Montana Title 77. State Lands § 77-1-202. Powers and duties of board

(1) The board shall exercise general authority, direction, and control over the care, management, and disposition of state lands and, subject to the investment authority of the board of investments, the funds arising from the leasing, use, sale, and disposition of those lands or otherwise coming under its administration. In the exercise of these powers, the guiding principle is that these lands and funds are held in trust for the support of education and for the attainment of other worthy objects helpful to the well-being of the people of this state as provided in The Enabling Act. The board shall administer this trust to:

(2) It is consistent with the powers and duties provided in subsection (1) that the people are entitled to general recreational use of state lands to the extent that the trusts are compensated for the value of the recreation.

(3) When acquiring land for the state, the board shall determine the value of the land after an appraisal by a qualified land appraiser.