BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Public land advocates say more than 6 million acres of state property scattered across 11 Western states are landlocked by private property and largely inaccessible to recreational users.
The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and onX, a Montana-based land data company, released a report Monday that details the extent of state-owned parcels lacking permanent public access.
Montana, Arizona, New Mexico and Wyoming each have more than 1 million acres of state lands surrounded by private property. Nevada has the least amount with less than 1,000 acres landlocked.
Surrounding landowners sometimes offer access to landlocked parcels through cooperative programs with state wildlife agencies. But Joel Webster with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership says there's no guarantee those programs will continue.