Measure 5

[LMITOUT]

oh puhleese limit. I can respect your opinion on this an hesitation around some legislation that has loopholes but you yourself have said you live in mn so HOW do you have a vote or skin in this game? In this case your voice counts exactly as much as mine which is zero as a mn resident.

I don't have a vote, but I do have "skin in the game" (how, exactly, is none of your business) and this topic is as important to me as if I still lived there. Not to mention, I don't plan on living in this state forever and hopefully will be moving back "home" sooner than later and don't want to see it overrun by special interest groups who are in lockstep with the EPA closing up land for eternity.

[CaptainMusky]

I don't have a vote, but I do have "skin in the game" (how, exactly, is none of your business) and this topic is as important to me as if I still lived there. Not to mention, I don't plan on living in this state forever and hopefully will be moving back "home" sooner than later and don't want to see it overrun by special interest groups who are in lockstep with the EPA closing up land for eternity.

fair enough

[fishin58]

So if you havent dug into it...this is the outline of it...no matter how they slice it...it still has to jump through many loops to be approved for purchase....governor, attorney general and agriculture commissioner. So please tell me LMT how epa or whomever is going to come in and just do a land grab

The North Dakota Clean Water, Wildlife and Parks Amendment, Measure 5 is on the November 4, 2014 ballot in North Dakota as an initiated constitutional amendment. The measure, upon voter approval, would redirect five percent of the state's oil extraction tax revenue to a Clean Water, Wildlife, and Parks Trust (the "trust") and a Clean Water, Wildlife, and Parks Fund (the "fund").[1]

Of the revenue received from the oil extraction tax, 90 percent would be deposited into the fund, while 10 percent would be deposited into the trust.

The fund would be used to provide grants to public and private agencies to aid their work in improving water quality, natural flood control, fish and wildlife habitat, parks and outdoor recreation areas, access for fishing and hunting, land acquisition for parks and outdoor education for children. The fund would be governed by a Clean Water, Wildlife, and Parks Commission, which would be comprised of the governor, attorney general and agriculture commissioner. A Citizen Accountability Board would be appointed for three-year terms to review grant applications and make recommendations to the commission.

[iffwalleyes]

This is for sure going to be a hot topic for us North Dakota's on the surface sure it seems great. Oil money for outdoor programs that sounds wonderful. However 150 million a year is a bit extreme. First off there is already a program called the outdoor heritage fund that is made for this purpose. It doesn't have anywhere near as much money in it but there is a program to help outdoor conversation programs within the State. Every 6 month they take applications and a board of directors determine if it meets the intend of the program. My local wildlife club just recently received a grant through this program to rehabilitate a small earthen dam that has been damaged by years of high water. The program works. The other thing is 150 million is a ridiculous amount of money to use up every year. I also don't like the out of state ties to this measure as well. ND is a state that has reserves so special interest groups are flocking trying to get their agenda cover in ND and if it ends up in legal fight ND has the money to defend. Measure #1 is the same way. Both bills are not good as far as I am concerned and my vote will reflect that.

[LMITOUT]

[fishin58]

LMT, 95% of the people are just following their neighbors opinion that thinks it willbe a land grab. The door is open to spend 150 mill a year on the outdoors, how many times will the door be open to get a program like this? NEVER AGAIN

http://www.grandforksherald.com/content/randy-kreil-conserve-north-dakota-its-too-late

[LMITOUT]

LMT, 95% of the people are just following their neighbors opinion that thinks it willbe a land grab.

[BoxMN]

send a message to the out of state special interests and corporations that

NORTH DAKOTA IS NOT FOR SALE!!!!

While I mostly agree, I think, and I am a ND landowner (very smalltime), I would also point out that what we are seeing in much of ND is that, umm, it is for sale to corporations already, and corporations who don't care about what it will be like in 30 years... (That is a lot of "I"'s in one sentence )

[LMITOUT]

Are they putting perpetual easements on the land like these land grabbers will be doing if this measure passes, and have done in other areas they've sunk their claws into?

I think you and I both know the answer to that question.

[TylerS]

I can't wait for this f'n vote to be done. Fail or pass. Politics blow. So divisive. Sportsmen can't get along the way it is, and then something like this comes along and separates us even more. I want to get back to talking about hunting and fishing and dog training. Hopefully there's still places to do that in ND after more and more habitat disappears...

Oops, sorry. Not going down that road. Don't want to ruffle any more feathers.

[Uncle Rico]

It usually seems to end up being a pretty simple split.....those who have something to gain (in this case either entities that want to purchase land, etc, or hunters who live in bigger towns and/or don't own land of their own to hunt) are all for it. Which makes sense, after all, they would certainly benefit from it.

Those who already own and farm land seem to be almost entirely against it, whether their fears are legit or not. I frankly cannot blame them for being leary of these things. Its not like their fear was borne out of thin air.

Let's be honest, nothing is black and white anymore. I guarantee the intent of this measure is not entirely on the "up and up", at least for some supporting parties. At the same time, you can't just believe everything the opposition says either. Nobody is afraid to outright lie these days when it comes to these things.

I will not be around to vote, I will be on a hunting trip. But I will say I'm sick and tired of "measures" on every election ballot. I'm not sure why we need a measure to prevent something from happening that has not happened yet and has not been threatened to happen. These measures are going to start falling on deaf ears.

[LMITOUT]

Hopefully there's still places to do that in ND after more and more habitat disappears...

But I thought they weren't buying any land?

NORTH DAKOTA IS NOT FOR SALE!!!!

[TylerS]

But I thought they weren't buying any land?

The only way to create habitat is by purchasing property? Strange, I could have sworn CRP didn't work that way.

[LMITOUT]

They can't achieve complete control of the land unless they buy it, and that's exactly what they are after with Measure 5... complete control.

I know people who have land adjacent to DU property in ND and they are NOT good neighbors to have and think they can run the private land around their's too.

[LMITOUT]

Sounds like if Measure 5 passes, the opponents will be replacing their 'Vote NO' yard signs (which are everywhere out here) with 'NO Hunting' signs.

Be careful what you wish for...

[TylerS]

Sounds like if Measure 5 passes, the opponents will be replacing their 'Vote NO' yard signs (which are everywhere out here) with 'NO Hunting' signs.

Be careful what you wish for...

So they'll threatening to effectively lock up the remaining 1 percent of unposted land? Whoop-de-doo.

[LMITOUT]

You've been warned.

Oh, and good luck getting anyone in the ag industry (who are 100% against Measure 5) to work with any of these clowns if it passes. You're effectively going backwards from where you want to be. Brilliant plan you've got there.

BTW, I've been hunting a lot of unposted land the past three days. It's out there if you care to put any effort into it whatsoever. No, it doesn't have the fancy signs or little established parking areas, nor does it have beat down walking paths from all the hunters who are too brain dead to do any scouting so they line up hours before shooting time (like housewives in line at Target on Black Friday) because this is where the government has told them where they CAN hunt, but it's out there.

VOTE NO ON MEASURE 5.

NORTH DAKOTA IS NOT FOR SALE!!!!

[TylerS]

You're a peach LMIT. I enjoy your rays of sunshine

[CaptainMusky]

North Dakota is not for sale? Tell that to all the oil companies and mineral rights people 5 years ago. A little late to the party? Its already been sold.

[huntnfish]

Doesn't look like its going to pass.

Election results

[LMITOUT]

North Dakota is not for sale? Tell that to all the oil companies and mineral rights people 5 years ago. A little late to the party? Its already been sold.

Not even remotely close.

[creepworm]

Not even remotely close.

Kind of like the election results. Wow.

[TylerS]

Well, big petroleum and the people spoke. That's the way she goes.

[LMITOUT]

Do we need do look at the dollars spent FOR this measure?

But yes, most importantly the people spoke.

[TylerS]

Now it's up to the legislature. There's still hope.