Fort Peck Tribes (MT) — Data Center Discussion Ban
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes — Tribal Executive Board Bans All Data Center Discussion and Development on Fort Peck Reservation (August 10, 2026)
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes · Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribal Executive Board Resolution (August 10, 2026), barring data center discussions on the Fort Peck Reservation
- Status
- In effect
- Took effect
- August 10, 2026
- Applies to
- Anyone seeking to open discussions with the Fort Peck Tribal government regarding data center development on the Fort Peck Reservation
- Enforced by
- Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board
The Fort Peck Tribal Executive Board of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes — located in northeast Montana — voted at its August 10, 2026 regular meeting to bar all future discussions and proposals for data center development on the Fort Peck Reservation. The resolution bans 'all future discussions and/or proposals pertaining to individuals or entities that would potentially develop data centers on the Fort Peck Reservation' due to 'the threat to our environment and members of our tribe with irreversible impacts.' Tribal Chairman Floyd Azure explained that the board had been approached by three different data center companies in the prior year, none of whom could explain to tribal leadership how the development would benefit the tribe. The Fort Peck Reservation encompasses about 2 million acres in the extreme northeastern corner of Montana, home to the Assiniboine and Sioux peoples. The ban mirrors actions by the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma (March 2026), Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians (April 2026), and Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (May 2026) — all of which banned data center development on tribal lands.
Who is protected: Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribal members and the Fort Peck Reservation's environment and land from unchecked data center development
Legal detail
Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribal Executive Board, regular meeting August 10, 2026. Resolution: ban all future discussions and proposals for data center development on the Fort Peck Reservation. Scope: indefinite — no expiration date stated. Territory: approximately 2 million acres, Roosevelt and Daniels Counties, northeastern Montana. Tribal Chairman: Floyd Azure. Three companies had approached the tribe seeking to build data centers on the reservation in the prior year; the board determined that none could demonstrate adequate tribal benefit. The resolution prohibits even the opening of discussions with developers — a stricter posture than a moratorium (which typically pauses permitting while standards are developed). Context: the tribe is also on a Federal Emergency Management Agency major disaster list (FEMA declaration amended August 5, 2026 — separate from this action). Reporting sources accessed via headlines; direct article bodies were proxy-blocked.
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes |
|---|---|
| Level | State |
| Strength | Stronger |
| Enacted | August 10, 2026 |
| Citation | Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux Tribal Executive Board Resolution (August 10, 2026), barring data center discussions on the Fort Peck Reservation |
| Private right of action | No, agency enforcement only |
| Penalties | Per tribal enforcement powers; no access without board authorization |
| Topics | data-center siting and energy · government use of AI |
| News report | Fort Peck Tribes ban discussions with data center developers — Montana Free Press |
Related data-center siting and energy rules elsewhere
- Superior WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Dane County WI Hyperscale Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- Madison WI Data Center Moratorium (1-year) · In effect
- Manitowoc County WI Data Center Moratorium · In effect
- WA SB 5982 (Data Center / Clean Energy) · In effect
- Dayton OH data center moratorium (180-day, Apr 2026) · In effect
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