I

BLM

Montana/Dakotas

Bureau of Land 

ManagemenT

Montana/Dakotas

2015 Annual 

Report

Humbug Spires Wilderness Study Area

Photo by Bob Wick

Your land.

Your Treasure.
2 BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report

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Havre

Malta Glasgow

Dickinson

Belle Fourche

Miles City

Lewistown

Billings

Great Falls

Missoula

Butte

Dillon

MMOO NNTTAANNAA

SSOOUUTT HH DD AAKKOO TTAA

NNOORRTT HH DDAAKKOOTTAA

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 and Resources

BLM-Managed Lands

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 2015.

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BLM Montana/Dakotas
SALARIES BY COMMUNITY

October 1, 2014 - September 30, 2015

Belle Fourche, S.D. $1,584,000

Billings, Montana 

(includes Pompeys Pillar) $16,763,000

Butte, Montana $4,349,000

Dickinson, North Dakota $3,833,000

Dillon, Montana $3,267,000

Glasgow, Montana $940,000

Great Falls, Montana $1,425,000

Havre, Montana $1,097,000

Lewistown, Montana

(includes Fort Benton, Mont.) $6,767,000

Malta, Montana $910,000

Miles City, Montana $8,867,000

Missoula, Montana $2,335,000

Total $52,137,000

TOTAL BUDGET $77,490,178

BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report 3

BLM Montana/Dakotas

MONTANA/DAKOTAS BLM ACREAGE

Surface Acres

Montana 7,989,915

North Dakota 58,970

South Dakota 274,242

TOTAL 8,323,127

Subsurface Acres

Montana 37,747,058

North Dakota 5,593,410

South Dakota 3,771,657

TOTAL 47,112,125

for breakdown by county, and other links 

contained in this report, go to http//www.blm.

gov/mt/st/en/info/newsroom.html

WORKFORCE

Employment

•	 429 permanent full-time; 83 temporary; 72 

career-seasonal/part-time; 2 interns; 586 total.

Volunteers

•	 851 volunteers contributed 50,017 hours valued 

at $1,153,893; the cost to Montana/Dakotas 

BLM was $66,516.

LANDSCAPE

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

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

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)

Of special interest, our public lands offer:

•	 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

Wilderness and 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

Centennial Wilderness Study Area. BLM photo by Bob Wick
4 BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report

SOLID MINERALS

Montana

• 15 producing federal 

and Indian coal leases 

on 42,379 acres

•	 28,199,312 tons of coal

produced, generating 

$49,737,309 in royalties

North Dakota

•	 6 producing federal and

Indian coal leases on 

16,401 acres

•	 5,317,809 tons of coal

produced, generating 

$3,451,913 in royalties

LOCATABLE MINERALS

•	 1,155 new claims

recorded

•	 1,977 claims closed

•	 1,492 claims covered by

401 small miner waivers

•	 2,847 unpatented

mining claims

•	 11 claims relinquished

•	 18,193 unpatented

mining claims

•	 228,061 active and

closed unpatented 

mining claims on record

FLUID MINERALS

Oil and Gas Lease Sales

•	 4 competitive oil and

gas lease sales held

•	 18,325.27 acres in 45

parcels offered

•	 9,367.25 acres in 28

parcels sold

•	 $5,007,291.00 bonus

bids received

FEDERAL OIL & GAS LEASES ISSUED IN FY2015

Competitive Noncompetitive Total

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres

Montana 10 1,199 4 440 14 1,639

North Dakota 18 8,168 0 0 18 8,168

South Dakota 0 0 0 0 0 0

TOTAL 28 9,367 4 440 32 9,807

FEDERAL OIL & GAS LEASES IN EFFECT AS OF 9/30/15

Producing Non-producing Total

Number Acres Number Acres Number Acres

Montana 1,446 759,012 1,568 1,545,427 3,014 2,304,439

North Dakota 1,293 592,647 734 381,506 2,027 974,153

South Dakota 82 48,482 338 138,153 420 186,635

TOTAL 2,821 1,400,141 2,640 2,065,086 5,461 3,465,227

FEDERAL TOTAL REPORTED ROYALTY REVENUES

Oil

Sales Volume (barrels) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 3,111,582.45 $187,675,770.32 $21,680,313.94

North Dakota 23,497,591.04 $1,320,974,569.60 $165,030,768.77

South Dakota 240,001.50 $15,231,536.55 $1,877,729.57

TOTAL 26,849,174.99 $1,523,881,876.47 $188,588,812.28

Conventional “Wet” Natural Gas

Sales Volume 

(thousand cubic feet) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 13,181,685.55 $32,543,345.07 $3,875,964.03

North Dakota 13,037,377.07 $56,089,736.68 $6,871,633.51

South Dakota 117,255.23 $289,312.91 $32,368.60

TOTAL 26,336,317.85 $88,922,394.66 $10,779,966.14

Coal Bed Natural Gas

Sales Volume 

(thousand cubic feet) Sales Value Revenues

Montana 31,268.63 $90,174.69 $9,455.05

North Dakota 0 0 0

South Dakota 0 0 0

TOTAL 31,268.63 $90,174.69 $9,455.05

All FY 2015 FEDERAL TOTAL REPORTED ROYALTY REVENUES figures from the ONRR website at: http://statistics.onrr.gov/

BLM Montana/Dakotas
BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report 5

BLM Montana/Dakotas

RECREATION & VISITOR SERVICES 

In 2015, BLM Montana/Dakotas hosted more than 5 

million public visits and collected more than $572,570 

in recreation fees. These fee funds are used to improve 

facilities and visitor services at developed recreation 

sites. 

Our top six recreational activities in 2015, listed from 

highest to lowest in participation, are:

•	 Interpretation/environmental education/nature 

study

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

•	 Camping/picnicking

•	 Hunting – all types

•	 Driving for pleasure

•	 Fishing

Recreation Highlights

•	 Axolotl Cabin, a popular rental cabin in the Dillon Field Office 

area, underwent significant changes in 2015. To address issues 

of public health and safety as well as fire and building code 

concerns, the BLM replaced propane lights and utilities with 

solar-powered, repaired structural deficiencies, and installed 

fire egress. In addition, the kitchen was remodeled and 

sleeping quarters improved. In FY2015, 240 visitors rented

this cabin. The cabin is available through Recreation.gov

reservations. 

Axolotl Cabin. Photo by Alyse Backus

Axolotl Lake. Photo by Alyse Backus 

RANGELAND MANAGEMENT

•	 4,141 cattle/buffalo operators; 1,193,659 

animal unit months (AUMs) authorized

•	 159 horse/burro operators; 5,068 AUMs 

authorized

•	 184 sheep/goat operators; 32,339 AUMs 

authorized

Source: FY14 Public Land Statistics

FORESTRY

• 1,330,000 acres of forest land base

•	 883,000 acres of available forest land from

forest land base

•	 4,979,500 board feet of timber offered by

timber sale contracts for $877,335

•	 3,569,000 board feet of timber offered by

stewardship contracts

•	 2,325 cords of fuel wood sold for $11,635

•	 53,570 board feet of posts/poles sold for

$335

•	 546 Christmas trees sold for $2,025

•	 2,000 pounds of boughs sold

•	 300 transplants/ornamentals sold

•	 106 tons of hay sold

FOREST DEVELOPMENT

•	 	30 acres of seeding

•	 100 acres of reforestation

•	 143 acres of site preparation

•	 654 acres of site protection

•	 690 acres of pre-commercial thinning

•	 185 acres of commercial thinning

•	 220 acres of stand conversions

Land Use Planning 

•	 12 resource management plans (RMPs) currently cover

Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota

•	 5 planning revisions completed in 2015: Miles City, HiLine, 

South Dakota, Billings, and Pompeys Pillar RMPs

•	 3 plan amendments completed to incorporate sage-grouse 

conservation measures: Dillon, Lewistown, and North Dakota 

RMPAs

•	 1 planning effort is in the early stages of revision: Lewistown 

RMP

WEED MANAGEMENT

•	 32,704 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)

•	 90,696 acres inventoried and mapped for noxious weeds

•	 23,283 acres monitored for Integrated Weed Management

evaluation

•	 More than 100,000 biological control agents distributed to 19

sites

Source: 2015 Montana Integrated Pest Management Report
WILDLIFE/HABITAT

Fish and Wildlife Habitat

•	 600 species of fish and wildlife

•	 3,500 acres of fish-bearing lakes and

reservoirs

•	 2,500 miles of streams

•	 400,000+ acres of grassland bird habitat

of international importance

•	 68 Seeds of Success collections –

focused on sage-grouse forbs

•	 65,000 native plant seedlings grown for

habitat improvement projects

Threatened and Endangered (T&E) 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

6 BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report

Nelson homestead, Upper Missouri River Breaks National 

Monument. BLM photo

Pryor Mountain wild horse. Photo by Brad Purdy

WILD HORSE and BURRO

Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range (PMWHR)

•	 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

•	 150 horses on PMWHR. Appropriate management level

(AML) is 90 to 120 adult horses.

•	 77 mares treated with fertility control by BLM and National

Park Service.

•	 30 wild horses captured; 18 removed (adopted)

•	 1 ground population inventory conducted

•	 5 range improvement projects maintained

Off Range Pastures

•	 3 Off Range Pastures: Mission Ridge and Whitehorse in

South Dakota administered by the BLM Washington Office

and South Dakota Field Office; and Spanish Q in Montana 

administered by the BLM Washington Office and the BLM

Dillon Field Office.

•	 2,360 horses in Off Range Pastures

•	 4 Determinations of NEPA Adequacy (DNA) for renewal of Off

Range Pasture contracts

•	 Rangeland monitored and animals counted

Statewide Activity

•	 6 Herd Areas closed to active wild horse management

•	 12 compliance inspections conducted on previously

adopted wild horse and burros in Montana and South 

Dakota 

•	 2 burro re-assignments to new adopters

•	 3 Training Incentive Program (TIP) trainers

•	 5 responses to Department of Livestock regarding freeze

marked animals being sold

CADASTRAL SURVEY

•	 186 miles resurveyed

•	 66 miles approved

•	 171 survey monuments set

•	 79 survey monuments approved

•	 4 plats approved

CULTURAL AND

PALEONTOLOGICAL RESOURCES

•	 1.4 million acres inventoried to 

date

•	 11,830 cultural properties 

recorded to date

•	 3,604 paleontological localities 

recorded to date

BLM Montana/Dakotas
BLM Montana/Dakotas 2015 Annual Report 7

BLM Montana/Dakotas

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 

performed

FIRE MANAGEMENT

•	 Approximately 90 wildfires occurred on BLM lands 

in Montana and South Dakota, burning a total of 

13,836 acres. Of these, 17 were human-caused (5,691

acres) and 73 were started by lightning or other

natural events (8,145 acres).

•	 The BLM also had protection responsibilities for 

32 other wildfires which burned 2,325 acres of 

Forest Service or State lands under agreement for 

protection. Cooperating agencies, under agreement, 

responded to four fires that started on or involved 

BLM land. These fires burned 101 acres of BLM lands.

•	 The BLM assisted or supported over 30 wildfires 

ignited by existing coal seam fires burning in 

southeast Montana. These fires burned over 30,000 

acres of lands owned by multiple private, state, and 

federal owners.

•	 The BLM also supported large fire activity in 

western Montana and northern Idaho with 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.

Moonshine Fire, South Dakota. Photo by Jonathan Moor

LANDS CASEWORK

•	 119 rights-of-way actions processed

•	 37 permit/lease actions processed (includes film permits)

•	 2 LWCF acquisitions completed:

- Sauerkraut Creek, 275 acres, Missoula Field Office

- Morrison Mountain-Chamberlain, 4,312 acres, Missoula 

Field Office

•	 130 patents issued for Bureau of Indian Affairs

•	 10 patents issued for Forest Service

•	 3 patents issued for special legislation sales (Fort Peck

cabin sites)

•	 2 coal patents issued to implement Northern Cheyenne

Lands Act portion of the 2015 National Defense 

Authorization Act, PL 113-291

•	 5 withdrawal actions completed

-	 	Fort Missoula cemetery partial revocation via PLO 5444

(Army Corps of Engineers)

-	 	Jewel Cave (Forest Service)

-	 	Pactola Visitor Center and Marinas extension (Forest

Service)

-	 	Wind Cave transfer of jurisdiction (National Park

Service)

-	 	Zortman-Landusky extension (BLM)

•	 The Community Assistance Program mitigated

the fire threat on 1,072 acres of non-federal land, 

including more than 400 acres treated by the South 

Dakota Veterans in the Woods program.

•	 Our Mitigation and Education Specialists brought 

the fire ecology message to schools all across 

Montana.

•	 A total of 57 fuels treatments were accomplished on 

16,941 acres: prescribed fire was used to treat 11,937 

acres; mechanical treatments were conducted on 

4,201 acres, and chemical treatments accounted 

for 260 acres. Eighty percent of accomplishments 

were within the wildland urban interface and eight 

treatments (11,913 acres) met the goals of restoring,

protecting, or maintaining Sage Grouse habitat.

•	 The Billings Fire Cache supported 63 incidents in 

Region 1 of the Forest Service and provided national

support to Region 6, Northern California and the

Great Basin. The Billings cache mobilized five

personnel to incidents around the nation for a total 

of 105 days. Overall the Billings cache shipped and 

returned 1,394 line items with a value of more than 

$1.3 million.
AN ANNUAL REPORT

PUBLISHED BY THE 

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

MARCH 3, 1849

Bureau of Land Management

Montana State Office

5001 Southgate Drive

Billings, Montana 59101

(406) 896-5011

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