Steffen v. Department of State Lands

Mr. Steffen appeals a decision of the District Court for Lewis and Clark County. The court affirmed the decision of the Department of State Lands (Department) that by subletting grazing land leased from the State, Mr. Steffen had lost his preference right to renew the lease. We reverse.

The issue is whether the denial of Mr. Steffen’s preference right was unlawful.

In 1972 Mr. Steffen was issued a 10-year state lease on a 640 acre tract of school trust land in Dawson County. This land had been leased by the Steffen family for use with their adjacent 1440 acres since the 1920’s. The land is…