Action Plan
Recruitment and Retention
Hunter Access
Legal
Montana
Recreational Use/Recreational Trespass Laws
§ 70-16-301. Recreational purposes defined
"Recreational purposes", as used in this part, includes hunting, fishing, swimming, boating, waterskiing, camping, picnicking, pleasure driving, biking, winter sports, hiking, touring or viewing cultural and historical sites and monuments, spelunking, or other pleasure expeditions. The term includes the private, noncommercial flying of aircraft in relation to private land.
§ 70-16-302. (Temporary) Restriction on liability of landowner
(1) A person who uses property, including property owned or leased by a public entity, for recreational purposes, with or without permission, does so without any assurance from the landowner that the property is safe for any purpose if the person does not give a valuable consideration to the landowner in exchange for the recreational use of the property. The landowner owes the person no duty of care with respect to the condition of the property, except that the landowner is liable to the person for any injury to person or property for an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. For purposes of this section, valuable consideration does not include the state land recreational use license fee imposed under 77-1-802 or other funds provided under 77-1-815.
(2) As used in this part, the following definitions apply:
(a) (i) "Airstrip" means improved or unimproved landing areas on private land used by pilots to land, park, take off, unload, load, and taxi aircraft.
(ii) The term does not include municipal airports governed under Title 67, chapter 10, part 1.
(b) "Flying of aircraft" means the operation of aircraft, including but not limited to landing, parking, taking off, unloading, loading, and taxiing of aircraft at an airstrip.
(c) "Landowner" means a person or entity of any nature, whether private, governmental, or quasi-governmental, and includes the landowner's agent, tenant, lessee, occupant, grantee of conservation easement, water users' association, irrigation district, drainage district, and persons or entities in control of the property or with an agreement to use or occupy property.
(d) "Property" means land, roads, airstrips, water, watercourses, and private ways. The term includes any improvements, buildings, structures, machinery, and equipment on property.
(3) The department of fish, wildlife, and parks, when operating under an agreement with a landowner or tenant to provide recreational snowmobiling opportunities, including but not limited to a snowmobile area, subject to the provisions of subsection (1), on the landowner's property and when not also acting as a snowmobile area operator on the property, does not extend any assurance that the property is safe for any purpose, and the department, the landowner, or the landowner's tenant may not be liable to any person for any injury to person or property resulting from any act or omission of the department unless the act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. (Void on occurrence of contingency--sec. 8, Ch. 596, L. 2003.)
§ 70-16-302. (Effective on occurrence of contingency) Restriction on liability of landowner
(1) A person who uses property, including property owned or leased by a public entity, for recreational purposes, with or without permission, does so without any assurance from the landowner that the property is safe for any purpose if the person does not give a valuable consideration to the landowner in exchange for the recreational use of the property. The landowner owes the person no duty of care with respect to the condition of the property, except that the landowner is liable to the person for any injury to person or property for an act or omission that constitutes willful or wanton misconduct. For purposes of this section, valuable consideration does not include the state land recreational use license fee imposed under 77-1-802.
(2) As used in this part, the following definitions apply:
(a) (i) "Airstrip" means either improved or unimproved landing areas on private land used by pilots to land, park, take off, unload, load, and taxi aircraft.
(ii) The term does not include municipal airports governed under Title 67, chapter 10, part 1.
(b) "Flying of aircraft" means the operation of aircraft, including but not limited to landing, parking, taking off, unloading, loading, and taxiing of aircraft at an airstrip.
(c) "Landowner" means a person or entity of any nature, whether private, governmental, or quasi-governmental, and includes the landowner's agent, tenant, lessee, occupant, grantee of conservation easement, water users' association, irrigation district, drainage district, and persons or entities in control of the property or with an agreement to use or occupy property.
(d) "Property" means land, roads, airstrips, water, watercourses, and private ways. The term includes any improvements, buildings, structures, machinery, and equipment on property.
(3) The department of fish, wildlife, and parks, when operating under an agreement with a landowner or tenant to provide recreational snowmobiling opportunities, including but not limited to a snowmobile area, subject to the provisions of subsection (1), on the landowner's property and when not also acting as a snowmobile area operator on the property, does not extend any assurance that the property is safe for any purpose, and the department, the landowner, or the landowner's tenant may not be liable to any person for any injury to person or property resulting from any act or omission of the department unless the act or omission constitutes willful or wanton misconduct.
Financial Incentives for Public Access
Montana assesses forest lands and agricultural lands based on their productive capacity.
Statute: Montana Code Annotated § 15-7-202 (2005) M.C.A. § 15-44-101 - 105 (1997). M.C.A. 15-7-210 – 15-7-222.
Method of Assessment: Agriculture and forest lands are assessed based on their productive capacity.
Application: Application required.
Plan: No. In valuing land as agricultural, the department of revenue shall consider only those indicia of value which such land has for agricultural use.
Penalty: MT ADC 42.20.156. The land will be valued at market value rather than its productivity value.
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Montana has no current use taxation to promote open space or recreation.
Montana has no tax incentive to provide hunter access.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Florida
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- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
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Statute: M.C.A. 76-6-208.
Valuation: Assessments made for taxation on property subject to a conservation easement either in perpetuity or for a term of years, shall be determined on the basis of the restricted purposes for which the property may be used. Any land subject to such easement may not be classified into a class affording a lesser assessed valuation solely by reason of the creation of the easement.
Montana has no tax credits or incentives for the donation of land or conservation easements.
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- Florida
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
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- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Name of Program: Block Management
Number of Acres Enrolled: 8.5 million
Landowners who agree to provide public hunting access may receive one Class AAA combination sports license, without charge. Currently, no intensive survey is being conducted to collect information on conservation benefits.
For additional information regarding this state’s hunter access programs or efforts, please view the Hunting Heritage Action Plan Hunter Access Program Assessment Survey Report.
Case Law
Saari v. Winter Sports Inc. 314 Mont 212
- Family of deceased child brought negligence action against ski resort owners, asserting, inter alia, wrongful death, negligence, and attractive nuisance theories of liability. The District Court, 11th Judicial District, Flathead County, Ted O. Lympus, J., granted summary judgment in favor of owners. Family appealed. The Supreme Court held that: (1) owner was immune from liability pursuant to recreational use statute; (2) owner's actions did not constitute willful or wanton misconduct, so as to preclude application of recreational use statute to shield owner from liability; and (3) recreational use statute does not require that property be available for public use in order for landowner to be shielded from liability

