Beartooth Front Coalition documents
Map of proposed zone
Petition cover memo – submitted November 10, 2015
Landowners petition – submitted November 10, 2015, signed by more than 550 landowners
List of documents submitted to Commissioners when petition was submitted
Letter sent by petitioners to Stillwater County attorney on October 13, 2014 requesting guidance on what criteria to use in gathering signatures. The County attorney never responded.
Petitioner comments at January 30, 2018 Commissioners meeting
Lawsuit Documents
Beartooth Front Coalition legal action against Stillwater County Commissioners and County Clerk and Recorder – filed February 23, 2018
Stillwater County motion to dismiss lawsuit – filed May 1, 2018
Beartooth Front Coalition response to County’s motion to dismiss and request for hearing – filed May 14, 2018
Stillwater County Reply Brief in Support of Motion to Dismiss – filed May 24, 2018
Judge Jones ruling on Stillwater County’s Motion for Summary Judgment in favor of Beartooth Front Coaltion – filed August 6, 2018
Beartooth Front Coalition Motion for Summary Judgment brief – filed 8/29/2018
-Supporting documents, motions, affidavits
County’s request for extension in response to BFC – filed September 13, 2018
Judge Blair Jones order granting extension to Stillwater County – filed September 20, 2018
County’s Cross Motion for Summary Judgment – filed October 30, 2018
County’s brief in support of Cross Motion for Summary Judgment – filed October 30, 2018
County’s request to admit an additional attorney – submitted October 30, 2018
Judge Matthew Wald’s ruling in favor of Beartooth Front Coalition in Montana District Court – submitted September 2, 2020
Stillwater County documents
Stillwater County signature validation process – received in March 2016.
Letter from County Attorney clarifying signature validation process – July 8, 2016
County Attorney letter notifying petitioners they had achieved 60% threshold of surface owners and expressing concern about mineral rights signatures – August 21, 2017. This was the first time any Stillwater County official had mentioned mineral owners. The letter was sent after all signatures were submitted and validated.
County Attorney request to Montana Attorney General for opinion on whether mineral interests are relevant to citizen-initiated zoning – sent September 29, 2017. The Attorney General declined to offer an opinion.
Letter from County Attorney to Beartooth Front Coalition – sent January 23, 2018. States that she will recommend to the Clerk that the petition be denied because mineral interests were allowed to participate.
Letters from County Clerk and County Attorney stating reasons for declining the petition – January 24, 2018. The Commissioners accepted these recommendations at their January 24 meeting by a 3-0 vote.
Proposed Stillwater County citizen-initiated zoning policy – Commissioners proposed this policy at their meeting of January 24, 2018 and plan to hold a public meeting on March 6 to consider it. Petitioners have filed a legal complaint seeking a temporary restraining order until the issue of mineral ownership is resolved.
West Fork Stillwater Planning and Zoning Document. Original documents for the Stillwater County citizen-initiated zone, 1979.
Video of November 10, 2015 Commissioners meeting at which petitions were submitted:
Beartooth Front Coalition 