North Dakota Parks and Recreation details funding needs for cabins, deferred maintenance and Pembina Gorge

Cody Schultz, director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation, told the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division in a committee hearing that the agency is seeking a mix of one-time and base funding to complete deferred maintenance, build cabins and expand services at high-use parks such as Pembina Gorge.

Schultz said parks and outdoor recreation support the state economy and mental health, and that continued appropriations are needed to preserve infrastructure and serve growing visitor demand. “Our mission statement is to enrich generations, through experiences that connect people and places,” he said.

The agency outlined a multi-year portfolio of projects and budget requests, including funding for cabin construction, continued deferred maintenance and capital projects, a request to convert year‑round temporary staff to full FTE status, and technology upgrades to support cabin automation and staff operations. Schultz said one of the department’s most visible projects, Pembina Gorge Campground, had a May 2024 groundbreaking and remains on schedule for construction this summer.

Why it matters: Schultz told the committee that North Dakota state parks recorded about 1,200,000 vehicle-based visits in 2024 and that parks generate large economic benefits — citing a 2020 parks-only economic impact of $154,000,000 and a statewide outdoor recreation contribution (per a 2023 Bureau of Economic Analysis study) of roughly $1,600,000,000. The department also reported roughly 95,000 camping nights in 2024 and roughly 1,300–1,400 campsites across the system. Those demands, he said, drive the need for infrastructure upgrades and seasonal staffing.

Key funding items discussed - Cabin construction: Schultz said the department received a $2,400,000 appropriation for year‑round cabins but has not begun construction because approvals are pending from federal landowners for some proposed locations. He said the department has authority to site cabins and will consider alternative properties if approvals are not secured by an internal deadline in early July. - Deferred maintenance and capital: The department described multi-session appropriations that together total roughly $27,900,000 (ARPA/SIF/one‑time buckets referenced across sessions) focused on buildings, underground utilities (water, electrical, sewer), roads and cyclic maintenance. Schultz said roughly $12,000,000 was expected to be spent in the coming summer construction season and that about $9.5 million remained from an earlier ARPA bucket that must be spent by federal deadlines. - FTE conversions and new staff: The department requested funding to convert nine year‑round temporary positions to FTEs (a requested funding delta of $269,000 to cover retirement/benefit costs). Schultz said six conversions had been authorized in the previous session and that five of those were filled quickly; if the nine requested positions are approved the department would have 11 converted FTEs in total. - Equipment and comfort stations: The request included $500,000 for equipment (mowers, skid steers) split between general funds and SIF, and $924,000 for construction of comfort stations/shower houses. For the comfort stations the department is pursuing FEMA grants that would cover 75% of costs if the facilities meet storm‑shelter standards. - Technology: The governor’s budget initially included separate line items for Wi‑Fi expansion ($3,600,000) and park automation; the House combined and reduced those requests to $2,500,000 from SIF. Schultz said that proposed Wi‑Fi and connectivity funding would focus on agency buildings and cabins (to enable keypad locks and other automation) rather than providing campground Wi‑Fi for campers. - Matching and local grants: The department described a history of matching grant programs to local governments and tribes. Schultz noted a House amendment combined two grant line items (county/city/tribal cost share and outdoor venue grants) and reduced total funding from $12,500,000 to $7,500,000 and appeared to remove a local match requirement that had existed in prior tranches; he said the department is open to committee guidance on match language.

Pembina Gorge and other projects Schultz said Pembina Gorge Campground received a state appropriation of $6,000,000 and the department identified $2,000,000 in federal grant support; the department held a May 30, 2024, groundbreaking and reported the project is on schedule. He described the site layout, pull‑through campsites with 50‑amp service, stubbed utilities for a future visitor center and federal grant funds found to add a shower house in the current phase.

International Peace Garden Tim Chapman, CEO of the International Peace Garden, appeared after Schultz and described three House‑passed one‑time SIF items: $1,500,000 for music camp infrastructure upgrades, $1,000,000 for sewer upgrades and a $317,500 House addition to cover conservatory overrun costs. Chapman said Manitoba has agreed to an emergency appropriation and that Manitoba matching funds are expected; he requested the committee consider base funding increases to help the Peace Garden with staffing and preventative maintenance.

Staffing, turnover and operations Schultz said the department employs about 84 year‑round staff (of which roughly 20 are categorized as year‑round temporary employees who do not receive leave or retirement benefits) and targets about 370 seasonal hires for the coming summer. He reported 15.4% turnover among FTE positions during the last biennium (about six positions) and said roughly 30% of the year‑round temp designation cohort turned over during the same period. Schultz said the department had under $500,000 cut from its base budget to meet a 3% reduction asked for in the executive budget process and that he had identified cost‑efficiencies and outside funding sources to offset some recurring costs.

Operational constraints and risks The department flagged several constraints: approval delays and differing processes when working on projects that require Army Corps of Engineers or Bureau of Reclamation approvals; construction cost inflation that has pushed bid results above engineer estimates; and federal spending deadlines linked to ARPA funds. Schultz said the Corps has been especially slow on approvals and that the difference in responsiveness between Bureau of Reclamation and Army Corps staff has affected timelines.

Revenue and funds Schultz summarized fee revenues and special funds: the parks and recreation fund (overnight camping, passes, rental equipment) had collected about $7,200,000 as of Dec. 31, 2024; a state park concession fund had collected just over $2,000,000. He also detailed vehicle‑based counting and estimates used to convert vehicle counts to people (a multiplier of about 3.3 persons per vehicle).

Committee process and next steps No formal committee vote was recorded during the presentation. The hearing record shows the committee planned to close the hearing on the pending bill (10/19 in the hearing schedule) and to continue budget deliberations. Schultz said the department would continue to pursue federal grants, finalize loan documents with Bank of North Dakota for the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library gap funding line item, and work with the governor’s office to seat the board of the North Dakota State Parks Foundation, which the department formed and received IRS 501(c)(3) status for last fall.

Ending Schultz and Chapman concluded by answering senators’ questions about Corps approvals, Manitoba match commitments to IPG, and how the department is prioritizing utility and cabin infrastructure. The committee recessed after the presentations and scheduled further consideration as part of the Appropriations — Education and Environment Division budget deliberations.