North Dakota Legislative Session - Outdoor Legislation

Provides an appropriation for the biennium for defraying the expenses of the industrial commission and the agencies under its control. This includes Outdoor Heritage Fund at $15 million. Signed by governor.

Appropriates $92,368,134 to the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2023. Passed house. Passed senate.

Appropriates $114,864,690 to the Game and Fish Department for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2027. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

Relates to access and activities on trust lands, and provides a penalty. Passed house and senate. Signed by governor. 

Defines farmed elk as mammals of the North American elk genus and species (cervus canadensis) confined in a manmade enclosure designed to prevent escape. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

Nonprofit organizations eligible to apply for special allocation big game hunting licenses for fundraising must be exempt from federal income taxation under section 501(c)(3) or 501(c)(19), and must contribute at least 20% of the net proceeds of any raffle of a license to a conservation-related project. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

Requires written permission from the owner of the property, or an individual authorized by the owner, to place bait for the purpose of attracting wildlife and to install camera/video equipment. In addition, the equipment must be identified. Penalty for baiting violation is a class 1 noncriminal for first offense; a second or subsequent violation is a fine of $250. Passed house and senate. Signed by governor.

Allows a resident who is entitled to purchase a disabled veteran deer license to hunt white-tailed deer five days preceding the youth deer hunting season and during the regular deer gun hunting season. In addition, 100 licenses would be available each year, and taken from the five units with the lowest selection rates for hunting licenses. The licenses may not be used in those units, and are not valid on public lands. An individual who receives one of these licenses may not apply in the deer gun lottery. Passed house. Failed senate.

Amends subsection 12(c) of section 20.1-02-05 of North Dakota century code, to issue any resident license, except a lottery permit, to include nonresident current North Dakota national guard members. Signed by governor.

A resident disabled veteran who has at least a 50% service connected disability qualifies for the $3 combined general game, habitat, small game and furbearer license. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

Prohibits the Game and Fish Department from issuing rules or adopting a policy or practice prohibiting the baiting of big game animals for lawful hunting on private property. Allows hunting big game over bait on private property from Aug. 25 through Jan. 7, with a volume capacity of 50 gallons and a setback of 150 feet from a landowners property. Passed house. Senate energy and natural resources committee heard 03/16, amended to remove the dates when hunting big game over bait is allowed and reduced the setback to 10 feet. Recommended 6-0 do pass as amended. Failed senate.

The department may establish educational and community outreach programs to promote public understanding of fisheries and wildlife management and promote interest in pursuing careers in fields employed by the department, including by job shadowing of field activities and ride alongs. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

Provides for a legislative management study regarding the posting of school trust lands during the big game hunting seasons. The study must include input from Departments of Trust Lands and Game and Fish, and report findings and recommendations to the 69th assembly. Passed house. Failed senate.

Nonresident members of the armed forces who qualify to receive a resident license may apply for and be issued a lottery license for deer. Failed house.

Nonresidents who own land in North Dakota may hunt during the first seven days of the pheasant season on land they enroll in the PLOTS program. Passed house and senate. Signed by governor.

Adds clarification to section 47-05-17 of century code, relating to an exemption from prohibition against severing hunting rights from surface estates. Passed house and senate. Signed by governor.

Allows the dog handler to carry a handgun in the recovery of a big game animal while in the presence of a dog. The dog handler cannot use the handgun to assist in the recovery of the animal, and must have permission from the landowner or individual authorized by the landowner before entering private land for the recovery of a big game animal. Signed by governor.

Allows the 11, 12 and 13 year old antlerless white-tailed deer youth hunter to also hunt during the regular deer gun season. Signed by governor.

Hunting and fishing license fees and application fees may be used only for departmental programs and administration unrelated to chronic wasting disease. Failed house.

A nonresident may purchase a nonresident upland and small game license to hunt upland and small game, except waterfowl, during the entire upland and small game hunting seasons. In addition, eliminates the nonresident 14 day or two 7-day small game licenses. Failed house.

An individual who was issued an apprentice hunter validation license in 2020-21 may receive another one. Passed house and senate. Signed by governor.

The agriculture commissioner shall study challenges associated with native pollinating insects, including their decline, associated ecosystems, health and resilience. Failed house.

Develops agreements to compensate private landowners for the development of habitat on private property for addressing fish and wildlife populations. In addition, allows the Game and Fish director to issue special antlerless elk depredation management licenses to landowners upon payment of the fee required for a resident big game license. To be eligible for this license a landowner cannot charge a fee for elk hunting and must allow reasonable public access as determined by the director. Signed by governor.

Fifteen percent of the total mule deer gun licenses made available in the current year must be made available as nonresident any-deer bow licenses. Passed house. Passed senate. Signed by governor.

An individual is guilty of an infraction by placing a trail camera, etc., on private property without written permission from the owner or occupant. In addition, the device must have identification. Failed house.

The director shall keep a record of and make available to the public all positive detections of chronic wasting disease for four years, including a microscopic slide of the prion and necropsy report. Failed house.

Allows former residents who lived in North Dakota for at least 10 years to receive one percent of the total deer gun licenses. Failed house.

A law enforcement officer would not be able to enter private property for search and seizure without permission is prohibited. Failed house.  

Allows an individual engaged in barefoot skiing to wear a wet suit. A life preserver must be on board the towing vessel for an individual barefoot skiing or surfing. Signed by governor.

Any member of a party of 10 or fewer may take or kill the number of deer which is equal to the number of valid deer licenses held by the participating members of the party. Failed house.