The following letter was sent by the ND Wildlife Federation and the ND Sportsman’s Alliance to both gubernatorial candidates and below are the replies from both candidates.

The Honorable John Hoeven                                                                              04/28/2004

Governor of North Dakota

Governor’s Office

State Capitol

Bismarck, North Dakota 58505

Subject: Natural Resources/Hunting Issues Position Paper

Dear Governor Hoeven,

            The North Dakota Wildlife Federation and the North Dakota Sportsman’s Alliance are representing their membership by respectfully requesting a Natural Resources/Hunting Issues Position Paper from both gubernatorial candidates in the upcoming general election. As one hundred thousand plus North Dakota residents participate in deer hunting alone, it is evident that both hunting and the mandated Public Trust Doctrine of natural resource management are important quality of life issues to North Dakotans.

 This position paper will be for unedited publication so our membership will have a detailed view of each candidate’s policy. A response by May 15^th, 2004 would be appreciated. Thank you for your time and interest on these important issues that affect us all.

Respectfully yours,

John Kopp, President

North Dakota Wildlife Federation

Sandy Barnes, President

North Dakota Sportsman’s Alliance

North Dakota Wildlife Federation / atn. John Kopp

1605 East Capitol Ave

Halkirk Office

Bismarck, ND 58501

North Dakota Sportsman’s Alliance / atn. Sandy Barnes

609 4^th Ave SE

Jamestown, ND 58401

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Received Saturday, May 15, 2004

From Governor John Hoeven:

            “We are blessed in North Dakota to enjoy a great quality of life, and our tremendous outdoor resources are a major factor in maintaining this quality of life. That is why this issue is so important to me, and why I am dedicated to improving our resources, not only now, but for generations to come.

            I have relied on the professionals at the North Dakota Game and Fish Department over the last three years to not only protect our resources, but to also ensure that everyone has access to high quality hunting lands. Good management of hunting pressure and building public access acreage benefit everyone long term. That’s why we have put a strong focus on our private lands initiatives, like Private Lands Open To Sportsmen (PLOTS), Coverlocks, and our Working Lands Initiative, (WLI), which are creating more hunting opportunities.

            We’ve already created over 500,000 acres of public hunting access, up from 160,000 two years ago, and we are working to create 1 million acres within another three years. In addition, we have another 700,000 acres of state owned land open to public hunting. That’s a benefit to resident and non-resident hunters alike. It’s a real asset for our state, and is helping to build North Dakota’s future.

            To manage our valuable hunting resource effectively, we must have some controls in place to avoid “burning it out.”  We are spreading hunting pressure around the state to our many prime locations, as recommended by Game and Fish professionals. We have limited non-resident hunters to private land during the first week of the pheasant season to ensure that North Dakota sportsmen have the first shot on quality hunting lands.

            As you may know, we are currently being sued by the state of Minnesota regarding our states efforts to manage our resources. It is unfortunate that the Minnesota Attorney General has taken a step that could lead to our losing control over our resources, while they still wish to limit our sportsmen’s access to Minnesota. I am committed to doing what it takes to defend our state against this suit because I believe that the people of North Dakota have the right to manage the wildlife resources within our borders.

            I appreciate this opportunity to address your group about hunting, a topic that is important to me and to the future of our state. I take this issue very seriously. I want my son to enjoy the same opportunities to hunt in North Dakota that I have enjoyed my whole life, and I want your family to be able to do the same.

John Hoeven

Governor”

Position Paper – Natural Resources and Hunting                                 May 14, 2004

Joseph A. Satrom, Candidate for Governor

I believe that North Dakota’s future as a high quality place to live and work will be determined to a significant degree by our careful stewardship of the soil, water, air, plants, animals, open spaces and scenic vistas that make this such a remarkable place for recreation, agriculture, industry, etc.   This State’s natural resources provide the basis for our quality of life, and the fundamental elements of our economic prosperity in agriculture, tourism, energy and many of our other industries.  

We are justifiably proud of the wide-open spaces, the prairie grasslands, croplands, the lakes, rivers, wetlands, wildlife and the diverse plant life of the northern Great Plains.   This is a uniquely beautiful land and a wonderful place to live, raise a family, recreate and visit.

As a candidate for Governor, I am committed to developing the State’s economy while at the same time protecting and enhancing our natural resources including improving, not diminishing, the quality of our air, water and soils and tremendous outdoor experiences of hunting, fishing, hiking, camping, birding, etc.  This is not the time to compromise and degrade our quality of life – we still have natural resource opportunities others have long since lost or destroyed.  Indeed, the quality of our natural landscapes may be the very asset that attracts entrepreneurs, young people and new business to our state much as they have been for other parts of the American West.

Our country no longer lacks the technological advancements or the commitment to “do things right” when we develop and operate our businesses, farms, coal-fired electric generating plants and other natural resource based industries.   History has taught us that it is far more economical to protect air and water quality by making the necessary front-end investments that sustain our environmental quality and health standards than to do expensive reclamation projects.

I believe that North Dakota’s Governor must provide aggressive leadership in the areas

of creating new quality jobs that include health benefits, retirement and potential for promotion.  These jobs can be created at the same time that we maintain our commitment to sustaining, protecting and enhancing the State’s environment.   We cannot assume the approach of “business at any cost” because this type of development stance will cause serious damage to the State’s natural assets and be a detriment to efforts to retain our entrepreneurial young people and developing and/or attracting quality jobs in the future.   The State’s economic future is directly tied to our commitment to sustaining and, in fact, enhancing a high quality of life.

During recent years, there has been growing controversy over the State’s management of hunting and wildlife resources.   The following are decisions I will make and a partial list of initiatives that I will advance as North Dakota’s Governor:

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“I will take the politics out of the management of North Dakota Game and Fish Department!”

-I will appoint a highly qualified, well-educated, leader and manager in the field of wildlife conservation to be director of the North Dakota Game & Fish Department.  I will ask the director and top management of the ND Game & Fish Department to develop a vision and programs for our state’s natural resources that sustain and enhance our state’s outdoors, our wildlife and our proud hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation heritage.   North Dakota’s outdoors are special and I pledge my support for programs that expand the enjoyment that we all realize from nature with a special emphasis on programs that engage the state’s youth and provide outdoor opportunities for all citizens.

-I believe that it has been a serious error for the current Governor to mislead North Dakota hunters with respect to establishing the pheasant-hunting season and, more recently, to look to the State Legislature to determine policy related to these seasons.  While the legislature will always have some prerogatives related to the operation of all public agencies I believe that hunting seasons and other natural resource decisions dealing with wildlife and habitat should be made by natural resources professionals and kept out of the political arena.

-I believe that the State of North Dakota has the right and a responsibility, in a balanced manner, to show preference to residents in the administration of hunting seasons.  I believe that a balanced approach which prioritizes sustaining and enhancing our state’s natural resources is best administered by the professionals at the ND Game & Fish Department and that planning and proactive programs must be initiated now in order to

protect and sustain North Dakota’s unique wildlife resources.

 -In a Satrom Administration the Director of the ND Game & Fish Department will be a member of the Governor’s Cabinet and will be expected to be an advocate and the

primary leader on all matters related to sustaining and enhancing habitat and wildlife.

-As Governor, I will appoint active, constructive, natural resource, hunting and fishing enthusiasts to the ND Game and Fish Department Advisory Board and require, in keeping with State law, that all meetings be open and conducted in a manner that is open and

informative to the many citizens who want to participate in public, advisory dialogues about natural resource matters.

“I support efforts to improve habitat for wildlife!”

-I will not support or otherwise approve any diversion of funds that are dedicated to the ND Game and Fish Department and the Department’s natural resource programs,

-I support work with members and staff of the State Land Board that will improve the management of North Dakota public lands so that these lands provide increased

productivity for both agriculture and wildlife resources and are available for public recreation including hunting.

-I support the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in the development of a Foundation to increase the Department’s ability to accept gifts of land, real property, cash and other gifts that support the Department’s programs, the State’s outdoor heritage and increase the amount of public and private land available to hunters and other recreat

ionalists.

-I support the North Dakota Game and Fish Department’s work in the creation and

development of the PLOTS program and Senator Conrad’s work toward a hunting access program for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands.   These programs tend to favor upland bird habitat.   I believe that a new program related to waterfowl habitat may need to be developed within the Department.

“Let’s think long-term about our wildlife resources and build our quality of life for

future generations who want to share our rich hunting and natural heritage!”

-I encourage the Department to develop community-based, landowner partnerships throughout the State as the basis of a walk-in program for dramatically increasing the amount of land available for public hunting.  I support programs that educate hunters on

hunter safety, landowner relationships and hunting practices that sustain and enhance rather than minimize the potential for quality hunting experiences.  Access issues related to hunting and other recreational activities will only grow as private landowners realize the economic values of renting or selling their land for recreational pursuits.  I support the rights of landowners to receive compensation for opening their land to hunting and other recreation.  The State needs to be proactive and visionary in providing access so that the general public, our citizens and visitors, can continue to enjoy these natural amenities that are uniquely North Dakota.

-I support the North Dakota Game and Fish Department in the acquisition and on-going long-term leasing of additional wildlife habitat to dramatically increase the availability of land for wildlife, hunting and other outdoor activity.  The Department needs to be an innovative, national leader in the field of natural resources management.  As Governor, I will require that the Department maintain reserve funds so that the full and true property taxes for these properties will be paid to the respective counties where these lands exist and further require that the Department aggressively control noxious weeds on their property.

-I support the rights of property owners as provided for in the U.S. Constitution including the right to control access, to manage hunting and maintain the right of willing sellers to work with willing buyers, etc.  In order to protect and enhance our State’s natural heritage and sustain our proud hunting, fishing, birding and outdoor heritage for people of all economic groups our State must take a more progressive views related to the acquisition of conservation lands by non-profit organizations and prohibitions on the rights of landowners to sell or donate conservation easements.

-I support increases in local, state and federal programs which encourage and compensate private landowners for their efforts to increase conservation, enhance wildlife, increase

public access hunting and build on North Dakota reputation as a wonderful natural State that has the Nation’s richest outdoor, hunting, fishing and recreation heritage.

-I support the continuation of successful federal programs such as Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP), the Grassland Reserve Program (GRP) and other U.S. Department of Agriculture programs that enhance conservation in our State.  I believe that we need to continue to provide farmers with a range of options related to how they utilize their land including options that emphasize conservation and sustainable agricultural practices.

-I strongly support the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“North Dakota’s wildlife resources are a critical part of our quality of life!”

-I encourage the North Dakota Game & Fish Department, with guidance and input from the legislative process, to continue to develop their role in the licensing and regulation of guides and outfitters to ensure that North Dakota can sustain its reputation as a state that offers high quality hunting for the general population and so that these businesses provide can provide high quality experiences for their customers.  I oppose the large-scale control of land by guides and outfitters as an infringement on the ability of the general population to enjoy North Dakota’s outdoors and support public programs that will compensate landowners who provide lands that maintain these experiences for North Dakotans and visitors.  If large land areas are going to be leased for hunting and other outdoor uses in our State I would like to have them be leased by the public for public purposes.

I support efforts to develop North Dakota as a birding, wildlife photography and outdoor recreation destination.

Joseph A. Satrom

Satrom for Governor Campaign

P.O. Box 816

Bismarck, ND   58502

701 223-2259 (campaign office)

701 255-3095 (home)