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A Montana landowner says local governments are illegally using Wildlands Urban Interface designations to squelch development.

She refuses to squelch her thoughts on the issue... today, she told lawmakers what's happening in her county..

"It's the worst thing to happen to the State of Montana and it's a taking, when a federal regulation takes over 30% of the value from a landowner that's a taking, and this is a big one." Said landowner Niki Sardot.

Sardot owns 1000 acres in the Wildland Urban Interface in Ravalli and Missoula Counties.

And she has seen her property values drop dramatically.

So she is asking the Environmental Quality Council to revisit Senate Bill 131 which gave counties the authority to designate lands as the wildland urban interface.

Representative Chas Vincent said that the legislation was in no way meant to be used as a tool for what has been deemed today in this committee as backdoor zoning.

Representative Vincent helped carry the bill.

He says by designating land the wildland urban interface it allows the State to tap into federal funds.

The money would then be used to help reduce fire risk in those areas.

But for Sardot the unintended consequences of the legislation have her outraged.

"Please look at what our county has done. The pink area... it has placed 244,000 acres or 65% of the private property in the wildlands urban interface. Talking to Senator Shockley before this meeting, he thought it was in the forest.. no. It's from the river bottom up to the forest. That is what they have done to us. This is backdoor zoning."

Sardot hopes the Council will revisit the legislation and tighten it up.

"If it is being used a tool for zoning and regulatory takings of private property rights, then I can see why her statements would be applicable. That was not the intent of the legislation, this was not to be used as a map to prohibit development in areas." Representative Vincent said.

Vincent also says if Counties are misinterpreting the bill he will be willing to look at it.

Sardot says she will be filing a class action lawsuit against the state.