The Big Sandy Mountaineer -

March 15 is the deadline for landowners to submit applications to Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks for enrollment in the Unlocking Public Lands Program.

This program is designed to provide recreational public access to state or federal (Bureau of Land Management or United States Forest Service) land where no legal public access currently exists. In exchange for access across the private lands, landowners receive a tax credit in the amount of $750 per agreement and up to a maximum of $3,000 tax credit per year. Landowners decide how the public may cross their private property and may limit access to foot traffic only.

The Unlocking Public Lands program is a product of the 2015 Legislature, which expanded a program called Unlocking State Land passed by the previous legislature. While Montana contains nearly 31 million acres of BLM, Forest Service, and state land, much of this land requires landowner permission to cross private land to reach the adjoining state or federal land.

Contracts will be awarded no later than May 15. More information about the program, including enrollment criteria and the application form, can be found at http://fwp.mt.gov/hunting/hunterAccess/unlockingPublicLands/.