Tag Archives: Gallatin County

Do mineral rights have anything to do with citizen initiated zones in Montana?

Posted on September 14, 2017 by davidjkatz

While the Stillwater County Commissioners have conceded that zoning petitioners have met the minimum threshold of 60% of landowners in the proposed district, they are now questioning whether the holders of mineral rights in the district should be included in the petitioning process.

By my research, there are at least 110 citizen initiated zones that have been enacted under the law enabling citizens to petition for zoning, and it appears that not a single one required the signatures of mineral owners.

Why is this an issue now? Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization | Tagged , , , , , , , | 24 Comments

Citizen initiated zoning: a way to restore fairness to oil and gas drilling in Montana

Posted on August 13, 2014 by davidjkatz

Oil and gas drilling in Montana is fundamentally unfair to landowners. Because of the way the law and institutions are structured, landowners have few rights, and the deck is stacked unfairly in favor of those who profit from oil and gas … Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , | 26 Comments

Billings Gazette: Guest Opinion by David Katz

Posted on January 13, 2014 by davidjkatz

The following op ed appeared in the January 13 Billings Gazette under my byline: Guest opinion: Citizens can make difference in Beartooth development  By DAVID KATZ A Jan. 3 guest opinion paints a gloomy picture of the inevitability of oil … Continue reading →

Posted in Bakken, Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments