This piece is part of MTFP’s 2026 poll week, where we’re exploring data on how Montana voters feel about their elected officials, environmental concerns, immigration enforcement and other issues.
Most Montanans believe the state has the appropriate amount of federal land, according to a Montana Free Press poll conducted with Rutgers University. The survey revealed that 24% felt there was too much federal land, while 21% thought there was too little. The poll highlighted bipartisan support for current federal land management in Montana.
Despite GOP platforms advocating for federal land transfers, 62% of Republicans agreed there is the right amount or too little federal land in Montana. Similarly, 96% of Democrats and 81% of independents shared this view. Melissa Weddell, a University of Montana professor, noted the strong bipartisan support, emphasizing the accessibility and democratic nature of these lands.
Frequent use of federal land by Montanans could explain this engagement. Colorado College’s State of the Rockies initiative found Montanans use national public lands more regularly than residents in other Western states. Nearly 30% visited public land over 20 times last year, while only 8% reported no visits.
Federal agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management control about one-third of Montana’s land. Discussions on federal land management were central to debates over President Trump’s spending package and Montana lawmakers’ failed resolution to support Utah’s land-transfer lawsuit.
U.S. Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, proposed selling federal land via last year’s budget package, but amendments were removed to secure passage. U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke opposed land sales, calling it his “San Juan Hill,” a stance echoed by other Western Republicans. Meanwhile, Sen. Steve Daines negotiated to protect Montana lands from sale.
Advocates of land transfers argue for state management, while opponents fear private sales and lack of state funding for wildfire suppression. The U.S. Forest Service is Montana’s largest landowner, managing 17 million acres compared to 8 million by the Bureau of Land Management and 1 million by the National Park Service.
The MTFP-Eagleton poll surveyed 801 registered voters and was conducted from Dec. 23, 2025, to Jan. 3, 2026, with a margin of error of ±4.1 percentage points.
This piece is part of the Montana Insights project, commissioning polls to help readers understand Montana’s policy sentiment. More findings from the Dec. 2025-Jan. 2026 poll are available here.
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