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Senate gives do-pass to grasslands grazing grants bill after testimony from ranchers and agencies
Summary
Senators voted to give a do-pass recommendation to Senate Bill 2368, which would codify a grasslands grazing cost-share grant program that has been administered by the Agriculture Commissioner and funded through recent appropriations.
Senate Bill 2368, introduced by Sen. Greg Kessel, would codify the grasslands grazing grants program in the Agriculture Commissioner's chapter of the North Dakota Century Code. The program has been run through the commissioner’s budget during two recent bienniums and received appropriations totaling $6 million across sessions; testimony before the committee identified $3,000,000 currently included in House Bill 1009 for the program in this session.
Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring told senators the bill establishes parameters for administering the grasslands cost-share grant program and said the department has overseen projects that improved water access, fencing and wildlife habitat across the Dakota Prairie Grasslands. He explained the program is targeted to grazing permittees on federal grasslands where the federal land-tenure and leasing arrangements make other state programs difficult to apply directly.
Ranching and grazing association leaders described local projects paid through the program. Wes Orbegoch (testimony) said his association converted abandoned oil wells into water wells and installed more than 23 miles of pipeline, drilled 10 new wells, installed roughly 46,800 feet of cross fencing and created stock dams to serve dozens of allotments and families. John Veil (vice president, Madora Grazing Association) and Keith Wenner (McKenzie County Grazing Association) testified to similar outcomes and noted benefits for wildfire suppression, livestock production and public multiple-use access. Mark Bohr, Assistant Director of the Oil and Gas Division at the Department of Mineral Resources, described the conversion process for old oil wells and put an average conversion cost at roughly $40,000 per well based on 2024 work.
Senators moved and approved a do-pass recommendation for SB2368. A roll call followed; senators recorded as voting yes during the final vote were Senator Marsalais (Yes), Senator Weston (Yes), Senator Weber (Yes), Chairman Lewick (Yes), Vice Chair Meerdal (Aye) and Senator Lam (Aye). The committee then advanced the bill with a do-pass recommendation.
Ending: Supporters said the program has helped expand water access and grazing management across thousands of acres of federal grasslands; the bill would put the program into statute while funding would still require appropriation.
