The Trust Lands Management Division is responsible for managing the Montana State Trust Lands , including timber, surface, and mineral assets. This management supports public school beneficiaries and other endowed institutions throughout the state, under the guidance of the Montana State Board of Land Commissioners. The Division's management is organized by four key programs: Agriculture and Grazing (which includes recreational activities), Forest Management, Minerals Management, and Real Estate Management.
Agriculture and Grazing Management
The Agriculture and Grazing Management Bureau 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.
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 of the trust through leasing, short-term licenses, land exchanges and sales, and through issuing right-of-way agreements.
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, 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.