The "Final" SB 2315 - Worst of Both Worlds

[njsimonson]

The final version of SB 2315 will be the worst of both worlds:

1) Everything's Posted; and
2) A study on how to make an electronic database.

The version of the House Ag Amendments released at 5 pm today ARE AT THIS LINK.

Of key note are lines 17-24 on Page 7 – ALL LANDS ARE POSTED. ALL PRIVATE LANDS REQUIRE PERMISSION TO ENTER. They tried to sneak this by us with six pages of “feel good” language, but it’s very clear (though sneakily written in) this is an ANTI-HUNTING BILL trying to amend G&F Code to prohibit hunting on ALL PRIVATE LAND (including unposted).

Once you read it and get over your disbelief (or not), YOU NEED TO CONTACT YOUR REPRESENTATIVES IN THE HOUSE!

Tell them to VOTE NO on this final version of SB 2315. IT MAKES EVERYTHING POSTED AND WILL BE DISASTROUS FOR ND HUNTING, RECRUITING NEW HUNTERS AND CONTINUING OUR HUNTING HERITAGE!

This bill, as amended...
- WILL NOT PREVENT TRESPASSING. (If poachers don't obey signs, they're not going to obey no signs.)
- FIXES A NON-PROBLEM (only 48 offenses of trespass under Ch. 20.1 in 2018)
- WILL REMOVE MILLIONS OF ACRES OF PUBLIC ACCESS (More than 1M, possibly as much as 5M unposted)
- WILL DECREASE PARTICIPATION IN HUNTING (Cited as the #1 reason people quit)
- WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT FEDERAL FUNDING TO ND (Pittman Robertson Dollars at $11.5Million total to ND since inception)
- WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT STATE FUNDING (Decrease in hunters equals less license revenue for G&F)
- WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT INCOME FOR ND BUSINESSES (From Scheels in Fargo to the mom & pop gas stations, grocery stores, bars and hotels in Mott, Ft. Ransom, Devils Lake and all throughout the state, less hunters means less spending at these places)
- SPECIFICALLY TARGETS HUNTING (A heritage our legislators are SWORN to protect in the state constitution - Art. XI, Sec. 27; the bill references hunting dozens of times)
- FLIES AGAINST 90 YEARS OF GOOD, DEVELOPED LAW (which it appears 99.999% of hunters understand, and multigenerational farmers know how to post and enforce)

These sneaky-minded lobbyists and do-anything politicians who introduced it with money in mind are SELLING US TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER – corporate ag, commercial hunting, big oil, and special interests that get themselves re-elected.

EMAIL THE HOUSE THIS WEEKEND – TELL THEM TO VOTE NO ON SB 2315! FOR OUR PAST, FOR OUR FUTURE, FOR THE SAKE OF LOOKING OUT FOR THE GOOD OF THE MANY AGAINST THE MONEY OF THE FEW!

mkadams@nd.gov;bertanderson@nd.gov; dickanderson@nd.gov; pkanderson@nd.gov; tbeadle@nd.gov; rcbecker@nd.gov; lbellew@nd.gov; jblum@nd.gov; tboe@nd.gov;gdbosch@nd.gov; jboschee@nd.gov; mbrandenburg@nd.gov; rbuffalo@nd.gov; cdamschen@nd.gov; jdelzer@nd.gov; bdevlin@nd.gov; gdobervich@nd.gov; jddockter@nd.gov; meidson@nd.gov; sertelt@nd.gov; cfegley@nd.gov; jayfisher@nd.gov; jgrueneich@nd.gov; rguggisberg@nd.gov; lbhager@nd.gov; krhanson@nd.gov; phatlestad@nd.gov; cheadland@nd.gov; pdheinert@nd.gov; rholman@nd.gov;jahoverson@nd.gov; mchowe@nd.gov; craigjohnson@nd.gov; djohnson@nd.gov; marycjohnson@nd.gov; dljohnston@nd.gov; tbjones@nd.gov; tkading@nd.gov; kkarls@nd.gov; jkasper@nd.gov;gkeiser@nd.gov; kkempenich@nd.gov; dhkiefert@nd.gov; lklemin@nd.gov; bkoppelman@nd.gov; kkoppelman@nd.gov; gkreidt@nd.gov; vrlaning@nd.gov; mlefor@nd.gov; dlongmuir@nd.gov;sclouser@nd.gov; jmagrum@nd.gov; amarschall@nd.gov; bmartinson@nd.gov; amcwilliams@nd.gov; lmeier@nd.gov; amitskog@nd.gov;crmock@nd.gov; dmonson@nd.gov; mrnathe@nd.gov; jonelson@nd.gov; menelson@nd.gov; eobrien@nd.gov; mowens@nd.gov; bpaulson@nd.gov;gpaur@nd.gov; cpollert@nd.gov; tkporter@nd.gov; bpyle@nd.gov; dwrichter@nd.gov;sroersjones@nd.gov; kmrohr@nd.gov; druby@nd.gov;mruby@nd.gov; masanford@nd.gov; blsatrom@nd.gov; mischatz@nd.gov; aschauer@nd.gov; jeschmidt@nd.gov; mschneider@nd.gov; rschobinger@nd.gov; cschreiberbeck@nd.gov; lsimons@nd.gov; kskroch@nd.gov; vsteiner@nd.gov; mstrinden@nd.gov; nptoman@nd.gov; wtrottier@nd.gov; btveit@nd.gov; smvetter@nd.gov;dwvigesaa@nd.gov; rweisz@nd.gov; gwestlind@nd.gov;dzubke@nd.gov

FLY THE FLAG ON YOUR FB PAGE!

 

[fireone]

Thanks Nick for the update.

 

[TWN]

I am from McKenzie county and have contacted my representatives, was told I am in the minority in the district. There was another post awhile ago about renewing your fishing/sportsmans license, I have decided I am not buying any license this year as my own personal protest. I do not know what else can be done, this is a road we cannot come back from and if the people don't come out and make sportsmen a majority of emails and calls we are doomed to be lost forever. Imagine all the mule deer hunters in McKenzie county concentrated on public land. It already seems like the whole state is in Grassy Butte the second week of November but this will make it worse. Sportsmen in rural districts need to get the word out to their reps before its too late.

 

[eyexer]

I'm not buying hunting licenses either at this point.

 

[Marbleyes]

Refusing to buy licenses makes no damn difference to these politicians. I think letting your reps know, along with the governor, that if they vote for this you will be voting against them every time they run. Costing the game and fish money means nothing to these people but costing them their jobs might.

 

[Ruttin]

Marble,
I agree but the folks in office do not care about a paycheck these days...it's a just another notch on their belt telling us folks how we need to behave. They all have the money to survive the winter in Bismarck every other year to do so.

 

[Marbleyes]

Marble,
I agree but the folks in office do not care about a paycheck these days...it's a just another notch on their belt telling us folks how we need to behave. They all have the money to survive the winter in Bismarck every other year to do so.

I realize that, which is why I said "cost them their jobs" instead of saying cost them money. I highly doubt very many of these politicians are in it for the money since they don't make all that much. So that leaves power, status, self serving, or to do what's right (couldn't type that with a straight face). I'd bet a majority of them would like to get re-elected, hence why I said it would be a good idea to let them know that voting for this will cost them your vote.

 

[njsimonson]

This comes down to "legislating by ultimatum." What our legislators have done is take the worst possible solution (post everything), and say "here's the second worst alternative we've discussed, you can have that if you want to make it work." How pathetic, the influence of big money is everywhere, what these pols don't get paid by the state, they make up for in lobbyist cash, while their constituents bear the burden of lifestyle changes and loss of 90 years of good law that will result from this bill if it passes.

I know the false narratives have been "sportsmen are lazy, because they don't want to ask" and "landowners are lazy because they don't want to post" but the true narrative has become "legislators are lazy, because they don't want to do their jobs" and find a REAL solution beyond the garbage pitched by the big money lobbyists.

The carrot has never been considered in this case, only the stick, because that's all these people know - how things were 20 years ago (when half of the current Republicans were Democrats, LOL). How many of you think we'll get a database that works in a state where more than half of our legislators don't use Facebook and Twitter (as many of you have pointed out, some don't even respond to EMAILS!) or the Secretary of State's office *just* went digital? [Crickets...]

This final amendment lets legislators get off the hook, pass the buck to a committee comprised of political lackeys, lobbyists and *wow* two sportsmen, while setting up the wall of "everything's posted" when it all falls apart. Legislating by ultimatum. There are some SERIOUS constitutional questions here about the duties owed to the people of this state by the legislature, and a vote for this bill is a dereliction of that duty by those we elected.

 

[remm]

This bill is just a little snapshot at how politics works. It’s money vs majority. Time to see if the legislators are there to represent the people or just there to help themselves. I can’t imagine telling a bunch of people what I’d do and then turn around and bend them all over to better myself. Happens at every level of government. Sad. I wonder what they take before bed to sleep.

 

[BrokenBackJack]

I sure seems to me on both the State and Federal level when the tax payers write, call, email their congress people and ask them to vote a certain way on a bill, the congress people still vote the way THEY want it to go and it seems they are saying we are smart and you aren't so smart so just let us vote how we feel the vote should go. :;:huh

 

[Maddog]

Marble,
I agree but the folks in office do not care about a paycheck these days...it's a just another notch on their belt telling us folks how we need to behave. They all have the money to survive the winter in Bismarck every other year to do so.

And so it goes.

One can only imagine what will happen to our other rights and liberties as we tumble down this path of socialist democracy.

Hopefully we will see the light before it is too late. Or maybe we are . . .

"Be careful what you wish for ..." (I don't mean your post. I am referring to Joe TQ Public.)

- - - Updated - - -

 

[raider]

on the first tuesday after the first monday in november, most politicians loose all ability to give a shit about who they represent... it's just the way it is... come to grips with that and accept it and you'll lead a happier life...

 

[zoops]

Never been one to follow politics real closely but this is garbage how this has crawled along trying to create positive PR as a compromise for both hunters and landowners and now it's pretty much just a door slammed shut. Any idea when this is likely to be voted on?

Good little tool: https://www.legis.nd.gov/lcn/assembly/constituentViews/public/findmylegislator.htm

 

[eyexer]

I sure seems to me on both the State and Federal level when the tax payers write, call, email their congress people and ask them to vote a certain way on a bill, the congress people still vote the way THEY want it to go and it seems they are saying we are smart and you aren't so smart so just let us vote how we feel the vote should go. :;:huh

all they have to say is "you are in the minority". No way to challenge that except the voting booth

 

[Dew1970]

First our hunting rights next our guns

 

[johnr]

Any land owner that is for this is confused. Thinking you want the government having control of your land rights is a step in the right direction is pure lunacy.
Pathetic how easily one can be swayed into the darkness of the government being a friend of the rights of our citizens. Posted signs work, all land posted changes absolutely nothing for a lander owners issue with anything they encounter now

 

[Kentucky Windage]

This bill has nothing to do with hunting. Sportsman cannot control what they don’t own. Introducing additional legislation to help the sportsman out is the only way to ensure the future of hunting.

Open road right of ways to hunting and closing public land to the private sector are a couple ways to improve things for the common man.

- - - Updated - - -

Voting the bad legislators out of office and initiated measures are going to be the sportsman friend moving forward.

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I’ll be voting democrat in my district next election. I NEVER thought I would say that.

 

[johnr]

This bill has nothing to do with hunting. Sportsman cannot control what they don’t own. Introducing additional legislation to help the sportsman out is the only way to ensure the future of hunting.

Open road right of ways to hunting and closing public land to the private sector are a couple ways to improve things for the common man.

- - - Updated - - -

Voting the bad legislators out of office and initiated measures are going to be the sportsman friend moving forward.

- - - Updated - - -

I’ll be voting democrat in my district next election. I NEVER thought I would say that.

i will not vote for anyone that supports this in my district, which means I will be voting democrat next election too. About makes me fucking puke saying that.

 

[Big C]

I am both a hunter and a family member with land in ND (that most is NOT posted) and other states. While I do not see the value in this legislation for either the landowner or hunter - will not stop poaching, gates left open, trespassing, etc - I also do not see how this should ruin our hunting heritage in the state. I have had the good fortune to live and hunt in several states - MN, NE, WY, and others. All had laws where land was assumed posted with no access unless specifically provided. Yes, I MUCH prefer ND current law, but hunting was very much a strong heritage in those other states. Will it change how we hunt? Yes, for some or maybe most. Does it need to stop us from hunting and enjoying our time outside? I don't think it does. I hope that we can all adjust to whatever comes out of this mess and still enjoy our time in the field with family, friends, dogs, and kids.

 

[njsimonson]

I also do not see how this should ruin our hunting heritage in the state. I have had the good fortune to live and hunt in several states - MN, NE, WY, and others. All had laws where land was assumed posted with no access unless specifically provided.

The key difference is that MN and WY have 9x and 30x the amount of public land that ND has, and we can never create more here, due to the same bad lawmakers who have given these same special interests behind SB 2315 the power to veto public land creation in ND in previous sessions.

Lose unposted land -> lose 1M+ acres of access -> lose hunters -> lose funding -> lose habitat -> lose game populations. Repeat steps 3-6 ad nauseum = Nebraska.

WY Public Land = 60 Million Acres (>50% of the state)
MN Public Land = 17.6 Million Acres (24% of the state)
ND Public Land = 2.1 Million Acres (Just 5% of the state - not counting unposted lands: >1M Acres)

Nebraska is always at the bottom of the barrel for public access (only 800k Acres). That's ND's future if SB 2315 passes.