Why It Matters: Early in the legislative session, North Dakota legislators introduced a bill that would prohibit the North Dakota Game and Fish Department (NDGF) from adopting or implementing policies on baiting, or supplemental feeding, on private property and the bill ultimately passed both chambers and was signed into law by the Governor. Removing management tools from the belt of state fish and wildlife agencies can harm their ability to protect the species that sportsmen and women love to pursue.
Highlights:
- North Dakota Senate Bill 2137 (SB 2137) passed and now prohibits the North Dakota Game and Fish Department from adopting and implementing any policies on baiting, or supplemental feeding, for hunting big game animals on private property.
- Efforts to strip NDGF’s authority to promulgate policies on baiting on private property date back to 2023 where similar legislation was ultimately defeated.
- The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) was active every step of the way in submitting testimony in opposition of SB 2137 to both Committees, members of the North Dakota Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus, and to the Governor’s office.
In mid-April, North Dakota Senate Bill 2137 was signed into law by the Governor, stripping the North Dakota Game and Fish Department of their authority to adopt or implement policies on baiting, or the use of supplemental feeding, for the purpose of big game hunting on private property. CSF, along with several conservation partners, remained active in opposing SB 2137 at every stage of the legislative process.
The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundations maintains that wildlife management authority should remain with NDGF. State fish and wildlife agencies, like NDGF, are the entities best equipped to address fish and wildlife management issues. NDGF is comprised of capable professionals that carry out on-the-ground, science-based conservation efforts, legislation like SB 2137 severely impacts NDGF’s ability to make wildlife management decisions that benefit all North Dakotans.
CSF will continue to advocate for policies that afford state fish and wildlife agencies the autonomy to make and carry out sound, science-based management decisions for the benefit of hunters, anglers, and the species they pursue.
