# A North Dakota power grab



## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I didn't catch the date, but rancher and grazing organizations are getting together with John Hoven in Dickinson this spring to talk about government management on the grasslands. If your a sportsman and concerned about the hunting in North Dakota we better be represented. 
The last time we went through this the grazing associations wanted more say in the management of the land. If I remember the meeting in the Sheyenne Grasslands they wanted all management turned over to them. I think they would try circumvent the multiple use policy and I worry about access if they get to much power. 
The anti conservation crowd will jump on this one, and my comments. OK Shaug lets have it. I'm sure these comments will even make it over on farmerbuddy. :wink: The last comment should assure that.


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## shaug (Mar 28, 2011)

Plains,

You remind me of Don Quixote charging windmills of the past:

http://rlch.org/stories/partners-grasslands-stewardship

Back then I read a piece about the Sierra Club and the Cass County Wildlife Federation partnering and wanting a work shop in Dickinson to teach the ranchers how to better manage their grass. If the ranchers seem a little wary maybe it is for good reason.

That web link I gave you explains a bunch.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

I'll read further, but am very busy today. The following is a good summation of our current problems.



> History: Despite an extremely low population density, North Dakotans have a bad habit of stepping on each other's toes when it comes to grasslands management. The hullabaloo over the Dakota Prairie Grasslands management plan was no exception. Community meetings launched by the Forest Service in 1995 triggered a contentious tug-of-war between two traditional adversaries - environmentalists and public-lands ranchers - over wildlife management, livestock grazing allotments, recreation, oil and gas leasing and economic impacts on surrounding communities.


Remember that Multiple Use part of the federal plan? Why is there such conflict over wildlife management when from the very beginning everyone knew these grazing allotments included many other uses? Why do ranchers continually contest wildlife management and public access? Some of those ranchers I have spoke with I like very much, and others have tried to charge me to hunt public land. Some I have enjoyed, some are an irritation, and some encounters are humorous. For example of humorous this spring the Sheriff in one car and a deputy in another stopped me. They said he had reports of ducking down. Ducking down? What the heck is ducking down. Earlier I had been to the optometrist for light flashes in my eye. They dilated the left eye and I still could not see good. One rancher (don't know him, but his dad is very nice) met us on the road and I had to lean far right and turn my head to see who it was. I guess the guy must of thought I was trying to hide or something. Real goofy, but oh well. So I told the Sheriff I was looking for coyotes. He asked for my license. I said sure here is my Sheriff dept identification also. They went back to the vehicle, then came back and apologized for stopping me, but explained the rancher had just let his cows out that day and was worried about his small calves. I guess things are kind of goofy out there now days. No problem, but I thought the ducking down thing was funny.

Anyway Shaug I was sure you would take the other side, and here you are. Sportsmen better keep track of these things before our public land turns into pay the rancher to play. They need to be especially on guard any time the North Dakota Farm Bureau is involved.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Keep us informed of the when and where this meeting will be held, Plainsman! I and a lot of others of Coffee Row are squarely n the cattlemen's corner as far as having grazing rights assured to them at reasonable fair prices. But giving jurisdiction and rule making to a bunch of cattlemen ( like GST on FBO  :evil: ) would be the biggest friggin disaster to ever hit sportsmen, especially hunters, even hikers and birders and even fishermen in some instances. Fox guarding the henhouse? They'd OWN the henhouse, or believe they would anyway! 
If Sportsmen don't get involved n the type of thing, they have no right to sit and complain on websites.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

> I and a lot of others of Coffee Row are squarely n the cattlemen's corner as far as having grazing rights assured to them at reasonable fair prices.


I agree, but when I say they should pay enough to administer the lands so it is not a burden on the taxpayer the radicals call me an ag basher. Not true, just want things economically balanced. As a matter of fact my feelings parallel every point you made. Now the power grabbers can call us liberal. If they only pay what half the land is worth that's welfare. Welfare is for liberals. Were the conservatives Habitat.


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## shaug (Mar 28, 2011)

Dr. bobkat wrote,



> Keep us informed of the when and where this meeting will be held, Plainsman!


http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-a ... f887a.html

BISMARCK, N.D. - U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell is slated to visit North Dakota to talk with ranchers about management of Little Missouri Grasslands in the western part of the state.

Sen. John Hoeven says Tidwell is hosting a meeting on May 30 at the Strom Center in Dickinson.

Hoeven says Tidwell will meet with North Dakota grazing associations and individual ranchers to discuss management practices for grazing and ranching on the federal grasslands.

Hoeven says Tidwell has visited North Dakota several times in the past and to "better understand the challenges facing ranchers in the grasslands."

Dr. bobkat wrote,



> If Sportsmen don't get involved n the type of thing, they have no right to sit and complain on websites.


There is the time and date and story to the meeting that Plainsmen failed to provide. That may be a conflict because the Future of Hunting Conference might be held on the same day. The enviro's will be at both pretending they represent sportsmen. Plainsman will not be at either. He will be sitting in his hidey hole complaining on websites.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Shaug I intend to call and find out what the agenda of the meeting is. If it's a public meeting to talk about any changes in the control of our public lands I'm going to try work it in. I often post from my phone when out of town, so nope I'm not in a hidey hole as you say. If it's only going to be a rancher complaining it's not worth going. If they want more control then sportsmen and anyone with any interest in their public lands better be there. I suppose there should be some people there to listen to what's going on. The Forrest Service may be coming in and getting blind sided with Bundy type mentality.


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## Dick Monson (Aug 12, 2002)

I believe the ND Future of Hunting Conference is postponed until fall.


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## Habitat Hugger (Jan 19, 2005)

Like most issues, there has to be a compromise reached that benefits the cattleman and Sportsmen. IMHO there's far too much no give and take and all for one side stuff these days. Some of my best friends are cattlemen, in fact I'm heading out to help one work some calves today, but I also support free access for everyone else on public land, be they hikers, birders, antler hunters or whatever on public land.


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## Plainsman (Jul 30, 2003)

Habitat Hugger said:


> Like most issues, there has to be a compromise reached that benefits the cattleman and Sportsmen. IMHO there's far too much no give and take and all for one side stuff these days. Some of my best friends are cattlemen, in fact I'm heading out to help one work some calves today, but I also support free access for everyone else on public land, be they hikers, birders, antler hunters or whatever on public land.


The only thing I could add would be that I would like to see grazing fees on public land pay for the administration of public land so that it does not become a taxpayer burden. It doesn't even have to be nearly as high as surrounding private land, nor does it need to support the taxpayer, just pay for the administration and management.

Also, the give and take bothers me some. What do we need to give. We don't need to take anything from the grazers, but is there something we should give them? I don't understand (not talking about you now HH) why some people think things much change when they are working. We have access, ranchers have grazing, oil is battling for access, and people like campers and hikers currently have no problem. I am suspicious of any who want more.


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## spentwings (Apr 25, 2007)

shaug said:


> Plains,
> 
> You remind me of Don Quixote charging windmills of the past:


Hmmm,,,,is that right???

Having hunted the Sheyenne* National *Grasslands exclusively, mostly alone, the past 40 years, I've had on at least 3 seperate occasions been told by one of the locals "You can't hunt here,,,I have cattle in the area.".
My response has always been a polite "I'm not leaving and I'll be careful of your cattle." and that was the end of it.
But I wonder how many of these guys, sitting on their posted land glazing at the grasslands with desire, have cowed (heh) numerous hunters to leave over the years?

*Compromise???*

As long as I'm here: here's my opinion of the NDFB posted on a different site:
_NDFB is the acronym for North Dakota Farm Bureau. Sounds official doesn't it,,, almost like a State agency or something. In fact, they're nothing more than an political organization run by farmers for farmers.
They've never met public land they didn't covet,,, a wetland they didn't want to drain,,, or a tree they didn't want to bulldoze_.

Like my Dad said to a woman years a go that barreled down on our small party threatening to call her husband, game warden,
sheriff, and maybe the Governor if we didn't leave because of cattle in the area,
*"Go to hell!"* :beer:


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