US Land Life

Montana

Buying Land in Phillips County, Montana

Malta anchors a county of roughly 3.2 million acres split almost evenly between public and private land, bordered by the CMR and UL Bend National Wildlife Refuges and part of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The county is also ground zero for American Prairie's land buyback and bison-restoration project -- a real, currently-litigated dispute over grazing leases that any buyer near those holdings should understand before closing.

Zoning Status

Could not confirm

This research pass could not independently confirm whether Phillips County has adopted any county-wide or part-county zoning. The county has a Planning Board and adopted a Growth Policy in 2023 (an update to an earlier 2013-2017 policy), and subdivision review runs through the state Subdivision and Platting Act framework, but no verified source confirmed an actual zoning ordinance or zoning district. Confirm directly with the Phillips County Commissioners' office before assuming either a zoned or unzoned status.

American Prairie / Federal Grazing Lease Dispute

Case-by-case / verify locally

American Prairie, a conservation nonprofit restoring bison to the prairie, holds roughly 605,000 deeded-and-leased acres regionally, with numerous parcels in Phillips County acquired piece by piece since the early 2000s. In January 2026 the BLM revoked seven of the group's bison grazing permits in Phillips County; American Prairie sued, and a federal court ruling on September 4, 2026 let the bison remain on those leases while litigation continues. If a parcel borders or is near American Prairie land, expect ongoing uncertainty about neighboring land use, fencing, and grazing arrangements until this is resolved.

Public vs. Private Land

Could not confirm

Phillips County's own 2023 Growth Policy describes roughly 1.6 million acres of public (state and federal) land mingled with roughly 1.6 million acres of private land -- a close-to-even split, distinct from Montana counties where public land dominates far more heavily. Confirm a specific parcel's adjacency to BLM, state trust, refuge, or tribal land rather than assuming from county-wide percentages.

Milk River Watershed Flood Map Update

Could not confirm

Phillips County has had FEMA flood maps since 1978. DNRC and FEMA have been working since at least 2019 on a Milk River Watershed remapping project covering roughly 2,325 stream miles across four counties, with a Risk MAP Flood Risk Review meeting for Phillips County held in June 2026. If a parcel is near the Milk River or its tributaries, ask the county whether the new maps have been finalized and how they affect the parcel.

American Prairie's bison, the BLM lease fight, and what it means for neighboring land

American Prairie (formerly American Prairie Reserve) has spent more than two decades buying private ranches across north-central Montana and pairing them with adjoining public grazing leases to build a contiguous habitat base for a free-ranging bison herd. By early 2026 the organization's total holdings reached roughly 605,700 acres regionally -- about 169,000 deeded and 437,000 leased -- with a steady stream of Phillips County acquisitions along the way (a March 2026 purchase south of Dodson, for example, added about 2,082 acres of deeded and BLM leased land). This is a real, well-documented land-consolidation project, not a rumor, and it has reshaped land ownership patterns and neighbor relationships across parts of the county.

It has also produced a genuine, ongoing conflict. On January 16, 2026, the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Land Management revoked seven bison grazing permits American Prairie held in Phillips County, concluding after review that the group manages its bison as wildlife for conservation purposes rather than as a production-oriented livestock operation -- a distinction that matters because BLM grazing permits are generally intended for livestock grazing. The decision followed years of pressure from the Montana livestock industry and the state's Department of Justice. American Prairie sued to block the revocation, and as of a September 4, 2026 court ruling, the bison were allowed to remain on the disputed leases while the underlying lawsuit proceeds. If you're evaluating land adjacent to or near American Prairie holdings, treat this as an active, unresolved situation -- the outcome could affect fencing, grazing rights, and land values in the surrounding area for years.

A near-even public/private land split, and a growth policy without a confirmed zoning answer

Phillips County covers about 5,212 square miles (5,140 of it land), making it one of Montana's larger counties by area, with roughly 4,200 residents concentrated mostly in and around Malta. According to the county's own 2023 Growth Policy, the county's land base splits close to evenly: about 1.6 million acres of state and federal public land mingled with about 1.6 million acres of private land. That's a materially different mix than counties where public land dominates two-to-one or more, and it means BLM and state trust land parcels are woven throughout private ground rather than concentrated in a separate block -- worth confirming for any specific property, especially given the active American Prairie leasing situation described above.

Phillips County has a functioning Planning Board that develops and updates the county's Growth Policy (most recently in 2023, following an earlier 2013-2017 version), working through the Board of County Commissioners. What this research pass could not pin down from public sources is whether that planning apparatus has produced an actual zoning ordinance or zoning district anywhere in the county -- searches turned up no specific zoning map, ordinance number, or zoning administrator for Phillips County outside the incorporated City of Malta, which does run its own municipal zoning and permit process separate from the county. Anyone buying unincorporated county land should ask the Commissioners' office directly whether any zoning applies to the parcel in question, rather than assuming either a zoned or unzoned answer from this hub.

Reservation and refuge borders, and an old flood map getting an update

Phillips County's southern edge runs along the Missouri River and the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge -- a 1.1-million-acre refuge that also encompasses the separately-managed UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge and takes in the upper end of Fort Peck Lake. On the county's west side, a portion of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (shared with neighboring Blaine County) falls within Phillips County's boundaries. Land near either of these boundaries carries its own access, easement, and jurisdictional questions distinct from ordinary private ranchland -- worth researching specifically for any parcel that borders refuge or reservation land, separate from the county-wide zoning and land-use questions above.

Separately, Phillips County's Federal Emergency Management Agency flood maps date back to 1978. Montana DNRC and FEMA have been working on a Milk River Watershed update since at least a November 2019 kickoff meeting held jointly with the City of Malta, a project intended to remap roughly 2,325 stream miles across four counties along the Milk River using current data. A Risk MAP Flood Risk Review meeting specific to Phillips County took place in June 2026, suggesting the update is progressing toward new preliminary maps. If a parcel sits near the Milk River or a tributary, it's worth asking the county's floodplain administrator whether the current 1978-era map or an updated one should govern your planning.

Who to Call Before Buying Land in Phillips County

This research pass could not confirm whether Phillips County has a dedicated planning/zoning department or administrator separate from the Board of Commissioners -- start with the Commissioners' office and be prepared to be redirected. No separate county GIS office was identified; parcel-level GIS runs through the statewide Montana Cadastral system. The Phillips County floodplain administrator contact above is drawn from Montana DNRC's published local floodplain administrator list and uses a personal (non-.gov) email address, which is common for volunteer or part-time roles in small rural Montana counties -- confirm it is still current before relying on it. Property assessment in Montana is a state Department of Revenue function handled through local field offices rather than a locally elected county assessor; this hub could not confirm a direct Malta field-office phone number, so the statewide number is provided instead.

Other

Phillips County Board of Commissioners

General county government contact point, and the starting place to confirm current zoning status (no dedicated planning/zoning department was identified for unincorporated Phillips County during this research).

Phone: (406) 654-2429Email: commissioners@phillipscountymt.govOfficial website →

Environmental Health

Phillips County Health Department

Environmental health and sanitarian functions, including onsite wastewater (septic) system permitting.

Phone: (406) 654-2521Official website →

Floodplain / Stormwater

Phillips County Floodplain Administrator

Floodplain permit requirements and whether a specific parcel falls under the current 1978-era FEMA map or the Milk River Watershed map update in progress.

Phone: (406) 270-1884Email: casey38@gmail.comOfficial website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Montana Department of Revenue -- Property Assessment Division

Property appraisal, classification, and assessed-value questions for a specific Phillips County parcel (Montana property valuation is a state Department of Revenue function, not a locally elected assessor). This research could not independently confirm a direct Malta-area field office phone line; the statewide Citizen Services line will route you correctly.

Phone: (406) 444-6900Official website →

Recorder / Clerk / Land Records

Phillips County Clerk and Recorder

Recorded deeds, mortgages, certificates of survey, and plat history for a specific parcel. This office also handles Auditor and Surveyor functions in Phillips County.

Phone: (406) 654-2423Email: clerkrecorder@phillipscountymt.govOfficial website →

Assessor / Property Tax

Phillips County Treasurer

Property tax billing and payment (a county-level function distinct from the state Department of Revenue's valuation role). This office also handles Assessor-support and County Superintendent of Schools functions in Phillips County.

Phone: (406) 654-1742Email: treasurer@phillipscountymt.govOfficial website →

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Topics Specific to Phillips County

Tribal Trust Land Status Near Phillips County, Montana →Conservation Easements and American Prairie in Phillips County, Montana →Hunting Land and Public Access in Phillips County, Montana →

Sources

  1. BLM revokes American Prairie bison grazing permits — Bureau of Land Management (accessed 2026-09)
  2. Burgum yanks American Prairie bison grazing leases — Daily Montanan (accessed 2026-09)
  3. Court: BLM can't push American Prairie bison off grazing leases — Daily Inter Lake (accessed 2026-09)
  4. American Prairie acquires "critical" wetland habitat — Daily Montanan (accessed 2026-09)
  5. American Prairie acquires three new properties in Phillips County — American Prairie (accessed 2026-09)
  6. Phillips County Growth Policy 2023 Summary — Phillco Economic Growth Council (accessed 2026-09)
  7. Phillips County Growth Policy 2013-2017 (with Adoption Resolution) — Phillips County, Montana / Phillco Economic Growth Council (accessed 2026-09)
  8. Local Government - Phillco Economic Growth Council — Phillco Economic Growth Council (accessed 2026-09)
  9. Milk River Watershed Flood Maps Update — Montana DNRC (accessed 2026-09)
  10. Phillips County Kick off meeting (Milk River Watershed mapping) — Montana DNRC (accessed 2026-09)
  11. Local Floodplain Administrators contact list — Montana DNRC (accessed 2026-09)
  12. Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge — University of Montana (accessed 2026-09)
  13. Fort Belknap Indian Reservation — Wikipedia (accessed 2026-09)
  14. U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Phillips County, Montana — U.S. Census Bureau (accessed 2026-09)

Last reviewed 2026-09