Central ND News

Senators John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer, along with Representative Julie Fedorchak, have reintroduced the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act. This bicameral legislation aims to facilitate the development of state-owned lands and minerals in North Dakota. The bill proposes that the State of North Dakota relinquish state-owned lands and minerals within Tribal Reservations to the U.S. Department of the Interior in exchange for federal land and minerals of equal value within the state.

The delegation had previously secured Senate passage of this legislation in the last Congress, which they believe will aid its progression in the 119th Congress. A member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee stated, "Energy development on state and federally-held lands not only plays a critical role in supporting economic growth and our nation’s energy security, but it produces significant revenue to help fund education, infrastructure, and a wide range of priorities."

The proposed exchanges are expected to reduce fragmentation of minerals and surface acres for both North Dakota and Native American Tribes. One official remarked, "Our Trust Lands Completion Act is a win-win-win solution for North Dakota, tribes, and the federal government."

The legislation seeks to address longstanding issues by allowing North Dakota to exchange fragmented state-owned lands within Tribal Reservations for federal lands of equal value. Another official commented that this would unlock new opportunities for responsible energy development while ensuring tribes have greater control over their own lands.

North Dakota Trust Lands Commissioner expressed support by stating that this legislation would enhance K-12 education funding while providing tribes with opportunities to consolidate reservation lands further.

Chairman of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation voiced approval as well: "We were glad to help shape how the draft bill would restore some Reservation land previously taken from us."

Currently, more than 130,000 acres of minerals and over 31,000 surface acres are held by North Dakota within Tribal Reservations but remain largely undeveloped due to existing federal laws that do not allow adequate exchanges between state and federal governments. The act aims to resolve these issues through equal-value transactions under standardized appraisal practices without impacting Indian treaty rights or National Grasslands.