Today the Beartooth Front Coalition (BFC) and other individual landowners filed a legal action against the Stillwater County Commissioners and the County Clerk and Recorder. The suit was a response to the County’s rejection of the BFC’s petition to establish a citizen-initiated zone.
You can view the legal action by clicking here.
The lawsuit asks the court to do several things:
- Issue a “writ of mandamus,” which will force the County to follow its own rules and certify that we have achieved the 60% of signatures required to move the petition forward.
- Make a declaratory ruling regarding citizen-initiated zoning that states that Montana law does not require any mineral interests to be counted toward the 60% signature threshold.
- Issue a temporary restraining order that prohibits the Commissioners from adopting any policy regarding citizen-initiated zoning that includes mineral interests while the lawsuit is being considered.
- Bar the Commissioners from retroactively requiring us to get the signatures of any mineral owners.
- Require the Commissioners to pay our relevant legal costs and court fees.
The County has 30 days to respond.
Beartooth Front Coalition 