The Outdoor Heritage Fund. Anyone pay attention to that thing?
North Dakota's Outdoor Heritage Fund was established in 2013 as a multi-million dollar program to provide grants to state agencies, tribal governments, political subdivisions, and nonprofit organizations, with higher priority given to projects that enhance conservation practices in this state by......
https://www.ndic.nd.gov/research-gr...or-heritage-fund-grant-rounds-final-reports-0
Approved Projects
25-240:
Western Big Game Connectivity and Habitat Fragmentation
- Sponsor: Mule Deer Foundation
- Objective: Construct 60+ miles of wildlife-friendly fencing in western ND.
- Funded Amount: $750,000
- Total Project Cost: $1,400,571
25-241:
Planting for the Future
- Sponsor: North Dakota Petroleum Foundation
- Objective: Planting of 340,000 trees across North Dakota.
- Funded Amount: $220,177
- Total Project Cost: $1,847,740
25-242:
ND Grazing Management Toolbox
- Sponsor: Audubon Great Plains
- Objective: Financial assistance for landowners to improve grassland habitat on 7,500 acres.
- Funded Amount: $635,000
- Total Project Cost: $1,234,506
25-243:
Working Grasslands Partnership 7
- Sponsor: ND Natural Resources Trust
- Objective: Cost-share for landowners to transition CRP acres into grazing.
- Funded Amount: $762,500
- Total Project Cost: $1,267,500
NDA, check out ND Natural Resources Trust. Click on Working Grasslands Partnership 7
Page 9, the money is used to purchase seeding, fencing, pipelines, wells, and cover crops for ranchers.
Page 10 the money
Click on any Approved Project and a regular recipient is North Dakota Natural Resources Trust.
The Trust was created at the end of the Garrison Diversion Project with a $25 million dollar trust set up by the federal government.
The Board:
https://ndnrt.com/about-the-trust/board-of-directors/
Notice the National Wildlife Federation gets a seat. Dave Ditloff. He is the guy who brought the initiated measure to ND about the Clean Water Wildlife and Parks. It would have diverted 5% of the Oil extraction taxes away from the general treasury into their coffers about $100 million per year.
Dave Ditloff wanted a board comprised of nine and they had to be biologists, ecologists or wildlife managers and they wanted to purchase land and easements on land. NDWF lobbyist Mike Donahue was a commonsense fellow and said in the meeting minutes this will never fly.
And it didn't, the measure failed 80/20 but the State decided to give them something and created the Outdoor Heritage Fund at $10 or $15 million.
Of course, Keith Trego,
https://ndnrt.com/about-the-trust/staff/ was a sponsor of the ballot measure and now his NDNRT is in the Outdoor Heritage Fund applying for the money and then doling it out to ranchers for seeding, fencing, pipelines, wells, and cover crops.
NDA, by now you guys have figured out I oppose building more government. It is not the answer.
The NDNRT has outlived its usefulness, the doors should be closed and the $25 million in Trust should go back to the federal government.
The measure 4 guys trying to get rid of real estate taxes are trying to do it all in one full swing. They need to take it in increments. Write language to close the Outdoor Heritage fund and give the savings to the taxpayers in property tax relief. Allow the people to keep more of the money they have earned, and they can do their own conservation work. Ranchers should have to purchase their own seed, fencing, pipelines, wells, and cover crops.