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HCR 3024

A concurrent resolution urging the United States Congress to transfer the management of all national grassland property within the state from the United States Forest Service to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

69th Legislative Assembly (2025-26) Introduced by Keith Kempenich

ND HCR 3024 urges Congress to transfer management of North Dakota’s national grasslands (over 1M acres) from USFS to NRCS; a non-binding, policy expression.

Filed with Secretary Of State 03/21
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Bill Summary · HCR 3024

Summary of North Dakota House Concurrent Resolution No. 3024 (HCR 3024)

Overview

HCR 3024 is a concurrent resolution filed in the Sixty-ninth North Dakota Legislative Assembly that urges the United States Congress to transfer management of all national grassland lands within North Dakota from the United States Forest Service (USFS) to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). It is a non-binding resolution expressing the state legislature’s policy preference and directing that copies be sent to federal leadership and the state’s congressional delegation.

Purpose and Intent

  • To realign management of North Dakota’s national grasslands from USFS to NRCS.
  • To advance a management approach the resolution claims is more closely aligned with the Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act’s intent and NRCS’s mission.

Background and Rationale

  • North Dakota hosts over 1 million acres of national grasslands managed by USFS.
  • The Bankhead-Jones Farm Tenant Act created national grasslands and outlined goals such as soil erosion control, reforestation, resource conservation, recreation, flood mitigation, energy development, water conservation, and watershed protection.
  • NRCS’s stated mission focuses on sustaining agricultural lands and improving air, water, soil, and habitat quality, which the resolution argues is aligned with the act’s objectives and should govern grasslands in the state.

Key Provisions

  • Acknowledges ND’s sizable national grassland area and the current USFS management.
  • States that NRCS’s mission aligns with implementing the Bankhead-Jones Act’s intent and managing the state’s national grasslands.
  • Urges Congress to transfer management of all ND national grasslands from USFS to NRCS.
  • Directs the Secretary of State to transmit copies of the resolution to the President, the Secretary of the Interior, and each ND member of the federal congressional delegation.

Affected Parties and Impacts

  • Primary subject: Management of ND national grasslands (currently USFS; would shift to NRCS if enacted at the federal level).
  • Potentially affected: USFS operations and governance, NRCS responsibilities, ND land users (farmers, ranchers, recreationists), and local stakeholder groups engaged with grassland resources.
  • Note: As a concurrent resolution, it expresses a political position and recommendation; it does not in itself enact a federal policy change. Federal action would be required to effect the transfer.

Procedural History and Timeline (Key Dates)

  • Introduced: January 30, 2025
  • Committee: Agriculture Committee (ND House); hearings and votes occurred in February 2025
    • February 13, 2025: Committee hearing and “do pass” with consent calendar
    • February 19-20, 2025: Second reading and adoption
  • Senate action: Filed and carried through concurrent process
    • March 12-14, 2025: Second reading and adoption in Senate/House concurrence
    • March 13-14, 2025: Returned to House and enrolled
  • Final steps:
    • March 20, 2025: Signed by Speaker
    • March 20, 2025: Filed with Secretary of State (March 21, 2025)
    • March 14, 2025: Signed by President (confirms concurrent resolution status and passage)

Summary

HCR 3024 is a state-level, non-binding request urging federal action to shift national grassland management from USFS to NRCS, grounded in the act’s original aims and NRCS’s mission. It underscores ND’s substantial grassland resources and directs communication of its position to federal authorities and ND’s delegation.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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