Cody Schultz, director of North Dakota Parks and Recreation, told the House Energy and Natural Resources committee the agency’s work contributes to the state’s outdoor-recreation economy and outlined infrastructure, staffing and program priorities for the upcoming legislative session.

"Our mission is to enrich generations through experiences that connect people and places," Schultz said, using the agency’s mission statement to frame his overview. He told legislators that outdoor recreation contributed an estimated $1.6 billion to North Dakota’s economy in 2023 and that state parks account for roughly $154 million of that figure in a typical year.

Schultz said the agency manages a substantial infrastructure portfolio across 15 destination properties and about 21,000 acres: 13,170 campsites, more than 330 buildings, roughly 60 cabins or overnight rentals, 238 marina slips and hundreds of miles of trails and roads. The parks system reported about 1.2 million visitors and just over 95,000 overnight camping nights in 2024, which Schultz described as the department’s third-best year on record.

Deferred maintenance and recent appropriations
Schultz told the committee a 2020 assessment identified roughly $74 million in deferred maintenance needs across the system; the Legislature has since appropriated about $27.9 million to address the backlog. He said those appropriations have funded projects in buildings and underground utilities and that more investment will be needed for roadways, bridges and other capital work as projects are engineered and bid. Some contracts are under construction and the agency expects to spend much of its ARPA funds before the federal deadline that the agency must meet.

Staffing and seasonal workforce
Schultz said staffing remains a primary operational challenge. Parks employs 84 year-round staff; 20 of those are in a "year-round temp" classification that provides health insurance but not retirement or paid leave, contributing to high turnover. The agency targeted 373 seasonal employees in 2024 but left roughly 14 percent of those positions unfilled — about 50 jobs — and covered gaps with overtime and mobile staffing. Schultz said the agency is using earlier recruitment and college job fairs, online job platforms and marketing to increase seasonal and year-round hiring.

Cabins, marinas, technology and a new foundation
Schultz reviewed recent investments and new initiatives: the agency has invested in a library of video assets and an app that displays roughly 2,000 miles of trails and allows reservations. The agency established the North Dakota State Park Foundation as a 501(c)(3) to make it easier for private donors and foundations to support park projects; the IRS determination letter arrived in September.

Schultz described challenges in building cabins and concession infrastructure on Army Corps of Engineers land, saying Corps approvals can take a year or more. He said the Legislature appropriated $2.4 million to construct new cabins; Fort Stevenson and Lake Sakakawea projects have been delayed by Corps permitting. The agency also operates 238 marina slips across three properties and has expanded pontoon rentals at five lakes after finding short payback periods.

Pembina Gorge new state park
The committee heard an update on the Pembina Gorge project. Schultz said the agency already owned the land and received $6 million in state appropriations plus $2 million in federal grants for an approximately $8 million investment. Construction was underway and the agency was on schedule, with 55 modern campsites, five primitive sites and six cabins programmed. Schultz said a soft opening could take place in late 2025 and a full opening in spring 2026.

Local partnerships and grants
Schultz said the parks agency awards matching grants to local governments and that the Legislature has recently appropriated $11 million in matching grants for city and county recreation projects. He said demand exceeded available funds — the agency received applications totalling about $70 million for the two grant rounds — and that the grants require a local 50-50 match.

Ending
Schultz closed by reiterating the agency’s economic and health benefits and asked the committee to consider continued investment in infrastructure, workforce incentives and programs that connect parks to nearby gateway communities.