A new mapping tool from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation illustrates just how many parcels of state trust lands are inaccessible.⁠ ⁠ The Montana DNRC defines sections as publicly accessible if they are legally accessible by either walk-in access through adjacent public land or adjacent trust land or motorized access by a public road or designated open road. The agency defines publicly inaccessible as parcels that are surrounded by private land and “are not accessible to the public without permission from an adjacent private landowner to cross through their property.” The agency has denoted some parcels as “special scenario” that don’t have clear access. These properties might be accessible only through Montana’s Stream Access Law, have multiple parcels with different access types, or access status is unknown and requires more research. This new map confirms, and visually represents, data compiled and released in 2019 by the digital mapping company onX and th...