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U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar says there are no plans to create any national monuments in Montana.

Senator Jon Tester questioned Salazar during a Senate hearing on Tuesday about plans outlined in a leaked Interior Department memo.

The memo also detailed the possible purchase of private land within the Missouri Breaks National Monument.

During the meeting, Tester said to Salazar, "There has also been talk about possible land agreements along the Missouri River breaks. Some folks are fired up about the Department coming in and actively planning to pursue purchases along the Missouri River in the Breaks region. Do you know, is this something that's real or is this something that is not real? Is the Department planning on buying land in the Breaks?"

Salazar replied, "I am not aware that there is any such plan."

Salazar continued, “There are no plans that we have to move forward," and added that there have been “no directions from the White House that we move forward on monument designation.”

Tester also received a commitment from Salazar to seek local public input on any public lands decisions.