Montana § 76-25-209 - Natural Resources, Environment, And Hazards

§ 76-25-209. Natural Resources, Environment, And Hazards

Natural resources, environment, and hazards. (1) The land use plan must: (a) include inventories and maps of natural resources within the jurisdiction, including but not limited to agricultural lands, agricultural water user facilities, minerals, sand and gravel resources, forestry lands, and other natural resources identified by the local government; (b) describe the natural resource characteristics of the jurisdictional area, including a summary of historical natural resource utilization, data on existing utilization, and projected future trends; (c) include an inventory, maps, and description of the natural environment of the jurisdictional area, including a summary of important natural features and the conditions of and real and potential threats to soils, geology, topography, vegetation, surface water, groundwater, aquifers, floodplains, scenic resources, wildlife, wildlife habitat, wildlife corridors, and wildlife nesting sites within the jurisdiction; and (d) include maps of, identify factors related to, and describe natural hazards within the jurisdictional area, including flooding, fire, earthquakes, steep slopes and other known geologic hazards and other natural hazards identified by the jurisdiction, with a summary of past significant events resulting from natural hazards that includes: (i) a description of land use constraints resulting from natural hazards; (ii) a description of the efforts that have been taken within the local jurisdiction to mitigate the impact of natural hazards; and (iii) a description of the role that natural resources and the environment play in the local economy. (2) The local government may incorporate by reference any information or policies identified in other relevant assessments of natural resources, environment, or hazards. (3) The amount of detail provided in the analysis beyond the minimum criteria established in this section is at the discretion of the local governing body.