About the Land Board
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch is a member of the state Board
of Land Commissioners, which oversees the management of 5.2 million acres of
school trust land across Montana. The federal government ceded the land to the
state in 1889, under the Enabling Act that granted statehood. Congress expressly
mandated that the land be used to generate money for the support of public
schools. In 2002, the school trust produced more than $45 million for its
beneficiaries: Montana students and classrooms.
The Land Board is responsible for deciding how best to
generate revenue for the trust from school trust lands. It considers such
options as:
- Grazing and farming leases.
- Timber-harvesting.
- Leases for oil, gas, and mining operations.
- Easements for such projects as power lines, roads, and
private driveways.
- Fees for recreational use.
- Cabin-site leases.
- Land sales and exchanges.
The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
carries out the management decisions of the Land Board through its
Trust Land Management
Division.
If you have a question about issues relating to school trust lands, contact or write Secretary of State Linda McCulloch's office at P.O. Box
202801, Helena, MT 59620-2801.
Other members of the Land Board are
Governor Brian Schweitzer,
Attorney General Steve Bullock ,
Auditor Monica Lindeen , and
Superintendent of
Public Instruction Denise Juneau .
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