Environment (Public Lands)

SB 2246 appropriates $49,500 from the general fund to the North Dakota Legislative Council for a one-time study on regenerative grazing. The bill directs a consultant to research the feasibility of creating a regenerative grazing ranch (focused on soil health and carbon absorption) and study how regenerative grazing practices affect carbon levels, rangeland productivity, and ranching sustainability. Key provisions require gathering scientific data, connecting ranchers with stakeholders, and identifying funding sources for carbon management practices. The study would involve input from the agriculture commissioner, mineral resources department, and ranching/energy industry stakeholders, with findings to be reported to the next legislative assembly. This bill does not create the ranch but examines whether it would benefit North Dakota's ranching and energy sectors.

SB 2368 creates a state-administered grant program for infrastructure projects on North Dakota's national grasslands, directly benefiting cooperative grazing associations and their representative organizations. Grants fund specific improvements like water systems, fencing, conservation work, wildlife habitat enhancements, and carbon capture initiatives, all located on federally managed grasslands. Organizations receiving grants must provide a $1 nonstate match for every $4 in state funding and develop approved grazing land plans with local soil conservation districts. The agriculture commissioner will oversee the program, focusing on practical infrastructure upgrades to support sustainable grazing operations.

This North Dakota concurrent resolution (HCR 3024) requests that the U.S. Congress transfer management of the state's national grasslands - over 1 million acres currently overseen by the U.S. Forest Service - to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It argues the NRCS better aligns with the original purpose of the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act, which established these grasslands to control erosion, conserve resources, and support agricultural lands. The resolution does not change management itself but urges Congress to act on this recommendation. It directly affects North Dakota's national grassland properties and their conservation management approach.