There were continued positive developments in June in the Stillwater landowners’ attempts to establish a zoning district that will regulate oil and gas activity in southern Stillwater County. At the June meeting of the Planning Board, the Board voted to consider the citizen request for the Stillwater Beartooth Zone, and asked the petitioners to prepare more information for the Board to consider at the July 3 meeting.

The landowners have prepared a description of the proposed process for granting permits to drill in the zone, which they will present at the July 3 meeting. The June meeting was very well attended, and it is essential that supporters attend this meeting as well. Public officials are responsive to their stakeholders, and a strong showing is critical to our cause.

The meeting will be held at 7:00pm at the Stillwater County Planning Office at 431 Quarry Road in Columbus. Please come, pass this along to friends, and invite others to attend.

Proposed Stillwater Beartooth Zoning District Map.

Proposed process
The petitioners are proposing that the zone be formed over a sequence of four meetings, culminating in the development of a full zoning ordinance in September. If the Planning Board sends the ordinance to the Commissioners, they will hold a public hearing to solicit community input before approving the zone. The is the suggested process the petitioners will be presenting on Wednesday.
Because of the Planning Board’s vote in June, the petitioners will also present an overview of how they propose that the zoning ordinance should be structured. The presentation will give an overview of this document, which they distributed to the Planning Board last week.

Please attend, and bring others. Our attendance at the next four meetings will make us successful. We need you to be a part of it.

Background reading
Action alert: New developments in landowner lawsuit against Stillwater County; what you can do to help – posted June 3, 2019

Materials presented at the June 5 Planning meeting:
Beartooth Front Zoning District Overview
Zoning District Map
Overview of Proposed Regulation

More information on the history of this landowner effort
Beartooth Front Landowners present hundreds of signatures to Stillwater County Commissioners to set up oil and gas zoning district (with video)
Do mineral rights have anything to do with citizen initiated zones in Montana?
Stillwater County Commissioners turn their backs on locals who pay their salaries; support unknown outsiders
Beartooth Front landowners file legal action against Stillwater County Commissioners
Landowners show up for hearing on Beartooth Front lawsuit

Court documents
Court documents and other records related to the lawsuit between the landowners and the Stillwater County Commissioners can be found at the Beartooth Front Coalition website.