Environmental Documents

Aggregate testing by Riverside Contracting, Inc. for Township 1 North, Range 5 West, Sections 12 and 24.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,490’ MD/10,403’ TVD.

Objectives of the project include: The objective of the project is to rehabilitate a portion of the Blanchard Creek Road, which is currently directly adjacent to Blanchard Creek in the project area. Channel avulsion and streambank erosion have threatened the road prism for approximately 1,000 linear feet. Implementation of the project would, 1) Remove existing boulder which were placed in on the streambank as preemptive riprap and deposit outside of the SMZ, 2) Relocate a portion of the Blanchard Creek Road to a more favorable location away from Blanchard Creek, 3) install a bioengineered bank structure to minimize potential future erosion of the road prism at the site, and 4) plant deciduous riparian vegetation to assist in stabilization of streambanks in the reach of Blanchard Creek adjacent to the bioengineered streambank.

The Helena Unit of the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) is proposing the Comers Butte Timber Sale. The project is located northeast of Belt, Montana.

Applicant is requesting an Alternative Practice to operate equipment, as well as deposit slash within the Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) of Pierce Creek, a Class 1 stream.

Express Pipeline LLC is needing to replace a valve located within their Eagle Butte Pump Station. To complete this reapir they must excavate the pipeline that feeds the station to install a stopple and bypass system. This will allow them to complete the necessary repair within their facility and not have to stop flow for a long period of time. The proposed work site is approximately 100 x 100 feet and located to the north of the Eagle Butte Pump Station. Current land use is agriculture and the proposed start date is September 1, which will limit most potential impacts to production.

On April 17, 2026, The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) received an application from Havre Sand and Gravel, Inc., henceforth known as the proponent, for aggregate testing on State of Montana School Trust Lands. The application was made for testing location, Township 33N, Range 18E, Sections 31 and 32.

NorthWestern Corporation plans to drill a horizontal well for gas storage in the 2nd Frontier to 7,500’ MD/5,000’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single SWD well, 7,398’ MD/2,421’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single SWD well, 9,758’MD/5,526’TVD.

Hiland Cude LLC, referred to as the Proponent, is applying for a 25’ Right of Way Easement (1.44 acres). Kinder Morgan is gathering the crude off the Kraken- Northern Pad that is located approximately 1 mile Northwest of this State Land tract. Kinder Morgan is proposing to install up to a 4-inch steel crude pipeline through State Land to gather the crude and transport it through the proposed pipeline to their existing pipeline facilities.

To allow the applicant to operate wheeled or tracked equipment on an existing skid trail within the SMZ of a class 3 stream.

NorthWestern Corporation plans to drill a horizontal well for gas storage in the 2nd Frontier to 10,284’ MD/5,000’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,842’ MD/10,384’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,397’ MD/10,396’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,418’ MD/10,400’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,622’ MD/10,400’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 31,062’ MD/9,990’ TVD.

50 Foot Right-of-way application for installation of 24" core line across State Trust lands. Waterline installation takes place on agriculture land alongside of existing two track.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 30,992’ MD/9,994’ TVD.

Green Diamond Timberlands is requesting an Alternative Practice to Operate Equipment in the SMZ to salvage blowdown of an unnamed Class 2 Stream in the vicinity of Lazier Creek.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 24,753’ MD/9,020’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 25,015’ MD/9,016’ TVD.

This proposal includes timber harvest on roughly 95 acres. Timber harvest treatment would include shelterwood and seed tree prescriptions in a Douglas-fir stands that are susceptible to insect, disease, and high-severity wildfire. Approximately 400 thousand board feet would be harvested. Slash piles will be burned during the winter months when conditions are safe. Maintenance will take place on 0.60 miles of existing road. Roughly 0.40 miles of road may be constructed to facilitate logging operations away from a nearby Streamside Management Zone. Noxious weed monitoring and subsequent herbicide application may occur as necessary.

Prairie County Montana has requested from the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation a Land Use License for a temporary workspace on the state owned portion of tract for the purpose of making repairs on the Calypso Bridge spanning the Yellowstone river.

WBI Energy Transmission, Inc. (WBI Energy) is proposing to relocate an exposed section of natural gas pipeline by guided bore method under the Milk River in Valley County, MT. Approximately 1,520 feet of 8-inchdiameter natural gas pipeline is proposed to be bored beneath the Milk River. The proposed 1,520-foot pipeline will cross both tribal trust land within the Fort Peck Indian Reservation and State Trust lands managed by the DNRC. DNRC owns approximately half of the stream bed and must decide whether to either allow the entire project, allow a temporary mitigation project, or not allow the project to proceed on State Trust Lands. Here we review the environmental risk associated with these alternatives with an EA that is tiered to the BIA Final Environmental Assessment for the Saco-Morgan Creek Milk River Bore Project (Attachment A – BIA EA). The BIA EA reviews and addresses a broad scope of issues. DNRC Trust Lands staff reviewed the BIA EA and found the analysis adequate. Therefore, this analysis tiers to the BIA EA and focuses instead on a more narrow scope of issues to be considered by DNRC Trust Lands as the landowner who will decide to approve no project, a temporary mitigation, or the entire project.

Proposed action: individual tree removal within the proximity of residential lease improvements.

NorthWestern Corporation plans to drill a horizontal well for gas storage in the 2nd Frontier to 10,641’ MD/5,000’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 26,046’ MD/10,161’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakken Formation test, 26,633’ MD/10,161’ TVD.

Triple derrick drilling rig to drill a single lateral horizontal Bakkan Formation test, 25,973’ MD/10,307’ TVD.