82-4-350. Award of costs and attorney fees. When issuing a final order in an action challenging the grant or denial of an exploration license or operating permit issued under this part, the court may award costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney and expert witness fees, to a prevailing or substantially prevailing party whenever, in its discretion, the court determines an award is appropriate.

Terms Used In Montana Code 82-4-350

  • Exploration: means :

    (a)all activities that are conducted on or beneath the surface of lands and that result in material disturbance of the surface for the purpose of determining the presence, location, extent, depth, grade, and economic viability of mineralization in those lands, if any, other than mining for production and economic exploitation; and

    (b)all roads made for the purpose of facilitating exploration, except as noted in 82-4-310. See Montana Code 82-4-303

  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.