on the property.n
Motor vehicle use is generally restricted to federal, state and regularly maintained county roads, or roads designated as open by DNRC. In other words, consider all roads on state school trust lands closed unless designated otherwise.n
Parking on state land is allowed only within 50 feet of a “customary access point.” Of course, you can also park on a federal or state road or highway, along with a county road, as long as it is legal under traffic rules in the area.n
Open fires are restricted to DNRC-designated campgrounds – and please leave the fireworks at home!
Maps of state school trust lands that show designated roads are available at U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service offices. An informational brochures on state land use rules is also available at all FWP and DNRC offices; for an online version, go to dnrc.mt.gov/trust/REMB/statues/recreationaluse.asp on the DNRC website.
For questions, contact DNRC Recreational Use Coordinator Dan Dobler at (406) 444-9726, or contact your local DNRC office. Enjoy your time on Montana’s state school trust lands!
What are state school trust lands? What makes them different from other public lands in Montana? Is public recreation allowed? How do I get access? These are some of the most frequently-asked questions about those blue-colored blocks of land appearing on most maps of our state.
School trust lands offer some outstanding year-round recreation opportunities for Montanans, but the rules for using them differ from most other public lands in the state. School trust lands are special places set aside for a special purpose.
Montana’s 5.2 million acres of state school trust lands are managed by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) to produce revenue for public institutions, including public education. Last year alone, school trust lands generated $61.2 million for K-12 education and $24.2 million for school facilities and classroom technology. Since 2005, these lands have contributed more than $300 million to K-12 education in Montana.
Across much of Montana, state lands are sections 16 and 36 of each township, though in some places, such as state forests in western Montana, school trust lands are consolidated into larger blocks.
Public recreation is allowed on many acres of school trust lands that are not leased or licensed for specific uses, such as cabin sites, raising crops, commercial buildings or even wind farms – but the rules for using them are tailored to protect the income-generating capacities of the land.
General recreation activities on trust lands include daytime hiking, sight-seeing, overnight camping, and daytime horseback riding. If any of these activities are on your recreation agenda this summer and you want to visit a tract of state school trust land, you will need a $10 recreation use license, which is available for purchase at any Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks license agent, or at a regional FWP office.
For those interested in hunting and fishing, these activities are covered, in an agreement between FWP and DNRC, by a $2 access fee included in the cost of your conservation license that gives you automatic entry to any school trust lands open to recreation.
Recreation rules on state school trust lands are somewhat unique:n
Camping is permitted at designated camp areas for 14 days, and for only two consecutive days at nondesignated sites within 200 feet of a normal access point on the property.n
Motor vehicle use is generally restricted to federal, state and regularly maintained county roads, or roads designated as open by DNRC. In other words, consider all roads on state school trust lands closed unless designated otherwise.n
Parking on state land is allowed only within 50 feet of a “customary access point.” Of course, you can also park on a federal or state road or highway, along with a county road, as long as it is legal under traffic rules in the area.n
Open fires are restricted to DNRC-designated campgrounds – and please leave the fireworks at home!
Maps of state school trust lands that show designated roads are available at U.S. Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service offices. An informational brochures on state land use rules is also available at all FWP and DNRC offices; for an online version, go to dnrc.mt.gov/trust/REMB/statues/recreationaluse.asp on the DNRC website.
For questions, contact DNRC Recreational Use Coordinator Dan Dobler at (406) 444-9726, or contact your local DNRC office. Enjoy your time on Montana’s state school trust lands!