Administrative Rules

Pursuant to statute, DNRC maintains a list of "interested persons" who are notified when the department proposes to amend or adopt its administrative rules. If you would like you or your organization to be on this list, please contact dnrc_publicinfo@mt.gov (attention ARM Rules Coordinator). Please provide your name, e-mail address, physical address, and the topics you wish to be notified of: conservation districts and resource development, forestry, oil and gas conservation, trust land management, and/or water resources, or designate All DNRC Rulemaking.

• Administrative Rules of Montana Web site
• Montana DNRC Administrative Rules

MAR 36-22-216 (Proposed Amendment and Repeal - Dam Safety)

Notice of Amendment and Repeal (09/23/2022)

Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Amendment and Repeal (07/08/2022)

• Proposed Modifications to Dam Safety Administrative Rules (07/08/2022)
  
  

MAR 36-22-215 (Proposed Amendment - Board of Oil & Gas Conservation)

Notice of Amendment (09/09/2022)

Notice of Proposed Amendment; No Public Hearing Contemplated (06/24/2022)

MAR 36-22-214 (Amendment - Horse Creek Controlled Groundwater Area)

Notice of Amendment (08/26/2022)

Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Amendment (05/13/2022)

MAR 36-22-213 (Amendment and Repeal - Water Well Licensing and Construction Standards)

Notice of Amendment and Repeal (08/05/2022)

Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Amendment and Repeal (04/15/2022)

Small Business Impact Analysis (SBIA)
 

Oil & Gas Lease Sale

NOTICE OF STATE OF MONTANA OIL & GAS LEASE SALE.  The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation will hold the December 6, 2022 Online Oil and Gas Lease Sale during the period of November 30 thru December 6, 2022, hosted by the online auction service, EnergyNet.  The December sale includes 20 tracts in the following counties:  Blaine (1), Daniels (12), Richland (1), and Toole (6). All sales will be by online auction bidding. DNRC is requesting comments from interested parties by October 21, 2022. A description of tracts and maps are available on the DNRC website at  http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/trust/minerals-management/oil-and-gas-leasing-information and on EnergyNet website at https://www.energynet.com/govt_listing.pl.

Scoping Notices

Initial Proposal

Belgrade Schools Easement Scoping
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is reviewing an easement application from Belgrade School District #44 to accommodate Belgrade School Campus expansion on State Trust Land located in Gallatin County, near Frank Road, southwest of Belgrade, MT. The total acres to be encumbered by the easement is 60.00 acres.

Pasture Draw Timber Sale
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Hamilton Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 350 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 26, 34, 35, and 36 of Township 2N Range 19W  approximately 4 miles northeast of the town of Sula, MT.

Coyote Greenough Timber Projects
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Clearwater Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 1,000 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 18 of Township 13N Range 14W, Sections 14, 22, 23, and 24 of Township 13N Range 15W and Section 36 of Township 14N Range 15W, approximately 5 miles east of the town of Potomoc, MT.

West and Pieces Timber Sale
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Clearwater Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 400 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 36 of Township 16N Range 16W, approximately 4 miles southwest of the town of Seeley Lake, MT.

City of Belgrade Easement Application
The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Helena Unit is currently reviewing an easement application from the City of Belgrade to construct an operations facility on State Trust Land located in Gallatin County administered by the DNRC-Bozeman Unit, near Penwell Bridge Road and Lagoon Road, east of Belgrade, MT.

Wolfagator Limited Access Timber Sale
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Lewistown Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 160 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 26 of Township 15N Range 20E, approximately 15 miles southeast of the town of Lewistown, MT.

Ronan Creek Fire Salvage
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Kalispell Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 1,280 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 26 of Township 25N Range 22W and Section 16 of Township 24N Ranger 22W, approximately 6 miles west of the town of Elmo, MT. 

Granite Creek Timber Permit
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Dillon Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 110 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 36 of Township 5S Range 3W, approximately 4 miles north of the town of Virginia City, MT. 

Brown's Ranch Timber Sale
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Kalispell Unit, is proposing a timber harvest on approximately 700 acres on State Trust Land located in Section 16 of Township 25N Range 23W and Section 36 Township 25N Range 24W, approximately 13 miles south of the town of Marion, MT. 

Squeezer Meadow Multiple Timber Sale Project

The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Swan River State Forest, is proposing a multiple timber sale project. The project area covers approximately 22,738 acres and harvesting activities would occur on approximately 10-30% of this project area. The proposed project is located on State Trust Land on various Sections in T24N R17W, T24N R18W, T23N R17W, and T23N R18W, approximately 9 miles southeast of Swan Lake, MT. 

Ryan Mountain Timber Sale

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC), Trust Land Management Division (TLMD) Helena Unit is proposing the Ryan Mountain Timber Sale. The proposed Ryan Mountain Timber Sale is located approximately 5.5 miles south east of Boulder, MT on the following state-owned parcels: Township 5N, Range 3E, Sections 4 and 5.

Public Notices 

Squeezer Meadow Multiple Timber Sale Project

The proposed Squeezer Meadow Multiple Timber Sale Project is currently in the project planning and development stage. Current information about the project and how to stay involved is available in Squeezer Meadow: Newsletter #1, published on July 11th, 2022.

Montana Invasive Species Council AIS Grant Hearings

The Montana Invasive Species Council will hold an AIS grant hearing on Monday, April 18, 2022.  The meeting is scheduled from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. This is the second round of grants for this period. Approximately $85,000 is available to fund seven grant applications total over $134,400. The grant hearing agenda is available on the MISC website.

Contact Liz Lodman at 406-444-0547 with any questions about the grant hearing. 

Montana Forest Action Plan Request for Proposals

Program Goal and Purpose: Provide financial support for the implementation of projects as part of the Montana Forest Action Plan (MFAP). The MFAP is Montana's all lands, all hands plan for addressing forest health and wildfire risk issues across the state. The purpose of this grant program is to accelerate the pace and scale of forest management in order to reduce wildland fire hazards, improve forest health, and increase restoration activities on Montana’s forested lands.

Montana Forest Action Plan Implementation Program - Request for Proposals 

 Phillips Conservation District Board of Adjustment

• Variance Order - January 27, 2021
• Hearing on the joint motion filed In the Matter of American Prairie Reserve’s Petition for Variance from Phillips Conservation District Ordinance 2016-1 (MP4)
• BOA Public Notice - January 14, 2021

CARD Division - Eastgate Village Water System Improvements - Phase 1 - Draft EA

The Eastgate Village Water System Improvements - Phase 1 draft environmental assessment is available for public review and can be viewed by clicking here. The applicant proposes to use ARPA Minimum Allocation Grant funding passed through Lewis and Clark County to develop a new deep aquifer groundwater source well, 1,400’ transmission main, backup generator, and construction of a new pumphouse. The proposed project area is on the southeast edges of the East Helena City limits, Lewis and Clark County, Montana at latitude 46.592, longitude -111.889. The project will likely have minor, short-term construction-related impacts, such as noise, dust and traffic disruption, but can be minimized through proper construction management.  There may be permanent direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse impacts to the local groundwater aquifer as future use would require additional well capacity, but otherwise impacts are largely expected to be minimal. The proposed implementation date is August 2022 upon grant approval and supplies. Given the potentially minor adverse impacts, we will post this draft EA for 30 days, or until September 30th, 2022 5 PM MST for public comment. Any comments submitted will be reviewed and addressed appropriately by the DNRC contact listed within the EA document before the final EA will be issued.

CARD Division - Flathead County - Evergreen Water and Sewer District 1 - Well Source Replacement and Monitoring - Draft EA

The Flathead County - Evergreen Water and Sewer District 1 - Well Source Replacement and Monitoring draft environmental assessment is available for public review and can be viewed by clicking here. The applicant proposes to use ARPA Minimum Allocation Grant funding to develop a new deep aquifer groundwater source well and a monitoring well for a current well supply system.The project location is on recently acquired land purchased by the Evergreen Water and Sewer District at approximately 48.240163, -114.294483; Flathead County, Montana. The project will likely have minor, short-term construction-related impacts, such as noise, dust and traffic disruption, but can be minimized through proper construction management.  There may be permanent direct, indirect, or cumulative adverse impacts to the local groundwater aquifer as future use would require additional well capacity, but otherwise impacts are largely expected to be minimal. The proposed implementation date is October 2022 upon grant approval and supplies. Given the potentially minor adverse impacts, we will post this draft EA for 14 days, or until October 11th, 2022 5 PM MST for public comment. Any comments submitted will be reviewed and addressed appropriately by the DNRC contact listed within the EA document before the final EA will be issued.