Central ND News

Senator John Hoeven, ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Committee and a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, hosted U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Chief Randy Moore in North Dakota this week. The visit is part of Hoeven's efforts to ensure access to public lands for multiple uses, including grazing, energy development, and tourism.

Hoeven held meetings with Moore, western North Dakota grazing associations, and local oil and gas producers. He emphasized the significance of these interactions: “North Dakota is home to more than 1.2 million acres of national grasslands, which are intermingled with private and state acres, creating a checkerboard of ownership and complex legal and regulatory issues for industries in our state, including livestock and energy producers,” said Hoeven.

He continued by highlighting congressional mandates regarding federal lands: “Congress has mandated that federal lands be made available for multiple uses, but in the past, we’ve seen efforts to undermine the law and restrict access to the grasslands and other taxpayer-owned lands. That has real impacts on our ranchers and oil and gas producers, who provide two essential resources to our nation – a low-cost, high-quality food supply and reliable, affordable energy.”

Hoeven stated that these meetings aim to secure continued access to the Dakota Prairie Grasslands while addressing challenges crucial to livestock and energy operations. This includes pest control and reclaiming old oil wells. "Where we can," he noted, "we are converting these orphaned wells to freshwater wells, which are particularly beneficial for our grazers with cattle on the grasslands." He added that efforts are ongoing "to give the state more flexibility in using the orphaned wells funding to make these conversions."

In addition to these initiatives, Hoeven continues working towards passing a robust farm bill that invests in essential tools for farmers and ranchers.