77-2-303. Restrictions on land available for sale. - Montana Statutes

     77-2-303. Restrictions on land available for sale. (1) Subject to purchase by the department pursuant to 17-6-340, land that in the judgment of the department is likely to contain valuable deposits of coal, oil, oil shale, phosphate, metals, sodium, or other valuable mineral deposits is not subject to sale of either the surface land or any of the mineral deposits. However, this subsection does not prohibit the sale of lands containing sand, gravel, building stone, brick clay, or similar materials.
     (2) (a) There is reserved from sale from all state land bordering on navigable lakes, nonnavigable meandered lakes, and navigable streams, that the board considers in the best interests of the state, a strip of land that includes all the land lying between low-water mark and high-water mark and that extends in width landward from the line of high-water mark of the lake or stream the full width of the 40-acre tract or government lot abutting the line of high-water mark. If the width of the abutting government lot at its narrowest point is less than 100 feet, then the strip reserved must extend to and include the next adjoining 40-acre tract or government lot. The land reserved from sale by this subsection is subject to the granting of easements the same as other state lands.
     (b) Strips of land bordering on meandering lakes or on navigable streams, except the strip lying between low-water and high-water mark, whether surveyed and platted into blocks and lots or not, may be leased as provided in this title for the leasing of other state lands.

     History: (1), (2)En. Sec. 64, Ch. 60, L. 1927; re-en. Sec. 1805.64, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 55, Ch. 428, L. 1973; Sec. 81-901, R.C.M. 1947; (3)En. Sec. 66, Ch. 60, L. 1927; re-en. Sec. 1805.66, R.C.M. 1935; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 257, L. 1965; Sec. 81-903, R.C.M. 1947; R.C.M. 1947, 81-901, 81-903(part); amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 602, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 18, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 418, L. 2001.