Philip Hoff

Sixty years ago, many North Dakota landowners signed wetland easements with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, trusting the agency would be a good and fair partner. That trust has been violated. The federal government’s overreach on these easements has been egregious and devastating for several generations of farmers and landowners. In many cases, it has resulted in worse—not better—soil quality and habitat. Thanks to Secretary Doug Burgum and Sen. Kevin Cramer, we are finally getting all the players around the table to understand what has been going on and recognize that these landowners do not want to drain wetlands. They simply want rules that reflect the terms of their original contracts and the ability to manage the land they own and pay taxes on to achieve better outcomes for both wildlife and agriculture. Wildlife, sportsmen, and conservation groups are really listening, and that is encouraging. If all the players continue to operate in good faith, this will be a win for everyone—landowners, sportsmen and women, farmers, ranchers, and, yes, ducks. Great momentum—let’s get this done!