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Committee approves changes to block management to ease landowner participation and unlock public land
Summary
House Bill 763, aimed at expanding access-only block-management agreements and streamlining landowner participation, passed the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee after broad support from hunters, conservation groups and outfitters. The bill authorizes up-to-$25,000 payments per landowner (as written) and aims to increase access to landlocked public parcels.
The House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee voted to advance House Bill 763, legislation intended to expand and streamline Montana’s block management program to increase public access to landlocked public lands.
Representative Josh Seckinger, sponsor of HB 763, said the bill makes it "easier for land owners to participate and fairly compensates them for letting hunters cross their land to reach public areas without forcing them to allow hunting on their property." Seckinger told the committee more than 3 million acres of public land are effectively inaccessible for reasons of access.
Support and rationale: Proponents including the Montana chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund and the Montana Wildlife Federation described HB 763 as a modest, practical fix to administrative barriers that discourage landowners from participating in voluntary access programs. Public testimony emphasized that the measure works within existing FWP programs such as Public Access Land Agreements (PALA) and is designed to incentivize landowners without requiring hunting on private property.
Key provisions and concerns: The bill includes language allowing negotiated flat-rate agreements and — in committee questioning — references payments of up to $25,000 per landowner to allow access corridors. Some witnesses offered conditional or ‘weak’ support, warning the mechanics could affect how neighboring landowners participate in traditional block-management agreements if not carefully designed. Andrew McKean, testifying as an Eastern Montana hunter and public-land user, recommended clarifying language to avoid perverse incentives and to ensure consistency with existing public-access agreements.
FWP perspective: Renee Lehi, Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division Administrator, said the department administers the block-management program and that the bill would draw on the same funding sources as current block-management payments. Lehi noted FWP already administers multiple tools for access-only agreements and currently manages about 100 PALA agreements.
Committee action and next steps: After debate, the committee approved HB 763 and advanced it to the House floor. Sponsors indicated they are open to technical amendments to improve program mechanics, including signage or optional tracking measures that would not unduly burden willing landowners.
The bill will proceed to the House floor for further consideration.
