Trust Lands Management

The Trust Lands Management Division administers and manages the state trust timber, surface, and mineral resources for the benefit of the common schools and the other endowed institutions in Montana, under the direction of the State Board of Land Commissioners.

The division is divided into four primary management programs: Agriculture and Grazing (including Recreational Use), Forest, Minerals, and Real Estate Management.

Agriculture and Grazing Management

The Agriculture and Grazing Management Program is responsible for leasing and managing approximately 9,000 agreements for crop and rangeland uses on 4.76 million acres of school trust lands throughout the state. Administrative staff and specialists in the department's Helena office and staff in field offices statewide manage the program.

Forest Management

The Forest Management Bureau manages Montana's forested trust lands to maximize long-term revenue while promoting healthy and diverse forests on over 780,000 acres. Revenue from forested trust lands is mainly derived from the sale of forest products.

Minerals Management

The Minerals Management Bureau, (MMB), is responsible for leasing, permitting, and managing approximately 5,301 oil and gas, metalliferous and non-metalliferous, coal, sand and gravel agreements on 2.1 million acres of the available 6.2 million acres of school trust lands and approximately 5,632 acres of other state-owned land throughout Montana.

Real Estate Management

The Real Estate Management Bureau manages all activity on trust lands not classified as grazing, agriculture, or timber. These "other" surface tracts are administered for the benefit the trust through leasing, short-term licenses, land exchanges and sales, and through issuing right-of-way agreements.

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