Sixty-ninth Legislative Assembly of North Dakota
In Regular Session Commencing Tuesday, January 7, 2025
HOUSE BILL NO. 1017
(Appropriations Committee)
AN ACT to provide an appropriation for defraying the expenses of the game and fish department; and to
provide an exemption.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF NORTH DAKOTA:
SECTION 1. APPROPRIATION. The funds provided in this section, or so much of the funds as may
be necessary, are appropriated from other funds derived from special funds and federal funds, to the
game and fish department for the purpose of defraying the expenses of the game and fish department,
for the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027, as follows:
Adjustments or
Base Level Enhancements Appropriation
Salaries and wages $37,008,098 $2,317,621 $39,325,719
New and vacant FTE pool 0 1,862,510 1,862,510
Operating expenses 17,788,258 2,016,038 19,804,296
Capital assets 5,400,661 1,622,479 7,023,140
Grants - game and fish 10,089,976 (3,001,997) 7,087,979
Land habitat and deer depredation 27,183,516 4,989,565 32,173,081
Noxious weed control 725,000 0 725,000
Missouri River enforcement 313,869 9,912 323,781
Grants, gifts, and donations 677,970 17,110 695,080
Nongame wildlife conservation 100,000 0 100,000
Lonetree reservoir 2,156,714 (48,117) 2,108,597
Wildlife services 500,000 0 500,000
Shooting sports grant program 250,000 0 250,000
Aquatic nuisance species program 2,533,452 352,055 2,885,507
Total other funds $104,727,514 $10,137,176 $114,864,690
Full-time equivalent positions 170.00 0.00 170.00
SECTION 2. ONE-TIME FUNDING - EFFECT ON BASE BUDGET - REPORT TO SEVENTIETH
LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY. The following amounts reflect the one-time funding items included in the
appropriation in section 1 of this Act which are not included in the entity's base budget for the 2027-29
biennium and which the entity shall report to the appropriations committees of the seventieth legislative
assembly regarding the use of this funding:
One-Time Funding Description Other Funds
Information technology projects $380,000
Baukol-Noonan dam repairs 150,000
Equipment 220,200
Garrison dam national fish hatchery pondliners 1,500,000
Garrison dam national fish hatchery pumps 300,000
Wildlife habitat and access on private lands 5,000,000
Total other funds $7,550,200
SECTION 3. NEW AND VACANT FTE POOL - LIMITATION - TRANSFER REQUEST. The game
and fish department may not spend funds appropriated in the new and vacant FTE pool line item in
section 1 of this Act, but may request the office of management and budget to transfer funds from the
new and vacant FTE pool line item to the salaries and wages line item and other line items with salaries
and wages in accordance with the guidelines and reporting provisions included in House Bill No. 1015,
as approved by the sixty-ninth legislative assembly. H. B. NO. 1017 - PAGE 2
SECTION 4. GRANTS, GIFTS, AND DONATIONS LINE ITEM. The grants, gifts, and donations line
item in section 1 of this Act includes up to $100,000 received by the game and fish department for
surface damage, easements, or reclamation on department-owned or managed properties as a result of
mineral exploration and extraction activities.
SECTION 5. MIDTERM CONSERVATION AGREEMENTS. The game and fish department may
spend up to $2,777,778 from other funds in the land habitat and deer depredation line item in section 1
of this Act for national fish and wildlife foundation midterm conservation agreements with private
landowners. The department shall limit the term of these agreements to a maximum of thirty years. The
department shall provide buyback provisions after the fifteenth, twentieth, and twenty-fifth years of the
agreement if the property owner desires to withdraw all or a portion of acreage from the lease.
SECTION 6. EXEMPTION - LINE ITEM TRANSFERS. Notwithstanding section 54-16-04, the
director of the office of management and budget shall transfer up to $2,000,000 of appropriation
authority between the operating expenses, capital assets, and grants - game and fish line items in
section 1 of this Act as requested by the game and fish department during the biennium beginning
July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2027. The game and fish department shall notify the legislative
council of any transfers made pursuant to this section. H. B. NO. 1017 - PAGE 3
____________________________ ____________________________
Speaker of the House President of the Senate
____________________________ ____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House Secretary of the Senate
This certifies that the within bill originated in the House of Representatives of the Sixty-ninth Legislative
Assembly of North Dakota and is known on the records of that body as House Bill No. 1017.
House Vote: Yeas 77 Nays 14 Absent 3
Senate Vote:Yeas 45 Nays 1 Absent 1
____________________________
Chief Clerk of the House
Received by the Governor at ________M. on _____________________________________, 2025.
Approved at ________M. on __________________________________________________, 2025.
____________________________
Governor
Filed in this office this ___________day of _______________________________________, 2025,
at ________ o’clock ________M.
____________________________
Secretary of State