The authority to lease extends to state lands no matter how acquired and extends to state lands which have been sold but in which the coal rights are reserved by the state, whether the lands are under certificate of purchase or patents have been issued.
Mont. Code Ann. § 77-3-302
Lands subject to coal leasing
En
Official source: Montana Code Annotated (Montana Legislature). Reproduced from public-domain Montana statutes; confirm against the official source for the current text. Not legal advice.