Montana is governed by federal laws and state/local laws. Each state and each area within each state has the right to put forth their own rules and regulations for metal detectorists. The main reason behind these laws is protect the natural areas from damage and to ensure that artifacts and historical items from the past are not disturbed, removed, or broken.  It does make it more difficult for metal detectorists, but everyone must follow all laws pertaining to the hobby. If we follow all the laws and regulations, even if they seem unfair and restrictive, we can avoid having more restrictions placed upon the hobby of metal detecting.