Access to clean water and air is a fundamental need of every human being. Therefore parks and outdoor lands that serve as natural habitats must be protected. Given the climate change crisis, the need to preserve nature is more critical than ever. Montana land is so rich in every aspect that the move to transfer public land from federal ownership to the state must be opposed as it will result in mismanagement by the state government, ultimately destroying the land.

This transfer of land would hit the state and local economies extremely hard. Forest management is daunting and requires a lot of resources and expertise. It is estimated that public land transfer to the state would burden more than half a million taxpayers to bear the costs. Also, Montana could lose as much as $28 million in federal payments instead of taxes.

Similarly, climate change is having a disastrous effect, especially on forests. The fires are wreaking havoc on forests in many US states. That means officials must allocate separate resources to deal with the fires. They also must develop better technology and new techniques and train their staff to suppress those fires. The federal government can manage this crisis by creating a national plan as long as these lands remain public. However, if transferred to the state, taxpayers would also have to bear as much as 100 million dollars for fire suppression on its 27 million acres of land.

In addition, state trust lands are constitutionally mandated to be managed for maximum profit. However, if their management cannot be profitable, these lands are sold to the highest bidder. Once it is sold, the controlling party can do whatever it wants without any regard for the natural habitat. 

Natural beauty attracts people for recreational purposes, and Montana's land is perfectly suitable for fishing, hunting, hiking, and camping. However, without the resources and mandate to preserve these spots, Montanans could see either permanent closure or limited access to these areas. According to one report, Montana's outdoor economy is responsible for seventy-one thousand jobs and creates more than 7 billion dollars in consumer spending. 

Finally, Montanans relinquished any claims to the public lands long ago in the Enabling act of 1889. Given the many opportunities the people of the state of Montana enjoy from the public ownership of these lands and the tremendous burdens they would have to bear if that land is transferred to the state, Montanans must oppose this move. A few special interest groups might benefit from this land sale; however, the ultimate losers would be Montana's people. Hence any plan to transfer the land under the state government is bound to create a multidimensional crisis.