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Land Board approves seeking outside legal counsel after brief executive session
Summary
On May 19, 2025 the Montana Land Board entered an executive session to consider and then voted to approve seeking outside legal counsel (item 0525-4); the minutes do not identify counsel, scope, or cost.
At its May 19, 2025 meeting in Helena, the Montana Board of Land Commissioners moved into a brief executive session to consider whether to seek outside legal counsel and, after resuming the public meeting, approved a motion to do so.
DNRC Director Amanda Kaster introduced agenda item 0525-4, described in the minutes as “Land Board Approval to Seek Outside Legal Counsel.” Governor Greg Gianforte moved to go into executive session; the minutes record the board resuming public meeting shortly afterward. Following additional discussion involving Attorney General Austin Knudsen, Governor Gianforte and Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, Attorney General Knudsen moved to approve item 0525-4; the motion was seconded by Susie Hedalen and carried unanimously.
The minutes do not specify the proposed counsel’s identity, the subject matter of the legal engagement, contract terms, or any anticipated costs. The record notes only that an executive session occurred and that the board subsequently approved the motion to seek outside counsel. The minutes also state that the Land Board has adopted audio recording as the official record under 2-3-212, MCA; the audio recording and attachments are available on the Land Board webpage and may provide further detail.
What the minutes do and do not say
• Do: Record that the board entered an executive session on item 0525-4 and later approved a motion to seek outside legal counsel (motion carried unanimously).
• Do not: Identify counsel, describe the legal matter, list contract terms, or record roll-call votes. Those specifics were not included in the public minutes.
Next steps noted in the minutes are limited to the approval itself; the board did not record the selection or engagement terms in the minutes reviewed.
