BLM

A Report to the Public 

Montana/Dakotas

Bureau of Land Management 

Montana/Dakotas 
Bureau of 

Land Management

 MONTANA/DAKOTAS BLM ACREAGE 

Surface Acres	 Subsurface Acres 

Montana 7,985,237 Montana 37,750,746 

North Dakota 58,920 North Dakota 5,593,810 

South Dakota 274,517 South Dakota 3,771,657 

TOTAL 8,318,674 TOTAL 47,116,213 

for breakdown by county, and other links contained in this report, go to 

http//www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/info/newsroom.html

 WILDLIFE 

Fish and Wildlife Habitat 

•	 600 species of fish and wildlife 

•	 3,500 acres of lakes and reservoirs 

•	 2,500 miles of streams 

•	 More than 400,000 acres of grassland bird habitat of international importance 

•	 87 Seeds of Success collections - focused on sage-grouse forbs 

•	 60,400 native plant seedlings grown for habitat improvement projects 

Threatened and Endangered Species 

•	 3 threatened and endangered mammals 

•	 3 threatened and endangered birds 

•	 3 threatened and endangered fish 

•	 1 candidate mammal 

•	 2 candidate birds 

•	 1 candidate fish 

•	 1 candidate plant 

Special Status Species 

•	 Mammals List updated in 2009 

•	 Birds List updated in 2009 

•	 Fish List updated in 2009 

•	 Plants List updated in 2009 

Wild Horses 

•	 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. 90 to 120 adult horses is the appropriate management level 

(AML). 

•	 6 Herd Areas closed to active wild horse management 

•	 3 long term holding facilities (2 in South Dakota, 1 in Montana) administered by the BLM Washington Office 

•	 1 population inventory flight 

•	 63 mares treated with fertility control by BLM and NPS 

•	 147 wild horses captured during non-helicopter gather by BLM and 

NPS 

•	 44 wild horses removed from the range (38 adults, 6 foals) 

•	 1,821 feed days while holding captured wild horses 

•	 1 foal was born in the corrals while animals were awaiting adoption 

•	 46 wild horses adopted (45 Pryor wild horses post gather; mares with 

foals adopted out together). 1 non-Pryor wild horse reassigned. 

•	 10 range improvements projects maintained on the PMWHR. 

•	 1 Herd Management Area (PMWHR) monitored for rangeland and 

wild horse health. 

•	 35 compliance inspections completed for previously adopted wild 

horses (28 in Montana and 7 in South Dakota) 

•	 1 law enforcement patrol 

 LANDSCAPE 

Rangeland Management 

•	 4,241 cattle/buffalo operators; 1,193,107 animal unit months (AUMs) 

authorized 

•	 175 horse/burro operators; 5,294 AUMs authorized 

•	 199 sheep/goat operators; 33,078 AUMs authorized 

Forestry 

•	 400,000 acres of commercial forest land 

•	 138,000 acres of non-commercial forest land 

•	 8,990,000 board feet of timber offered by timber sale contracts 

•	 1,525,000 board feet of timber offered by stewardship contracts 

•	 1,706 cords of fuel wood sold 

•	 3,954 posts/poles sold 

•	 1,075 Christmas trees sold 

•	 3,000 pounds of boughs sold 

•	 10 transplants/ornamentals sold 

•	 4,140 tons of biomass sold 

Forest Development 

•	 45 acres seeded 

•	 86 acres of reforestation 

•	 359 acres of site preparation 

•	 1,822 acres of site protection 

•	 330 acres of stand release 

•	 2,312 acres of pre-commercial thinning 

•	 1,767 acres of commercial thinning 

•	 88 acres of forest stand conversions 

Noxious Weed Management 

FY2012: 

•	 45,181 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) 

•	 100,100 acres inventoried and mapped for noxious weeds 

•	 14,628 acres monitored for Integrated Weed Management evaluation 

•	 Over 380,000 biological control agents distributed to 76 sites 

•	 Approximately 2 million biological control agents collected for redistribution to public and private lands 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Report to the Public 

To date: 

•	 Biological weed control agents established on an excess of 283,000 acres 

•	 69 weed management areas in our three state area 

•	 Interagency agreements in place with Agricultural Research Service and 

Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service for biological control 

•	 Cooperative agreements in place with three Montana State University and 

one University of Idaho researchers for biological control 

•	 Cooperative agreements in place with 34 county weed districts 

•	 Cooperation and funding to Montana Education and Awareness Committee results in hundreds of public and agency contacts for weed education 

opportunities 

•	 Continued cooperation with the Center for Invasive Species Management 

for regional invasive species management and research as well and dissemination of current research methods and information 

•	 Work closely with Montana Department of Agriculture, Montana Weed 

Control Association, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Fish 

and Wildlife Service, and the Forest Service 

Cultural and Paleontological Resources 

•	 1.4 million acres inventoried to date 

•	 11,035 cultural properties recorded to date 

•	 3,500 paleontological localities recorded to date 

 MINERALS 

Solid Minerals 

Montana 

•	 11 producing federal and Indian coal leases on 37,865 acres 

•	 26,528,136 tons of coal produced, generating $48,709,756 in royalties 

North Dakota 

•	 6 producing federal and Indian coal leases on 7,533 acres 

•	 3,902,579 tons of coal produced, generating $1,413,705 in royalties 

Locatable Minerals 

•	 2,491 new claims recorded 

•	 174 claims closed 

•	 1,962 claims covered by 496 small miner waivers 

•	 19,251 unpatented mining claims 

•	 40 claims relinquished 

•	 0 claims patented 

•	 228,098 active and closed unpatented mining claims on record 

Fluid Minerals 

Federal Oil and Gas Leases Issued in FY 2012 

Competitive Noncompetitive Total 

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres 

Montana 194 57,945 5 6,113 199 64,058 

North Dakota 123 34,611 0 0 123 34,611 

South Dakota 95 46,282 0 ____0 _95 46,282 

TOTAL 412 138,838 5 6,113 417 144,951 

Federal Oil and Gas Leases in Effect as of 9/30/12 

Producing Non-producing Total 

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres 

Montana 1,429 758,316 2,124 2,222,590 3,553 2,980,906 

North Dakota 1,011 520,721 1,005 504,600 2,016 1,025,321 

South Dakota 79 44,589 170 104,792 __249 149,381 

TOTAL 2,519 1,323,626 3,299 2,831,982 5,818 4,155,608

 Oil and Gas Lease Sales 

•	 4 competitive oil and gas lease sales held 

•	 140,871.32 acres in 424 parcels offered 

•	 140,871.32 acres in 424 parcels received bids 

•	 $50,135,591.75 bonus bids received 

Federal Total Reported Royalty Revenues 

Oil 

Sales Volume Sales Value Revenues 

(barrels) 

Montana 2,668,697.88 $231,459,883.78 $27,471,367.90 

North Dakota 12,150,184.20 $1,014,258,707.36 $127,910,988.310 

South Dakota 209,143.57 $16,547,853.80 $2,022,574.332 

Total 15,028,025.65 $1,262,266,444.94 $157,404,930.32 

Conventional “Wet” Natural Gas 

Sales Volume Sales Value Revenues 

(thousand cubic feet) 

Montana 15,559,417.76 $35,759,587.54 $4,110,183.76 

North Dakota 7,257,515.89 $35,621,531.78 $4,429,811.83 

South Dakota 179,756.95 $448,330.91 $53,248.21 

TOTAL 22,996,690.60 $71,829,450.23 $8,593,243.80 

Coal Bed Natural Gas 

Sales Volume Sales Value Revenues 

(thousand cubic feet) 

Montana 2,330,308.44 $6,467,396.25 $793,229.72 

North Dakota 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 

South Dakota 0.00 $0.00 $0.00 

TOTAL 2,330,308.44 $6,467,396.25 $793,229.72 

All FY 2012 FEDERAL TOTAL REPORTED ROYALTY REVENUES figures from 

the ONRR website at: http://statistics.onrr.gov/ 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

2012 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS 

Hazardous Materials Management 

•	 Completed follow-up CASHE audits (internal environmental audit program) as scheduled by the CASHE audit team. All offices are in compliance. (Every office gets a follow-up on a 3-year cycle.) 

•	 Montana BLM led the Department of Interior team for the Natural 

Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) in the Silvertip Oil Spill on the Yellowstone River. Settlement discussions in conjunction with the Montana 

State NRDA team and the company will begin in 2013. 

•	 Disposed of hazardous unused and waste products from the field offices 

and state office. 

•	 Completed environmental site assessments for several land acquisitions/ 

disposals. 

•	 Completed the required asbestos surveys of all BLM owned buildings in 

the Montana/Dakotas. Necessary follow-up actions will take place in 2013. 

•	 Provided necessary hazmat training for staff statewide. 

•	 Completed several dump cleanups in partnership with adjacent local landowners in the Butte Field Office. 

PLANNING & ACTIONS 

Land Use Planning and Environmental Coordination 

•	 10 resource management plans (RMPs) cover Montana, North Dakota and 

South Dakota 

•	 4 planning efforts in progress: Miles City, HiLine, South Dakota, and Billings/Pompeys Pillar resource management plans 

Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 

•	 54 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern 

Lands Casework 

•	 75 rights-of-way and amendments issued; 24 renewed 

•	 10 permits/leases (includes film) issued; 2 renewed 

•	 547 patents issued for Bureau of Indian Affairs 

•	 59 patents issued for special legislation sales (Fort Peck cabin sites) 

•	 1 Recordable Disclaimer of Interest issued for 7 acres 

•	 3 acquisitions funded by Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) for 

1,828 acres 

•	 2 donations for 198 acres 

•	 3 Forest Service exchange patents issued for 316 acres 

SUPPORT FUNCTIONS 

FIRE MANAGEMENT 

•	 During the 2012 fire season, there were 354 fires in Montana and the 

Dakotas where BLM responded to a fire on or threatening BLM lands, 

responded to land protected by the BLM for another agency, BLM assistance was requested, or involved BLM lands protected by another agency 

through agreement. A total of 723,004 acres burned with these 354 fires. 

The total Montana/Dakotas BLM acres burned in 2012 was 43,174 acres. 

•	 Of the fires BLM worked with, 173 were on or threatened BLM lands, 81

were on other lands protected by the BLM through an agreement, 20 were 

on lands where BLM assistance was requested, and 24 were false alarms. 

Cooperating agencies responded to the remaining 56 fires (33,251 acres) 

that were on or threatening BLM land. 

•	 Of the fires BLM worked with, 254 were lightning-caused (650,474 acres)

and 83 were human-caused (72,530 acres). 8,051 of the human-caused 

acres were on BLM land. 

•	 A total of 64 fuels treatments were accomplished on 15,522 acres: 16 prescribed burns on 6,810 acres, and 48 mechanical treatments on 8,712 acres. 

VOLUNTEERS 

•	 1,089 volunteers contributed 41,056 hours valued at $894,590; the cost to 

Montana/Dakotas BLM was $60,418. 

FACILITIES MANAGEMENT 

Construction/Maintenance/Engineering 

Condition assessments performed on:

•	 78 administrative and recreation sites 

•	 43 hazard class dams 

•	 23 bridges 

•	 175 miles of roads 

Annual maintenance performed on:

•	 293 administrative and recreation site buildings 

•	 1,076 lane miles of road 

•	 225 recreation site projects 

•	 19 administrative site projects 

•	 4 bridges 

•	 276 miles of trail 

Deferred maintenance and/or construction performed on:

•	 95 recreation and administrative site projects 

•	 19 miles of trail 

•	 2 road projects 

Other work completed: 

	445 facilities surveyed, designed or constructed 

	6 architectural and engineering task orders issued 

CADASTRAL SURVEY 

•	 361 miles resurveyed 

•	 436 miles approved 

•	 757 survey monuments set 

•	 808 survey monuments approved 

•	 92 plats approved 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	

Montana/Dakotas 

GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATED DATA BASE 

•	 342 townships collected 

•	 866 townships maintained 

GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS/MAPPING SCIENCE 

•	 Provided visuals and analyses for public meetings and briefings

•	 Provided GIS data, analytic, mapping and presentation support for the

Billings, South Dakota, Lewistown, HiLine, and Miles City resource management plans 

•	 Provided GIS data, analytic, mapping and presentation support for the

North Dakota Sage-grouse EIS/Greater Sage-Grouse Initiative

•	 Provided map to Senator Tester for the Centennial Mountains Wilderness,

Fort Belknap Conveyance 

•	 Provided support for 664 Applications for Permits to Drill

•	 Provided GIS data, analytic, mapping and presentation support for 7 Environmental Assessments 

•	 Provided statewide map production

•	 Provided state and national geospatial data maintenance

•	 Responded to 9 external data requests

THE NATIONAL LANDSCAPE 

CONSERVATION SYSTEM (NLCS) 

AND RECREATIONAL VISITOR SERVICES 

In 2012, Montana/Dakotas BLM hosted more than 4.4 million public visits 

and collected more than $382,530 in recreation fees. These fee funds are used 

to improve facilities and visitor services at developed recreation sites. Our top 

six recreational activities in 2012, listed from highest to lowest in participation, are: 

•	 Interpretation/Environmental Education/Nature Study 

•	 Non-motorized travel (hiking, walking, snow shoeing, skiing, etc.) 

•	 Camping/picnicking 

•	 Viewing nature, scenery and wildlife 

•	 Hunting – all types 

•	 Driving for pleasure 

•	 Fishing 

Montana/Dakotas BLM lands provide a diversity of settings: 

•	 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 

•	 Cabin rentals in Axolotl Lakes and the Garnet Ghost Town areas

•	 Two state-of-the-art interpretive centers at Upper Missouri River Breaks 

and Pompeys Pillar National Monuments. 

•	 Garnet Ghost Town and Visitor Center (Missoula Field Office)

National Monuments 

•	 Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (374,976 acres);

http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/umrbnm.html 

•	 Pompeys Pillar National Monument (51 acres);

http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/billings_field_office/pompeyspillar.html 

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 (South Dakota)

National Historic Landmarks 

•	 Pompeys Pillar

•	 Wolf Mountain which includes the Battle Mountain ACEC (2,850 acres, of 

which 120 acres are BLM) 

Of special interest, our public lands offer: 

•	 Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River (149 miles)

•	 Bear Trap Canyon Wilderness (6,347 acres)

•	 Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (about 38,000 acres)

•	 Two interpretive/educational centers and many interpretive wayside exhibits 

Wilderness and Wilderness Study Areas 

•	 One 6,347-acre designated wilderness: the Bear Trap Canyon Unit of the 

Lee Metcalf Wilderness (Montana’s first and only designated BLM wilderness area) 

•	 39 Wilderness Study Areas totaling over 450,000 acres 

Recreational Achievements and Events in 2012 

•	 During National Public Lands Day (NPLD) events at Lowry Bridge Recreation Site and the Uhlhorn Trailhead, the Lewistown Field Office worked 

with volunteers to complete numerous site improvements. Participants 

included the Montana Conservation Corps, Judith Basin Back Country 

Horsemen, BLM employees and local residents. 
	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	 	

	 	

 

•	 More than 600 eastern Montana children participated in Take It Outside 

events at various recreation sites within the Miles City Field Office. Students 

learned about wildland fire, jobs in public land management, soil management, weed identification and our river system. 

•	 More than 40 volunteers pulled weeds and planted native shrubs on National 

Public Lands Day at the Fort Meade Area of Critical Environmental Concern 

in South Dakota. Participants included the Back Country Horsemen, Meade 

County road crew, Boy Scouts, City of Sturgis maintenance crew, BLM employees, a homeowners association, and Women of War. 

•	 Improvements at Pompeys Pillar National Monument include boardwalk 

repair, landscape work, and sign replacement. In addition, staff members 

addressed numerous safety concerns, re-stained several buildings and completed a sidewalk. The cleanup and installation of kiosks and picnic tables at 

public access/parking areas along U.S. Highway 312 will also contribute to 

a more pleasing and user-friendly experience. Many of these improvements 

were supported with fees collected at PPNM. 

•	 The three HiLine field offices took part in a series of interagency open houses 

to educate the public about the abundant recreation opportunities on state 

and federal lands in northern Montana. Representatives from the BLM, U.S. 

Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, and Bureau of 

Reclamation participated. 

•	 The Glasgow Field Office hosted an open house at the Glasgow OHV Recreation Area to discuss planned projects for the site. A Montana Conservation 

Corps crew spent a week repairing and replacing boundary and primitive 

route markers in the Bitter Creek Wilderness Study Area. Picnic tables and 

fire rings were added to the three campsites at Troika Reservoir. 

•	 The Malta Field Office replaced the boundary fence and installed a new fishing access walk-through gate at Cottonwood Recreation Area. In addition, it 

repainted the bathrooms at Cottonwood, Camp Creek and Montana Gulch

and installed new regulatory signs at Camp Creek, Horse Corral, Buff ’s and 

Montana Gulch.

•	 The Havre Field Office repainted the bathrooms at the Moffat Bridge and 

Pugsley Bridge boat ramps on the Marias River. It also constructed a parking 

area at BR-12 Watchable Wildlife Area. 

•	 The Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River was selected to represent Montana in the DOI’s America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) River Initiative.

As such, the river will serve as a model for conserving and restoring key 

rivers, expanding outdoor recreational opportunities, promoting lasting 

partnerships with landowners, and supporting jobs in local communities. 

The initiative includes partnerships with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 

Bureau of Reclamation and other federal, state and local agencies, and 

non-governmental organizations. 

•	 Projects in Garnet Ghost Town include the stabilization of Kelly’s Saloon,

handrail redesign in Well’s Hotel, maintenance work on Warren Park trail, 

and the removal of more than 100 beetle-killed trees in a BLM/Forest Service partnership effort. 

•	 The Dillon Field Office received high marks in a Government Performance

and Results Act survey this summer for its recreation management along 

the Madison River. About 300 visitors answered questions about facility 

conditions, staff courtesy, resource protection and overall visitor and recreation management of developed recreation sites. 

•	 The Butte Field Office continues its pilot project for off-highway riding areas 

sponsored by several off-highway advocate groups. This OHV partnership 

continues to improve recreation opportunities and experiences at the Pipestone OHV area, the most popular of its kind in Montana. During its first 

year as a not-for-profit organization, the Friends of Pipestone applied for a 

state grant to help with area management and general maintenance tasks. 

•	 The Billings Field Office initiated a partnership with the Audubon Conservation Center to provide guided school programs at the Sundance Lodge 

and Four Dances recreation areas along the Yellowstone River. This is the 

Billings Field Office’s first environmental education and youth partnership 

with a conservation organization. In addition, the field office received a 

grant to study the biodiversity of the Pryor Mountains and many volunteers 

assisted with this endeavor. 

ECONOMIC IMPACTS 

SALARIES BY COMMUNITY 

(October 1, 2011, through September 30, 2012) 

Belle Fourche, South Dakota $1,612,000 

Billings, Montana $19,046,000 

(includes Pompeys Pillar National Monument) 

Butte, Montana $4,653,000 

Dickinson, North Dakota $2,435,000 

Dillon, Montana $3,426,000 

Glasgow, Montana	 $658,000

Great Falls, Montana	 $1,353,000

Havre, Montana $1,034,000 

Lewistown, Montana $6,925,000 

(includes Fort Benton, Montana) 

Malta, Montana $1,102,000 

Miles City, Montana $9,408,000 

Missoula, Montana $2,643,000 

Total $54,295,000 

Total Budget $72,215,745 
	 	

	 	 	 	 	

	 	 	

	 	

	 	

	 	

AN ANNUAL REPORT
 

PUBLISHED BY THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
 

Bureau of Land Management

Montana State Office

5001 Southgate Drive

Billings, Montana 59101

(406) 896-5011

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