ND Game and Fish Dept. migratory bird supervisor Mike Szymanski referring to the second consecutive season decline in duck production in the state, in light of diminishing habitat, primarily wetlands. •
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later, nearly a dozen more tornadoes were confirmed in an around Bismarck in extraordinary severe June weather.
“ I would say the biggest change from a natural resource standpoint is just the decrease in quality and quantity of habitat.”
Scott Peterson, retiring ND Game and Fish Dept. deputy director after 40 years, when asked what stands out after all those years.
A nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.”
President Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1948.
“ It’ s quite a depressing picture unfortunately, where if you look across the indicators, we find that records are really being broken everywhere. I can’ t conceive of a situation where we can really avoid passing 1.5 degrees( C) of very long-term temperature change.”
Piers Forster, director of the Priestly Centre for Climate Futures at the Univ. of Leeds in England, talking about the continuing warming rate of Earth.
“... the status of habitat right now in some parts of the state is probably at its lowest point I’ ve seen in my career. We’ ve lost a lot of grass, not just CRP, but native grasslands. North Dakota only has about 25 % of its native grasslands remaining, and maybe over half of our wetlands remaining. When you combine the loss of grass and wetlands with the loss of tree rows, fence lines and the little odd areas people are used to seeing, it’ s significant.” ND Game and Fish Dept. private land section leader, Kevin Kading, in light of The Meadowlark Initiative, a statewide strategy that teams landowners, conservation groups, scientists and others to enhance, restore and sustain native grasslands in North Dakota.
“ The disappearance of sage grouse from North Dakota should be a warning. The loss of sagebrush also impacts other wildlife like mule deer and pronghorns. If we want to maintain or increase populations of deer and other wildlife we need to protect the habitat. That’ s going to require cooperation from state and federal officials, landowners and developers.”
From a recent Bismarck Tribune editorial on the loss of sage grouse in North Dakota.
“ This win belongs to the hunters, anglers and public landowners who stood up and said loud and clear:‘ Our lands are not for sale’.”
Patrick Berry, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers CEO, regarding Utah Sen. Mike Lee’ s withdrawal to sell 3 million acres of public land in 11 western states, despite his contention the federal government owns far too much land.
“ The DNR already knows it’ s a problem, otherwise it wouldn’ t be doing a three-year study, which is a waste of time and money because it will be so out of control that our fisheries are going to take a big hit.”
Minnesota Outdoor News letter writer Doug Wonders of Motley, MN, commenting on forthcoming DNR research into the effects of forward-facing sonar on the fishery.
“ North Dakota is the duck factory of the United States and North America. We have a lot of folks relying on us to produce
ducks, not just our hunters here in North Dakota, but hunters all across the Central and Mississippi flyways.”
ND Game and Fish Dept. migratory bird supervisor Mike Szymanski referring to the second consecutive season decline in duck production in the state, in light of diminishing habitat, primarily wetlands. •
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www. dakotacountrymagazine. com Dakota Country, September 2025, Page 29