Tag Archives: Steve Durrett

Guest editorial by Bonnie Martinell: “Protecting property rights in Montana: You have to do it yourself.”

Posted on August 24, 2015 by davidjkatz

The following guest editorial by Bonnie Martinell will appear in the Billings Gazette on Tuesday, August 25. It concerns the failure of Montana government agencies to protect landowner property rights, and the efforts of a group of Belfry landowners to secure those rights in the Montana Supreme Court. Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Montana Board of Oil and Gas refuses to take up setbacks

Posted on August 13, 2015 by davidjkatz

At its meeting on Wednesday, the Montana Board of Oil and Gas Conservation (BOGC) decided not to take up rulemaking for setbacks. Instead, they created a review panel to consider the issue. This is another example of a Montana state agency running roughshod over the rights of surface owners, whose only recourse is local regulation.

The record speaks for itself. The state of Montana has no interest in setting up reasonable protections for landowners from oil and gas drilling. It is up to local landowners to do it themselves, using provisions for citizen initiated zoning established in Montana law. Continue reading →

Posted in Community Organization, Politics and History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment