Securing Land and Water Conservation Funds

Retha Colclasure | 5/24/2012

Conservation groups in North and South Dakota want to make sure federal funding comes their way by the end of June. The House and Senate are working on versions of a transportation bill that, so far, contains funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

That money would almost double the funding available for grassland and wetland conservation programs in the Dakotas.

"We actually have 900 landowners on the waiting list to participate in some of these conservation programs and we just don`t have the money available to address that. Having a new source of money coming in would add an opportunity to work with those folks," said Jim Ringelman with Ducks Unlimited.

Ringelman says the money isn`t coming from a tax. Instead, it`s from money that`s already being collected from offshore drilling fees.

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