The Nature Conservancy. Protecting nature. Preserving life.™

North Dakotans love the outdoors. We take great pride in our wide-open spaces. Many of us live in North Dakota because of its incredible and unique landscapes, its boundless sky, its diverse prairie and clear lakes, and its abundance of wildlife. The rich natural resources are a part of our heritage and a legacy we want to pass on to our children.

To protect our way of life, The Nature Conservancy has joined with partners in filing a constitutional initiated measure petition to establish a dedicated fund for clean water, land and wildlife conservation in North Dakota. Now, we need your help to gather 26,904 signatures from around the state by August 8th to get on the ballot for the November 2012 election.

The North Dakota Clean Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage Amendment will:

• Protect clean water in our rivers, lakes and streams,
• Improve natural flood control by protecting and restoring natural areas along, rivers lakes and streams
• Protect wildlife and fish populations
• Create parks and other areas for outdoor recreation
• Support our family farmers and ranchers and encourage beginning farmers and ranchers

Please join as a volunteer and help collect signatures so that we can protect what we love most about North Dakota for now and for future generations! Every volunteer and every signature will get us one step closer to protecting our clean water, land and outdoor heritage in North Dakota.

With the state's exploding energy activity and intensifying land use, it is a time of extraordinary change, growth and economic opportunity. This period of growth causes great excitement and hope, but we know North Dakota will likely face a time when we are not in a boom environment. Read more about the challenges and opportunities facing North Dakota (download PDF 1.2 MB).

“North Dakota is at a pivotal moment. With the state’s rapid development, we have the opportunity now to invest in maintaining our clean water, our unique natural lands and our outdoors heritage,” said, Steve Adair, sponsoring committee chairperson. “This fund will conserve these resources while they are still intact and help improve natural flood control through the restoration and protection of natural areas along rivers, lakes and streams.”

By taking action now, we can conserve our most important lands and waters for today and for future generations. By dedicating for conservation a portion of the revenue the state receives from oil and gas taxes, we can improve and sustain North Dakotans’ quality of life. We need the Clean Water, Lands and Outdoors Heritage Amendment to:

• Protect, restore and improve water quality in lakes, rivers, streams and groundwater
• Improve natural flood control through wetland and grassland protection and restoration; protect and restore flood-prone, natural areas along rivers, lakes and streams.
• Protect, restore and enhance grasslands, prairies, wetlands and forests for wildlife and fish habitat.

“We North Dakotans tend to take our quality of life for granted – our clean water, open spaces, and abundant wildlife,” said Keith Trego, sponsoring committee member. “The things that we grew up with are not going to be here unless we take action.”

The North Dakota Clear Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage Amendment will dedicate a small portion, 5%, of the total existing oil and gas tax revenue to conservation. It will NOT raise your taxes now or in the future. The amendment ensures that all funds will be managed by a citizen-board in a common-sense fiscally responsible way and that all funds will be spent in North Dakota. The amendment also protects other programs currently funded through oil tax revenue such as schools, water and local impacted areas. Read answers to frequently asked questions about the North Dakota Clean Water, Lands and Outdoor Heritage Amendment (download PDF 0.12 MB).

North Dakota’s natural areas are unique and important to our lives. Dedicated funding would help keep these crucial landscapes intact and enhance opportunities for people to enjoy them. The time is right to establish our legacy for future generations, to chart a course ensuring the opportunity for all to experience North Dakota’s natural places so please sign up as a volunteer to help gather signatures.