HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen motioned during the March Land Board meeting to approve oil and gas lease sales in four Montana counties. The motion received unanimous support from her fellow Land Board colleagues and generated more than $4.5 million in revenue for Montana.

“This was another win-win for Montana and our schools,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Our past three oil and gas lease sales have generated nearly $13 million for our state, benefiting students across Montana.”

This month’s sale consisted of tracts in Blaine, Richland, Roosevelt, and Toole counties. One tract in Richland County received a nearly $2 million bid at more than $10,000 per acre, one of the highest ever, according to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC).

The March Land Board meeting generated an estimated $5.1 million for Montana’s trust beneficiaries. Secretary Jacobsen joined her colleagues in approving three timber sales and improvements to roads and power lines across the state.