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Counties, planners and environmental groups urge 'do not pass' on SB 168 over lakeshore enforcement concerns
Summary
Senate Bill 168 would add a forward‑looking statute of limitations for lakeshore enforcement and allow some local enforcement in narrow cases; county officials, the Montana League of Cities and Towns, planners and environmental advocates warned the bill’s two‑year window and broad minor‑modification language would create enforcement loopholes and shift monitoring burdens to local governments; sponsor said illegal constructions causing material harm remain excepted and will consider amendments.
Senate Bill 168, introduced by Senator Greg Hertz, would create a forward‑looking statute of limitations and limit the time for local enforcement of shoreline regulations, while including limited exceptions for documented material harm. The bill prompted widespread opposition from county officials, municipal associations, planners and environmental groups at a Senate Local Government Committee hearing.
Karen Alley, associate general counsel for the Montana Association of Counties, told the committee the proposed two‑year limitation would leave local governments without a reliable mechanism to know when work is completed and would shift the burden of discovery to counties. She said the bill’s minor‑modification…
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