Even bad publicity is better than no publicity. CWD has to be kept in front of the public. The prion theory needs money. Crises Crises Crises. And then the purse strings open.
Doesn't matter what the flavor of the month is, covid, Obama Care, Ukraine, this federal government deficit spends.
It's everywhere. The North Dakota Game and Fish is requesting added personnel from the State treasury to handle the grant writing of federal money. NDGF budget:
https://ndlegis.gov/assembly/68-2023/testimony/HAPPGOV-2017-20230308-22789-F-KARY_KIM.pdf
Interesting pie chart on page 7 that I cannot get to load on here. $110.8 million
Page 17
23-25 AGENCY REQUESTS NOT INCLUDED IN SENATE VERSION
1. Administrative Services - New FTE Account Budget Specialist III: $238,513 (100% special) We are requesting one (1) New FTE for an Account Budget Specialist III and related operating expenses.
This biennium, the department has received over $6M in additional federal funds from USFWS Pittman-Robertson,
new federal funds for Chronic Wasting Disease work from USDA-APHIS, and the potential of additional funds from USFWS for CWD, and the Water Resources Development Act funds from the Corps of Engineers for Aquatic Nuisance Species work.
There is also the addition of millions of federal funds that the department has the potential to be awarded: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation ($2.5M) and
Recovering America’s Wildlife Act ($22,775,000).
Currently we have 1 FTE in Administrative Services that is the Federal Aid Manager who handles these duties for all federal funds for the department (approx. $37M per biennium). The amount of federal funds the department received in 2013-15 was $25M and 2015-17 was $30.2M, an increase in federal revenue of $5M. In 2015-17, we requested and received an FTE to assist with the growing workload.
Since 2015-17, when we received the additional FTE, federal revenue has again increased approx. $7M (15-17 $30.2M to 21-23 est. $37M). Any addition of federal funds above current levels is not sustainable by existing staff.
The amount of federal regulations, grant application processing requirements, and reporting requirements in the new federal systems have increased and it now takes a lot more time to administer the grants. The workload involved with these federal funds pertaining to understanding and maintaining compliance with federal regulations, keeping up with and implementing changes, processing applications and amendments, monitoring budgets and grant balances, requesting reimbursements, preparing subgrant agreements and monitoring subgrantees, and preparing, reviewing, and submitting financial and performance reports in multiple different federal systems will require another position to manage and perform these duties.
OK.......the new federal funds received for CWD was $96,400 dollars for the study of Human Dimensions. The potential of additional funds from USFWS is referring to the CWD Research and Management Act (passed December 23, 2022) or $37,500 million per year divided by the States in need. Grant writers will have to define that need. No money has been allocated from the U.S. treasury yet.
Obviously, the Recovering Americas Wildlife Act is potentially the big payday at $22,775,000 dollars. Add that to the pie chart on page 7.
NDGF is flush with cash. 
