BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report 

BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT Montana/Dakotas
BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

The Bureau of Land Management 

Montana/Dakotas manages 8.3 

million acres of federal lands and 47.1 

million acres of federal mineral estate in 

the states of Montana, North Dakota and 

South Dakota. These public lands provide 

habitat for wildlife, forage for domestic 

livestock, forest products ranging from 

Christmas trees to commercial timber, 

and a wide range of recreational 

opportunities. The federal mineral estate, 

which includes oil, natural gas, and coal, 

is a critical source of energy as our nation 

works to develop domestic resources 

while creating jobs.

This report summarizes those 

contributions in Fiscal Year 2016.

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Front cover: Four Dances Natural Area/ACEC

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Havre

Malta

Glasgow

Dickinson

Belle Fourche

Miles City

Lewistown

Billings

Great Falls

Missoula

Butte

Dillon

MONTANA MONTANA

SOUTH DAKOTA SOUTH DAKOTA

NORTH DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA

Upper Missouri River

Breaks National Monument

Pompeys Pillar

National Monument

Pryor Mountain

Wild Horse Range

Bear Trap

Canyon

Wilderness Area

Missouri Breaks

Interpretive Center

Madison River

Blackfoot River

Yellowstone River

Missouri River

M issouri River

Missouri River

Clark Fork

Schnell Recreation

Area

Fort Meade

Recreation Area

Garnet Ghost

Town

BLM-Managed Lands

BLM-MANAGED LANDS AND RESOURCES

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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BLM Montana/Dakotas

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

LANDSCAPE 

• 8.3 million acres of varied 

landscapes and opportunities

• 2,500 miles of streams 

• 60,000 acres of lakes and reservoirs

• 32 boating access sites

• 19 Watchable Wildlife sites

• 5 Outstanding Natural Areas

• 5 Backcountry Byways (185 miles)

• 100+ miles of groomed 

snowmobile/cross country ski trails

• 400+ family camping units

• 15 day-use sites and 24 developed 

recreation sites

• 400+ undeveloped recreation sites

• 27 miles of mountain bike trails in 

the Blackfoot River corridor

NATIONAL MONUMENTS

• Upper Missouri River Breaks 

National Monument (374,976 

acres); 

www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/

umrbnm.html

• Pompeys Pillar National 

Monument (51 acres); 

www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/

billings_field_office/pompeyspillar.

html

Weathered sandstone in Garfield County, Montana.

BLM ACREAGE

Surface Acres

Montana 7,989,604

North Dakota 58,970

South Dakota 274,165

TOTAL 8,322,739

Subsurface Acres

Montana 37,760,593

North Dakota 5,593,410

South Dakota 3,768,272

TOTAL 47,122,275

NATIONAL TRAILS

• 310 miles of the Lewis and 

Clark National Historic Trail

• 13 miles of the Nez Perce 

National Historic Trail

• 10 miles of the Continental 

Divide National Scenic Trail

• 30 miles of the Garnet Winter 

Trail

• 9 miles of the Bear Trap 

Canyon Recreation Trail

• 12 miles of the Centennial Trail 

NATIONAL HISTORIC 

LANDMARKS

• Pompeys Pillar 

• Wolf Mountain, which includes 

the Battle Mountain ACEC 

(2,850 acres, of which 120 

acres are BLM)

WILDERNESS & 

WILDERNESS STUDY 

AREAS

• Bear Trap Canyon Unit of the Lee 

Metcalf Wilderness, Montana’s 

first and only designated BLM 

wilderness area (6,347 acres) 

• 39 Wilderness Study Areas totaling 

more than 450,000 acres

...AND MORE!

• Upper Missouri National Wild 

and Scenic River (149 miles) 

• Pryor Mountain Wild Horse 

Range (about 38,000 acres)

• State-of-the-art interpretive 

centers at Upper Missouri River 

Breaks and Pompeys Pillar 

national monuments

• Cabin rentals at Axolotl Lakes, 

Henneberry House, and Garnet 

Ghost Town

• Garnet Ghost Town and Visitor 

Center 

• Numerous interpretive wayside 

exhibits

• 54 Areas of Critical 

Environmental Concern

Pompeys Pillar National Monument

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BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

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ECONOMIC IMPACTS

Montana North Dakota South Dakota

Economic Output Jobs Economic Output Jobs Economic Output Jobs

Oil & Gas $319,342,606 1,548 $5,832,361,349 18,540 $13,461,114 82

Coal $574,786,172 1,705 $138,187,169 325 0 0

Nonenergy 

Minerals $123,191 1 $1,697,007 13 0 0

Recreation $374,100,042 3,914 $48,077 0 $2,594,064 27

Grazing $287,656,314 3,195 $2,159,187 24 $21,214,842 273

Timber $4,360,767 17 0 0 $382,200 2

TOTAL $1,560,369,093 10,380 $5,974,452,789 18,902 $37,652,220 384

Source: BLM National Operations Center (2015 data)

BLM WORKFORCE

Employment

• 436 permanent full-time; 100 temporary; 75 

career-seasonal/part-time; 4 interns; 615 total.

Volunteers

• 802 volunteers contributed 49,270 hours valued 

at $1,160,801; the cost to BLM Montana/

Dakotas was $79,929.

The public lands entrusted to the BLM offer 

significant benefits to the nation. The BLM 

manages these lands to provide energy and 

mineral resources, recreation opportunities, and 

grazing and timber resources. 

In fiscal year 2015 (the most recent data 

available), BLM’s management of the public lands 

in Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota 

supported more than 29,000 jobs and provided 

more than $45 billion in economic output while 

also contributing to the U.S. Treasury.

A SOUND INVESTMENT

BLM SALARIES BY COMMUNITY

October 1, 2015 - September 30, 2016

Belle Fourche, S.D. $1,701,000

Billings, Montana 

(includes Pompeys Pillar) $17,250,000

Butte, Montana $4,484,000

Dickinson, North Dakota $4,229,000

Dillon, Montana $3,251,000

Glasgow, Montana $766,000

Great Falls, Montana $1,185,000

Havre, Montana $1,149,000

Lewistown, Montana

(includes Fort Benton, 

Mont.)

$5,910,000

Malta, Montana $898,000

Miles City, Montana $9,371,000

Missoula, Montana $2,661,000

Total $52,854,000

TOTAL BUDGET $81,882,016

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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BLM Montana/Dakotas

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

RECREATION

In 2016, Montana/Dakotas BLM 

hosted nearly five million public 

visits and collected more than 

$533,029 in recreation fees. These 

fee funds are used to improve 

facilities and visitor services at 

developed recreation sites. 

FORESTRY

• 1,330,000 acres of forest 

land base

• 883,000 acres of 

available forest land 

from forest land base

• 3,191,200 board feet 

of timber offered by 

timber sale contracts for 

$330,021

• 1,689 cords of fuel wood 

sold for $8,430

• 33,900 board feet of 

posts/poles sold for $330

• 546 Christmas trees sold 

for $2,025

• 4 Free Use Christmas 

trees issued to 4th 

Graders under the Every 

Kid in a Park Initiative

• 10,000 pounds of 

boughs sold for $200

• 592 transplants/

ornamentals sold for 

$438

• 13,563 tons of biomass 

offered through timber 

sales and special forest 

product sales

TIMBER

FOREST DEVELOPMENT

• 696 acres of seeding

• 139 acres of reforestation

• 560 acres of site 

preparation

• 1,355 acres of site 

protection

• 721 acres of precommercial thinning

• 1,132 acres of 

commercial thinning

• 8,095 acres of stand 

conversions (mainly 

removing existing 

conifers in sage grouse 

habitat)

Our top six recreational 

activities in 2016, listed 

from highest to lowest in 

participation, are:

• Interpretation/

environmental education/

nature study

• Non-motorized travel (hiking, 

walking, skiing, etc.) 

• Camping/picnicking

• Fishing

• Driving for pleasure

• Hunting – all types

Recreation Highlights

• The Acton Recreation Area 

near Billings, Montana, has 

evolved into a network 

of nearly 20 miles of 

mountain bike trails used 

by riders of all ages and 

abilities. Pedal United, 

the local chapter of the 

International Mountain 

Biking Association, 

partnered with the BLM 

to plan the routes and 

provide volunteer labor.

Blackfoot River

Acton Recreation Area

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BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

ENERGY PRODUCTION

All FY 2016 FEDERAL TOTAL REPORTED ROYALTY REVENUES figures from the ONRR website at: http://statistics.onrr.gov/

FEDERAL OIL & GAS LEASES ISSUED IN FY2016

Competitive Noncompetitive Total

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres

Montana 6 1,029 0 0 6 1,029

North Dakota 1 19 0 0 1 19

South Dakota 3 720 0 0 3 720

TOTAL 10 1,768 0 0 10 1,768

FEDERAL OIL & GAS LEASES IN EFFECT AS OF 9/30/16

Producing Non-producing Total

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres

Montana 1,424 711,217 1,255 1,391,709 2,679 2,102,926

North Dakota 1,322 595,173 515 288,210 1,837 883,383

South Dakota 81 46,484 301 121,022 382 167,506

TOTAL 2,827 1,352,874 2,071 1,800,941 4,898 3,153,815

FEDERAL TOTAL REPORTED ROYALTY REVENUES

Oil

Sales Volume (barrels) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 2,697,693.51 $97,414,465.62 $10,622,344.15

North Dakota 23,646,646.44 $824,443,425.63 $97,552,549.43

South Dakota 149,942.01 $6,119,414.09 $710,464.94 

TOTAL 26,494,281.96 $927,977,305.34 $108,885,358.52

Conventional “Wet” Natural Gas

Sales Volume 

(thousand cubic feet) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 5,935,743.80 $11,230,330.90 $1,475,521.57

North Dakota 21,344,281.48 $53,130,379.31 $6,145,177.19

South Dakota 83,513.01 $127,830.22 $13,313.99

TOTAL 27,363,538.29 $91,852,078.72 $7,634,012.75

Coal Bed Natural Gas

Sales Volume 

(thousand cubic feet) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 6,665.38 $11,640.02 $1,235.55

North Dakota 0 0 0

South Dakota 0 0 0

TOTAL 6,665.38 $11,640.02 $1,235.55

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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BLM Montana/Dakotas

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

SOLID MINERALS

Montana

• 15 producing federal and Indian 

coal leases on 43,064 acres

• 17,789,895 tons of coal 

produced, generating 

$33,311,431 in royalties

North Dakota

• 5 producing federal and Indian 

coal leases on 7,693.07 acres

• 4,681,202 tons of coal 

produced, generating 

$3,166,934 in royalties

LOCATABLE MINERALS

• 943 new claims recorded

• 1,610 claims closed

• 1,640 claims covered by 442 

small miner waivers

• 16,142 unpatented mining 

claims

• 23 claims relinquished

• 0 claims patented

• 228,434 active and closed 

unpatented mining claims on 

record

FLUID MINERALS

Oil and Gas Lease Sales

• 2 competitive oil and gas lease sales held

• 1,768.04 acres in 10 parcels offered

• 1,768.04 acres in 10 parcels sold

• $116,152 bonus bids received

Coal mine

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BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report Collecting soil samples

NATIVE PLANT PROGRAM

• With the help of partners, the BLM Montana/Dakotas 

has 15 forb species currently in grow-out to help meet 

sage-grouse habitat requirements.

• About 3,000 acres of 

crested wheatgrass 

have been replaced 

with native grasses, 

forbs, and sagebrush 

to increase habitat 

for sage-grouse. 

RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

The overall goal of the BLM’s rangeland management program is 

to ensure the health and productivity of public rangelands for the 

use and enjoyment of current and future generations.

GRAZING

• 4,072 cattle/buffalo 

operators; 1,219,610 

animal unit months (AUMs) 

authorized

• 160 horse/burro operators; 

5,423 AUMs authorized

• 180 sheep/goat operators; 

30,088 AUMs authorized

Source: FY16 Public Land 

Statistics

WEED 

MANAGEMENT

• 12,195 acres of noxious 

weeds treated with 

integrated weed control 

methods including chemical, 

physical, mechanical, and 

biological weed control 

agents, and domestic 

animals (sheep or goats)

• 203,198 acres inventoried 

and mapped for noxious 

weeds

• 17,007 acres monitored 

for Integrated Weed 

Management evaluation

• More than 100,000 biological 

control agents distributed to 

81 sites

Source: 2016 Montana 

Integrated Pest Management 

Report

Planting sagebrush

Grazing allotment in South Dakota

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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BLM Montana/Dakotas

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

Fish and Wildlife Habitat

• 600 species of fish and 

wildlife

• 3,500 acres of fishbearing lakes and 

reservoirs

• 2,500 miles of streams

• 400,000+ acres of 

grassland bird habitat of 

international importance

• 69 Seeds of Success 

collections – focused on 

sage-grouse forbs

• 45,000 native plant 

seedlings grown for 

habitat improvement 

projects

Threatened and 

Endangered Species

• 4 T&E mammals

• 5 T&E birds

• 2 T&E fish

• 1 T&E invertebrate

• 1 candidate bird

• 1 candidate plant

Special Status Species 

(lists updated in 2014)

• 4 amphibians

• 33 birds

• 9 fish

• 3 invertebrates

• 12 mammals

• 17 plants

• 5 reptiles

WILDLIFE/HABITAT

Besides providing economic benefits, the BLM also preserves 

cultural resources and maintains healthy ecosystems that provide 

clean air, clean water, and habitat for plants and wildlife.

Henneberry House

CULTURAL AND 

PALEONTOLOGICAL 

RESOURCES

WILD HORSE & BURRO PROGRAM

Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range

• PMWHR consists of 39,651 

acres of BLM, Forest Service, 

National Park Service and 

private lands in Montana and 

Wyoming.

• Monitored for rangeland and 

wild horse health.

• Other than a small, 

constrained trailing permit, no 

livestock grazing is authorized 

on the PMWHR.

• 160 horses on PMWHR. 

Appropriate management 

level is 90 to 120 adult horses.

• 60 mares treated with fertility 

control by BLM and National 

Park Service.

Off-Range Pastures

• About 2,300 horses are on two 

off-range pastures in South 

Dakota and one in Montana.

Statewide Activity

• 24 compliance inspections 

conducted on previously 

adopted wild horse and burros 

in Montana and South Dakota 

• 1 burro re-assigned to new 

adopters 

To date: 

• 1.5 million acres inventoried

• 12,029 cultural properties 

recorded

• 3,848 paleontological 

localities recorded

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BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

• Approximately 68 wildfires occurred on BLM 

lands in Montana, North Dakota and South 

Dakota, burning a total of 5,580 acres. Of 

these, 16 were human-caused (177 acres) 

and 52 were started by lightning or other 

natural events (5,403 acres). 

• The BLM also had responsibilities for 100 

other wildfires which burned 5,707 acres 

of Forest Service or State lands under 

agreement for protection. 11 of these 

fires were human caused for a total of 146 

acres. BLM also responded to 11 coal seam 

fires which burned 949 acres. Cooperating 

agencies, under agreement, responded to 

17 fires that started on or involved BLM land. 

These fires burned 904 acres of BLM lands.

• Supported large fire activity across the 

country including a late fall mobilization to 

the Southeast. Support provided included 

handcrews, engines, helicopters, air tankers, 

and employees serving as incident command 

team members or other support functions. 

Two BLM employees serve as incident 

commanders for Type 2 Northern Rockies 

teams.

• Montana Dakotas BLM coordinated and 

assisted with more than 50 training sessions 

for more than 775 students through the 

Cooperator Assistance Program.

FIRE MANAGEMENT

• Twenty-four community assistance agreements 

with over $1,100,000 available continue to help 

fund projects in the urban interface including 

funding for the South Dakota Veterans’ crews in 

Meade County and Rapid City to do treatments 

in the wildland urban interface.

• A total of 61 fuels treatments were accomplished 

on 26,013 acres: 24 prescribed burns on 7,631 

acres, and 37 mechanical treatments on 12,510 

acres. Fire for resource benefit accounted for 

5,872 acres. 

• The Billings Fire Cache supported 120 incidents 

in Region 1 of the Forest Service, and provided 

national support to Region 6, Northern 

California, Rocky Mountain and the Great Basin. 

The Billings cache mobilized personnel to 

incidents around the nation for a total of 75 days. 

Overall the Billings cache shipped and returned 

logistical support items in excess of $1.1 million.

• In its initial year, 13 members of the Billings 

Veterans Crew were trained for wildland fire and 

leadership skills needed to perform the job of 

a wildland firefighter. During the 2016 season, 

the crew responded to wildland fire incidents 

and worked on fuels projects. The mission of 

the BLM Montana/Dakotas veterans program 

is to engage, transition and connect veterans 

with meaningful training and employment 

experiences. 

The BLM is responsible for fire management on more than 

9.9 million acres of public lands across Montana, North 

Dakota and South Dakota. This includes wildland fire 

protection/suppression and fuels management.

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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BLM Montana/Dakotas

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

CONSTRUCTION/

MAINTENANCE/

ENGINEERING

Condition assessments performed on:

• 29 hazard class dams

• 4 bridges

Annual maintenance performed on:

• 223 administrative site and recreation site buildings

• 921 lane miles of road

• 305 recreation and administrative site projects

• 14 bridges

• 187 miles of trail

Deferred maintenance and/or construction performed on:

• 34 recreation and administrative site projects

• 4 miles of trail

• 2 dam projects

• 1 bridle project

• 1 mile of road

Other work completed: 

• 431 facilities surveyed, designed or constructed 

• 9 architectural and engineering task orders issued

• 61 radio sites –equipment maintained

• 2 radio sites-radio infrastructure CASHE audits

LANDS & REALTY

The Lands and Realty program responds 

to public land uses/demands, while protecting 

sensitive resources and improving public land 

management and access. The lands and realty 

program processes requests for rights-of-ways, 

permits, leases, withdrawals and land tenure 

adjustments to facilitate management goals. 

The Realty, Lands and Renewable Energy staff 

across the three-state area continues to work on 

several high priority actions and casework to meet 

State Director and Bureau priorities, including the 

State Indemnity Selection, LWCF projects, and 

withdrawals. 

• 129 rights-of-way actions processed

• 13 permit/lease actions processed (includes film 

permits)

• South Hills Exchange completed 

• 163 patents issued for Bureau of Indian Affairs

• 1 Mineral Only patent issued for Forest Service

• 1 Withdrawal action completed

- Mill Ranger Station Revocation – Forest Service

Surveying, maintaining, 

and processing land 

actions are also 

among the BLM’s 

responsibilities.

CADASTRAL SURVEY • 231 miles resurveyed

• 122 miles approved

• 273 survey monuments set

• 171 survey monuments approved

• 12 plats approved

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BLM Montana/Dakotas 2016 Annual Report

PUBLISHED BY THE U

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS . S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

MARCH 3, 1849

TRIBAL RELATIONS and 

CONSULTATION • Conducted 94 meetings, phone calls and emails with 

tribes in Montana, North/ South Dakota, and Wyoming.

• Developed a formal Internship Assistance Agreement 

with Salish and Kootenai College for students pursuing 

degrees in forestry, biology, and cultural resource 

management. The BLM will initiate the same type of 

agreement with Pine Ridge in 2017. BLM initiated and 

completed an assistance agreement with the Crow 

Tribe to facilitate BLM-sponsored regional intertribal 

workshops.

• Continued work with the Northern Cheyenne Tribe 

through Chief Dull Knife College to develop an Eco 

Regional Ethnographic Assessment. The assessment 

will document in a geo-spatial framework, places 

important to the tribe for religious and cultural 

purposes as well as the status and location of other 

resources (e.g. fauna and flora), some of which will also 

be culturally important to tribes. 

• Tribal Coordinator traveled to each reservation in 

Montana, North/South Dakota and Wyoming to meet 

with the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and staff of 

each tribe. 

• Draft 1780 BLM Manual and Handbook sent to tribes 

for comment in October 2015. The manual and 

handbook have since been finalized and will provide 

BLM with the necessary tools to conduct meaningful 

consultation with tribe. 

RESOURCE 

ADVISORY 

COUNCILS

• Four RACs serve 

Western Montana, 

Central Montana, 

Eastern Montana, 

and the Dakotas.

• Each citizen-based 

council consists 

of 15 members 

representing three 

broad interest 

categories.

• The Secretary of the 

Interior appoints 

selected nominees to 

three-year terms.

• Members discuss 

and vote on 

recommendations 

related to public 

land management 

and provide those 

recommendations to 

the BLM.

LAND USE 

PLANNING 

• 12 resource 

management plans 

(RMPs) currently 

cover Montana, 

North Dakota and 

South Dakota

• 2 RMP 

implementation 

schedules completed 

in 2016: Malta and 

Pompeys Pillar RMPs

• 1 5-year evaluation 

completed in 2016: 

Dillon RMP

• 1 planning effort 

Draft RMP is waiting 

WO Director’s 

Briefing: Lewistown 

RMP

• 1 planning effort is 

in the early stages 

of Planning 2.0: 

Missoula RMP

Collaboration with local, 

state and tribal governments, 

the public, and stakeholder 

groups is a key ingredient 

in land use planning and 

resource management. 

Western Montana RAC

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