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Committee hears DNRC briefing on water rights tied to state trust lands
Summary
DNRC staff briefed the committee on administration of water rights on state trust lands; stakeholders including SAWRA and stockgrowers raised concerns about trust-land management and access to water resources.
Shawn Thomas, Forestry-Trust Lands Division Administrator at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, briefed the committee on water-rights issues affecting state trust lands. Thomas described administrative procedures for managing and accounting for water rights on trust parcels and coordination with lessees and surface users.
Public commenters represented a range of stakeholders. Jocelyn Cahill (Senior Ag, Ag Water Rights Alliance) and Raylee Honeycutt (Montana Stockgrowers Association) expressed agricultural concerns about access and management; Clayton Elliott (Montana Trout Unlimited) and Karli Johnson (Montana Farm Bureau Federation) provided conservation and producer perspectives. Committee members asked DNRC staff about coordination with lessees, the process for adjudication, and practical next steps for resolving trust-land water-rights questions.
No votes were taken; staff recorded follow-up items and requested additional documentation from DNRC.
