State Land Sections 8 & 20 Summary

ACCESS OPENED AFTER LONG FIGHT

State lands are by law open to recreational public access unless very special safety issues dictate otherwise. However, State Land Sections 8 and 20, northwest of Billings, had been closed by the local DNRC office for the better part of 20 years. DNRC Area Office Manager Dick Moore made a decision on July 22 ,2008 to open the sections to the public. PLWA and PLWA members have been lead advocates for this opening. Because of their close proximity to Indian Cliffs and Lone Eagle Subdivisions, hunting will be restricted to archery.

Both sections are bisected by Highway 3. Section 8 is bounded on the North by Alkali Creek Road. Section 20 lies North of the Indian Cliffs Subdivision. They consist mostly of grassland, sage, pine trees and sandstone formations and are populated by a variety of wildlife. The lessees were successful in obtaining a total closure to the public on both sections in their initial leases and also turned back an attempt to open them in the mid-’90s. We believe significant political pressure had been brought to bear to keep these areas off limits to the public.

Technically these are in T1N, R25E.