MONTANA ENVIRONMENTAL INFORMATION CENTER
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Lazy J South Subdivision:
ontana’s clean water is in serious jeopardy. We are facing a gauntlet of Direct Threat to the Water Quality an exponentially booming population of the Gallatin River and the accompanying development as people from across the country and the world decide to In Montana, most of the planning and relocate to places where peace, solitude, and wild zoning decisions occur at the local government country are still available outside their door (and level, guided by state laws on zoning and the real estate is still relatively cheap). subdivision. However, the Montana Department COVID-19 has also shown that a large of Environmental Quality (DEQ) still retains segment of the workforce can perform all or most the duty for the review and issuance of of their duties remotely, discharge permits into which has opened up the st ate water s (M PDE S ability for people to move per m its). Subdivisions to Montana while keeping are often required to go their big city tech and t h rou gh t he M PDE S finance jobs. per m it ting process in Populat ion g rowth order to demonstrate their will drive the need for compliance with Clean by Derf Johnson more housing, and land Water Act standards and developers across Montana are seeing an that the development will not have a deleterious enormous financial opportunity in subdividing impact on Montana’s waters. large tracts of land in the hope of cashing in on One recently-issued permit reveals the serious the increased demand. This has placed at risk problems with DEQ’s permitting process and its a number of natural and social attributes, such failure to effectively protect the clean water that as wildlife, landscape connectivity, open space, we all rely upon. The Lazy J South subdivision is a and agricultural productivity. 200+ acre housing and commercial development While the story of growth in Montana and in the resort community of Big Sky and on its impacts on our environment are not new, it the flanks of the world-famous Gallatin River. is clear that we are entering a new and rapidly DEQ’s permit for Lazy J South is the first new growing phase of development. As part of its significant discharge permit authorized in the programmatic priorities, MEIC is bolstering Big Sky area in the last 10 years. An analysis its work on land development and is planning by Upper Missouri Waterkeeper concluded that, to help address this direct threat to Montana’s should the project proceed, it would cause an quality of life, clean water, and wild landscapes. increase of approximately 20% in the existing
More People, More Poop, More Problems
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Protecting Montana’s natural environment since 1973.
