Game and Fish director underscores special-fund model, fish and wildlife participation trends and chronic wasting disease efforts

Jeb Williams, director of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, told the committee the agency operates as a special-fund entity supported by hunting and fishing license revenue and federal excise funds and outlined recent trends in license sales, habitat-access programs and disease-management efforts.

"Our mission is to protect, conserve, enhance fish and wildlife populations and their habitat for sustained public consumptive and nonconsumptive use," Williams said in opening remarks. He emphasized that the department receives no general-fund operating dollars and relies on license revenue, federal excise funding and user fees to finance fisheries, wildlife management and enforcement.

Fisheries and license participation Williams said the department manages about 450 lakes and highlighted continuing strong fisheries productivity in many prairie lakes. He noted roughly 37 community ponds that provide easily…