BILLINGS – The head of the federal Bureau of Land Management is scheduled to be in Montana on Monday to meet with local officials and tour the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.
The trip by BLM director Bob Abbey reflects a continued effort by federal officials to mend strained relations with ranchers and elected officials in central Montana.
The monument’s creation during the waning days of the Clinton administration provoked a backlash among landowners concerned about future restrictions on lands within the monument.
When Abbey last visited central Montana in 2010, he came to disavow internal Obama administration memos that identified central Montana as a potential site for another monument.
A meeting between Abbey and Fergus County commissioners is planned after a morning boat tour along the Missouri River.