Farm406

15 farm406 Mike Doran leases a section (640 acres) of Montana State School Trust Lands located in Cascade County. Together he and his father have leased this section for the last 50 years. It is prairie land that is used for pasture. ere are rules and regulations for leasing this land that the Dorans have followed. One of those provisions has always been that since it is state trust land, it could, under certain rules, be utilized by the public. e partnership worked well for years. It has been only the last ten to fieen years that a few members of the public have failed to carry out their responsibilities for caring for these public lands. ey have abused their privileges and made the land a dumping ground. State School Trust Lands administered by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) are not the same as Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. State School Trust Lands were identified when Montana became a state and continue to be utilized to support public schools and institutions. Lands in central and eastern Montana are usually leased for agriculture, grazing, and mineral development. Since only a few areas are closed for specific reasons, most state trust lands can be accessed by the public to use for "General Recreational Use" which includes most noncommercial activities, such as hunting, fishing, sight-seeing, picnicking, and horseback use. Camping under specific regulations is also allowed. How State School Trust Lands Are Being Trashed BY SUZANNE WARING Destroyed fence. Photo courtesy of Jaclyn Roberts of Public Lands Council Entry gate has been rammed into and bent. Photo courtesy of Mike Doran

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