I finally got rain, but it came all after harvest. If it weren’t for bad luck I wouldn’t have any luck at all. I swathed the little barley we had, then the wind came up at night and scattered it. Rain arrived and stained the barley. 10,000 ducks moved in for three days. Last week some people dressed like soldiers came in and shot the ducks. I didn’t get to watch my barley head south! But enough about having fun. My farm is a food factory; not a place of recreation.

Did you realize North Dakota has one-third of America’s national grasslands? It appears grassland issues are coming to the forefront. The debate takes form as outsiders request a balance between wildlife and recreational interests and grazing interests (along with their property rights). Research does not indicate a consideration for recreation at the time the national grasslands were set aside. Instead, the prime consideration appeared to be economic stability, with the federal government retaining mineral and subsurface rights and ranchers owning grazing and water rights - the split estate.

The latest proposal is intended to “reallocate the grasslands resource” and “balance land use between recreation, wildlife habitat and production agriculture.” This idea places an economic burden upon private property owners adjacent to the national grasslands.

Do you believe it is proper for the government to continue to attach private property? Should Congress legislate a “balance” for recreation and wildlife use from previously designated lands...lands owned by private citizens? Should a government agency, without specific congressional authorization, be able to regulate these lands? Should private citizens be coerced into paying for a “public” resource?

At this point, I’ve concluded the government needs to put a stop to these changes that place an economic burden on private property, on communities, entire regions and on the state. When the regulator decides to request a reassessment, reappropriation, reallocation or a reappraisal of the use of anything, landowners can bet there will be trouble down the road.

For a thorough discussion of these issues, attend our annual meeting.