Created in 1990 to prepare the state’s lawsuit against the Atlantic Richfield Company (ARCO) for injuries to the natural resources in the Upper Clark Fork River Basin (UCFRB), the NRDP is administratively attached to the Montana Department of Justice.

Since 1990, NRDP has been responsible for performing necessary natural resource damage assessments and pursuing lawsuits against responsible parties throughout Montana.

NRDP’s natural resource damage assessments and involvement at other sites have resulted in voluntary restoration settlements totaling over $293 million. Under restoration plans developed for each settlement, on behalf of the Trustee, NRDP has, to date, expended in excess of $328 million on restoration actions in affected areas throughout Montana. In practice, this has meant substantial amounts spent on on-the-ground restoration projects that conserve, protect, and restore Montana’s rivers, wetlands, watersheds, forests, grasslands, and important ecosystems; compensate the public for lost use of natural resources; expand public access to nature and the outdoors; and benefit fish and wildlife.

The State has settled its lawsuit with ARCO through a series of settlement agreements completed in 1999, 2005 and 2008. In addition, the state has completed settlements for: the Mike Horse Dam site in the headwaters of the Blackfoot River (2008), the East Helena Smelter site (2009), and the Exxon Silvertip oil spill.

NRDP uses settlement monies to prepare and implement restoration plans. Several projects integrate restoration with remedial actions such as: Silver Bow Creek, Milltown Dam, the Clark Fork River, Anaconda Uplands, and the Mike Horse site. Other sites restoration plans are implemented separately: East Helena, Exxon/Silvertip Yellowstone and the aquatic, terrestrial, and groundwater plans for the UCFRB.

NRDP continues to pursue new natural resource damage claims at sites across Montana where a release of hazardous substances has injured the state’s natural resources.