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Candidates split on school-trust lands, mining permits and university land sales
Summary
Attorney General Joe Mazurek and State Sen. Larry Baer discussed the Land Board’s fiduciary role, pending mining permits on state school trust lands and an investigation into university land sales; Mazurek emphasized balancing long-term trust income and environmental concerns, Baer argued for strict adherence to the law.
Attorney General Joe Mazurek and State Sen. Larry Baer gave contrasting accounts of how Montana should manage state trust lands and respond to allegations about past University of Montana land sales.
“the objective is to maximize income to the trust,” Mazurek said, describing the Land Board’s duty to fund the Common School Trust while balancing environmental and long-term asset concerns.
Why it matters: State-owned school trust lands and sales by constitutional bodies such as university regents determine revenue for K‑12 funding and can prompt legal, environmental and public-trust questions.
Mazurek said the Land Board must weigh “the value of the public asset itself as the land” against mineral interests and environmental impacts…
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