Mont. Code § 75-1-202
Each agency of state government charged with the responsibility of issuing a lease, permit, contract, license, or certificate under any provision of state law may adopt rules prescribing fees that must be paid by a person, corporation, partnership, firm, association, or other private entity when an application for a lease, permit, contract, license, or certificate will require an agency to compile an environmental impact statement as prescribed by 75-1-201 and the agency has not made the finding under 75-1-205(1)(a). An agency shall determine whether it will be necessary to compile an environmental impact statement and assess a fee as prescribed by this section within any statutory timeframe for issuance of the lease, permit, contract, license, or certificate or, if no statutory timeframe is provided, within 90 days. Except as provided in 85-2-124, the fee assessed under this section may be used only to gather data and information necessary to compile an environmental impact statement as defined in parts 1 through 3. A fee may not be assessed if an agency intends only to file a negative declaration stating that the proposed project will not have a significant impact on the human environment.
§ 75-1-202, MCA