Montana Code Annotated 2021

TITLE 23. PARKS, RECREATION, SPORTS, AND GAMBLING

CHAPTER 1. PARKS

Part 1. State Parks

Good Neighbor Policy -- Public Recreational Lands

23-1-126. Good neighbor policy -- public recreational lands. (1) The good neighbor policy of public land use, as applied to public recreational lands, seeks a goal of no impact upon adjoining private and public lands by preventing impact on those adjoining lands from noxious weeds, trespass, litter, noise and light pollution, streambank erosion, and loss of privacy.

(2) In order to implement the good neighbor policy expeditiously, the legislature finds it necessary to require the department of fish, wildlife, and parks to place maintenance as a priority over additional development at all state parks and fishing access sites.

(3) The restriction in subsection (2) does not apply to:

(a) development and improvement projects for which the legislature has appropriated funds prior to October 1, 1999;

(b) activities directly related to the historic preservation, restoration, or protection of assets in state parks;

(c) at the discretion of the department of fish, wildlife, and parks, projects on the Missouri reach of the Missouri-Madison hydropower project or the Clark Fork basin hydropower project, undertaken pursuant to the federal energy regulatory commission's hydropower relicensing requirements and in conjunction with private entities, political subdivisions of the state of Montana, and federal agencies;

(d) at the discretion of the department of fish, wildlife, and parks, projects on Fort Peck reservoir undertaken in conjunction with the U.S. army corps of engineers; or

(e) partnership projects as designated within the park master plan.

(4) Any development in state parks and fishing access sites beyond those defined as maintenance in 23-1-127 must be approved by the legislature.

History: En. Sec. 1, Ch. 474, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 427, L. 2009.