LETTER: North Dakota BHA Supports Keeping Grand Forks Water Board Lands Open for Hunting

March 18, 2024

Tom Perdue
Chairman
Grand Forks County Water Board
151 South 4th Street
Grand Forks, ND 58201

Chairman Perdue and Members of the Grand Forks County Water Board,

On behalf of the North Dakota Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and our dues paying members in the state, we respectfully request that the Grand Forks County Water Board lands be kept open for public hunting.

Access to hunting land is a significant barrier to new and experienced hunters alike. It is imperative that hunters do not lose valuable public access to quality habitat and hunting opportunities; the future of our fair-chase hunting heritage depends on it.

We understand the Board’s concerns with motorized access and completely agree that the safety and structural integrity of the dams should be paramount. However, walk-in-only public access can and should be retained. This would protect the integrity of the dams while still allowing valuable public hunting access, a win-win.

Please reconsider the decision to close these lands and work with the North Dakota Game and Fish to ensure that they remain open to public access for hunting. Our chapter would happily work with the GFCWB and/or NDGF to find an amenable path forward that keeps access open on these lands. We would also be willing to pay for and help install any signage needed to indicate to users that these lands are “walk-in access only.”

Thank you for your time and careful consideration,

Ethan Hodnefield
Grand Forks Resident
Treasurer
North Dakota Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers