This Act authorizes a complex land and mineral exchange between the U.S. government, the State of Montana, and the Crow Tribe, while also directing specific mineral right transfers to the Tribe and the Hope Family Trust.
Troy Downing
Representative
MT-2
The Crow Revenue Act authorizes a complex land and mineral exchange involving the Crow Tribe, the State of Montana, and private entities to resolve aspects of the Tribe's water rights settlement. This legislation directs the Secretary of the Interior to convey federal mineral interests to Montana in exchange for Montana conveying specific mineral interests to the United States, to be held in trust for the Crow Tribe. The Act also facilitates separate exchanges involving surface rights and ensures that funds received by the Tribe are protected from affecting other federal benefits.
Montana Land Swap: Crow Tribe Gains Mineral Rights and $1M, Federal Lands Shift to State Control
The “Crow Revenue Act” is essentially a complex real estate deal that amends a 2010 water rights settlement, aiming to consolidate land and mineral assets for the Crow Tribe in Montana. Think of it as a massive, multi-party property exchange involving the U.S. government, the State of Montana, the Crow Tribe, and a couple of private entities.
The core of the bill is a land swap where the U.S. gives up mineral and surface rights in the Bull Mountains (a total of about 5,470 acres) to the State of Montana and Musselshell Resources LLC. In return, the U.S. acquires mineral rights in the Hope Family Tracts (about 4,660 acres) and holds them in trust for the Crow Tribe. The State of Montana also pays $1 million, which goes directly into the Crow Settlement Fund (Sec. 1).
The Mineral Rights Shuffle
This isn't just about surface land; it’s about what’s underground. The bill mandates a series of rapid-fire transactions—some must happen within 180 days, others within 60 days (Sec. 1, Sec. 3). For the Crow Tribe, this is a big win for sovereignty and economic development. The mineral interests they receive will be held in trust by the U.S., meaning they are exempt from state taxes (Sec. 3). This creates a potentially valuable, long-term, tax-free revenue stream for the Tribe.
However, there’s a catch that highlights the complexity of these deals: before the mineral transfer can happen, the Crow Tribe and the Hope Family Trust must agree on a formula for sharing any future revenue generated from the Bull Mountains Mineral Tracts (Sec. 3). If they can’t hammer out that agreement quickly, the whole mineral exchange stalls, even though the land involved is temporarily closed off from new mining or leasing activity until the deal is done.
Who Gets What and What Stays the Same
For the State of Montana, the exchange means acquiring federal mineral and surface interests in the Bull Mountains. Crucially, the bill explicitly states that the existing Bull Mountains Lease (MTM97988) remains valid under the State as the new mineral owner (Sec. 1). For the company holding that lease, this means business as usual, but now the oversight shifts from the federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to the state level. This transfer of federal land and mineral rights to state and private hands effectively removes them from federal environmental and land management jurisdiction, a significant change for those concerned about federal oversight of resource extraction.
Another key part of the deal involves surface land: Musselshell Resources LLC gives the U.S. about 959 acres of surface land in exchange for about 940 acres of federal surface land (Sec. 4). This exchange is designed to consolidate ownership, potentially unlocking public access on the acquired lands. Finally, the bill includes a protective clause that ensures the Crow Tribe won't lose eligibility for any other federal services or benefits just because they received this land, mineral rights, and the $1 million payment (Sec. 5). It’s a necessary provision to prevent the benefits of this Act from accidentally undercutting other tribal programs.