81-4-322. Horse herd districts -- size -- location -- petition -- notice and hearing -- abolishment. (1) Horse herd districts may be created in any county in the state of Montana upon the petition of owners or possessors of 55% of the land of the district. The district must contain 12 square miles or more lying not less than 1 mile in width outside of incorporated cities or towns. The petition must designate the months of the year when horse herd district regulations are effective.

(2) Upon presentation and filing of a petition properly signed and reciting the outside boundaries and description of the proposed district, together with the post-office address of the signers, with the clerk and recorder in the county in which the the district is being created, the county commissioners of the county upon receipt of the petition shall set a date for hearing protests and verification of signatures and shall give not less than 20 days' notice of the hearing by three publications in a newspaper of general circulation in the county of the proposed district. If it appears to the county commissioners, after the hearing, that the signatures attached to the petition were genuine, they shall immediately make an order declaring the horse herd district created and established, after which the county commissioners shall give notice by two weekly publications in some newspaper in the county, nearest the district, stating the period when the horse herd district will be in effect and when the district is not in effect. The order may not be effective until 30 days have expired after the order.

(3) Herd districts may be abolished at any time upon proceedings as set forth for the establishment of a herd district.

(4) The estimated expense of all publications required by 81-4-321 through 81-4-328 must be paid by the petitioners, and no part of the expenses may be paid by the county.

(5) Upon petition of an owner or possessor of land lying contiguous and adjoining any horse herd district and upon like hearing and notice as provided in this section, the lands must be included in the horse herd district and become a part of the district.

(6) If the signature of a lessee appears on the petition creating or abolishing any horse herd district, the owner or owners of the land may appear either in person or by agent and enter their protest, and the board of county commissioners shall remove the name of the lessee from the petition. A person may not be permitted to withdraw the person's name after the hour set for hearing the petition.