ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES COMMITTEE
Calli Thorne, Chairman
Carter Vander Wal, Vice Chairman
26-Resolution passed in 2026
25-Resolution passed in 2025
24-Resolution passed in 2024
CLEAN WATER - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, the NDSA believes that clean water is essential to the health and well-being of the nation; and
WHEREAS, local, state and federal regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and animal feeding operations (AFOs) may force unnecessary and costly restrictions on animal agriculture; and
WHEREAS, voluntary, incentive-based conservation is a proven, effective method.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports a voluntary, incentive-based and locally controlled approach to clean water.
DIESEL EXHAUST FLUID - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, cattle producers require efficient and reliable machinery for producing livestock feed, transporting animals and providing proper husbandry for their livestock; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency has created air quality regulations that force diesel engine manufacturers to use Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) as part of a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to reduce air pollutants; and
WHEREAS, later model farm equipment, heavy trucks and pickup trucks subject to federal regulations that require the use of SCR systems and DEF routinely fail, requiring costly repairs at inopportune times for agricultural operations; and
WHEREAS, DEF is an added expense to agricultural operations and is comprised of urea – a use that competes for an already tight supply of nitrogen fertilizer on the world market; and
WHEREAS, cattle producers should not suffer the burden of unreliability and high cost of equipment maintenance involving DEF systems.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports allowing equipment owners to remove DEF systems on late-model farm equipment, heavy trucks and pickup trucks without penalty.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA works with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to advance legislation or administrative actions to eliminate SCR systems and the use of DEF on diesel-powered equipment used in agriculture.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, any legislative or regulatory action to remove SCR systems and the use of DEF on diesel-powered equipment used by the livestock industry must not result in the requirement to use Exhaust Gas Recirculation systems that reduce fuel economy and accelerate engine wear.
ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT RISK ASSESSMENTS - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, activist groups have targeted agricultural pesticides and rodenticides by filing lawsuits and claiming a breech in risk assessment requirements.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports a federal legislative solution that clearly establishes the primacy of the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act for pesticide regulation in the United States and an amendment to the Endangered Species Act to exempt the Environmental Protection Agency’s pesticide reviews from Section 7 of the act if those reviews are conducted under a system agreed upon by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
LIFE-CYCLE ANALYSIS - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, claims about the environmental impacts of beef production are prominent in both public and policy discussions; and
WHEREAS, these claims have the potential to negatively affect consumer demand for beef and to foster burdensome regulations that negatively affect the profitability of beef production; and
WHEREAS, claims that the U.S. beef industry is environmentally harmful are based on misinformation and unsupported rhetoric, instead of sound science.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports continued research on the life-cycle analysis of U.S. beef production.
LIVESTOCK DISASTER PROGRAMS - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS,the U.S. Drought Monitor is used as the sole mechanism to activate some drought livestock disaster programs, including the Livestock Forage Program (LFP) and Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program (ELAP); and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Drought Monitor or a request to the Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Committee with a documented loss can initiate other livestock disaster programs, such as Emergency Haying and Grazing of Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) acres; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Drought Monitor is a representation of all types of drought:
1) Meteorological drought
2) Agricultural drought
3) Hydrological drought
4) Ecological drought
5) Socioeconomic drought
6) Snow drought; and
WHEREAS, this blended approach does not always accurately reflect agricultural drought impacts that are heavily dependent on the timing of precipitation, such as forage production; and
WHEREAS, an inaccurate reflection of agricultural drought has a detrimental impact on the drought disaster assistance available to ranchers.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA recommends that all livestock disaster programs can be initiated by a request to the FSA County Committee in addition to activation by the U.S. Drought Monitor; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA recommends that requests to the FSA County Committee must document a significant loss of forage and/or access to usable livestock water.
PREDATOR CONTROL - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, predator populations are increasing very rapidly, creating problems in the livestock industry and wildlife populations.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports the reclassification of mountain lions and coyotes from furbearer to predator.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA supports continued state and federal funding for predator control.
SPECIES RECOVERY - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, the Endangered Species Act (ESA) does not provide proper incentives for species recovery and, in many instances, limits and/or intrudes on the property rights of private landowners for the purpose of species habitat preservation; and
WHEREAS, these limitations and intrusions on the free use of private property often restrict economic use of land and, in some cases, diminish property value; and
WHEREAS, non-regulatory solutions, based on a proactive species conservation partnership, should be found to ease the burden of the ESA on public and private land ranchers; and
WHEREAS, the NDSA believes that recovery using voluntary incentives and, ultimately, delisting of species covered by the ESA should be the highest priority of the ESA.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA promotes recovery as an avenue of reform to the ESA, and that federal funding for the ESA should be prioritized to reflect this.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA insists that scientific data be presented and/or studies be conducted that conclusively demonstrate what the species’ historic range was and how the demographic of that present-day historic range has changed and if it is still suitable for the species in question.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA urges federal agencies to work with states and landowner stakeholders in developing realistic goals for species.
STATE WATER RIGHTS - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, the federal government, through the Reed Amendment in 1993, attempted to override North Dakota state water laws, as well as that of several other western states.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA urges our Congressional delegation and governor to oppose any future attempts by the federal government to diminish North Dakota’s right to allocate state water rights.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA opposes the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers attempting to take control over the right to the natural flows that belong with the State of North Dakota.
U.S. DROUGHT MONITOR - 26 (EI)
WHEREAS, the U.S. Drought Monitor administered by the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) establishes the drought status for counties across the United States; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Drought Monitor is used as the mechanism to assess payments under the Livestock Forage Program; Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-Raised Fish Program; water development programs; Pasture, Rangeland and Forage insurance; and income tax relief; and
WHEREAS, the determination to list a county’s drought classification as moderate (D1), severe (D2), extreme (D3) or exceptional (D4) is based on seven criteria:
1) the Palmer Drought Index,
2) the CPC Soil Moisture Model,
3) the U.S. Geological Survey’s Weekly Streamflow statistics,
4) the Standardized Precipitation Index,
5) Objective Short-and Long-term Indicator Blends,
6) the local condition report, and
7) the drought impact; and
WHEREAS, an inaccurate drought status has a detrimental impact on the total payment a rancher will receive under the Livestock Forage Program; and
WHEREAS, the NDMC has taken steps to adjust the criteria used to determine a county’s drought classification so as to be consistent with actual on-the-ground conditions via the Conditions Monitoring Observer Reports (CMOR); and
WHEREAS, the NDMC relies on funding from federal agencies, including the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, to operate.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA recommends the NDMC continues to maintain and provide technical support for CMOR for drought reporting; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA recommends that federal funding continue to be used to support the operations of the NDMC; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA continues to educate and encourage the general public to report general drought conditions using the CMOR and to request help and participation from their local county Farm Service Agency office, County Operating Committee and NDSU Extension.
M-44 SODIUM CYANIDE DEVICES - 25 (EI)
WHEREAS, M-44 sodium cyanide devices are effective tools used to control wild animals that prey upon livestock, as well as threatened and endangered species; and
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services utilizes the M-44 devices to control these predators and assist livestock producers; and
WHEREAS, when properly utilized, there are no occupational risks of concern to humans; and
WHEREAS, Wildlife Services has employed stringent safety steps, only placing the devices on private land with written permission and posting warning signs about the predacide; and
WHEREAS, the loss of the M-44 sodium cyanide devices would impair Wildlife Services’ ability to do its job and would result in severe economic consequences if predators were left unchecked.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA opposes the elimination or restriction of M-44 sodium cyanide devices.
PRAIRIE DOGS - 25 (EI)
WHEREAS, the prairie dog is a nuisance rodent that destroys grasses, leaving the soil vulnerable to erosion and invasion by noxious weeds, and is a known host to vectors that carry Bubonic Plague that is threatening to humans; and
WHEREAS, they exist throughout the West in numbers well above endangered levels.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA opposes any listing of the prairie dog as a threatened or endangered species.
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA urges the North Dakota Department of Agriculture to declare the prairie dog a pest and the proper authorities to enforce its control.
WETLANDS - 25 (EI)
WHEREAS, the federal government’s current policy on wetlands affects the use, value and private property rights on millions of acres of privately owned agricultural land; and
WHEREAS, the federal government’s official method of defining wetlands can lead to wetlands delineation of ranch and farm land which should not be considered wetlands; and
WHEREAS, cattle grazing is a beneficial maintenance use of wet areas and thereby protects natural wetland values; and
WHEREAS, surface inundation exists for a significant portion of the growing season of every year under normal precipitation.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA opposes any federal wetlands regulatory authority over all man-made wet areas
THEREFORE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA pursues changes to benefit the livestock industry in the federal wetlands policy.
CLEAN AIR - 24 (EI)
WHEREAS, air quality is essential to the health and well-being of the nation; and
WHEREAS, the Environmental Protection Agency rule that addresses the National Ambient Air Quality Standard for particulates does not distinguish combustion particulates, which have been shown to cause adverse health effects, from coarse particulates from cattle operations; and
WHEREAS, this rule applies a regulatory standard to agriculture, while lacking the scientific evidence to support such a standard, and results in a cost-prohibitive regulation for agriculturists to comply with.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports a legislative effort or companion rules that would give agriculture an exclusion from the coarse particulate matter standards.
CLIMATE CHANGE - 24 (EI)
WHEREAS, cattle producers are stewards of all natural resources, including the land, water, air and livestock; and
WHEREAS, science has proven that cattle grazing improves soil health and carbon storage and helps mitigate the risk of catastrophic wildfires; and
WHEREAS, cattle recycle carbon dioxide as part of the natural carbon cycle and upcycle a diet that is 90 percent inedible to humans into nutritious protein; and
WHEREAS, cattle methane accounts for only 2 percent of all U.S. greenhouse gas emissions; and
WHEREAS, U.S. beef producers’ greenhouse gas emissions are 10 to 50 percent lower than that of their global peers, and they have reduced emissions by 30 percent from 1975 to 2017; and
WHEREAS, legislation or regulations that do not account for the U.S. beef industry’s positive contributions to the environment could put producers at a significant and unjustified disadvantage in comparison to producers in other countries and result in large energy-cost increases for those in agriculture.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA works to educate lawmakers and the public alike that cattle grazing is a climate solution, not a detriment, and pushes back on non-science-based legislation or regulations that do not take this into account and that impose unnecessary and unrealistic standards on the livestock industry.
DEFINING AUTHORITY OVER WATERS OF THE UNITED STATES - 24 (EI)
WHEREAS, wetlands on non-navigable waters are found on a large portion of agricultural lands; and
WHEREAS, we believe farmers and ranchers should be able to use that land for production to the greatest extent.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA supports efforts to seek regulations and/or legislation to prevent the expansion of federal jurisdiction under the Clean Water Act; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the NDSA supports any effort to work with Congress and federal agencies to rescind and replace the 2023 Waters of the United States rule and restore jurisdiction of non-federal waters to the states.
NOXIOUS WEEDS - 24 (EI)
WHEREAS, noxious weeds are a growing problem in North Dakota, consuming more and more of the state’s precious rangelands; and
WHEREAS, species such as Palmer amaranth have been discovered recently across North Dakota and have far greater destructive tendencies and herbicide resistance than other prohibited noxious weeds already established here; and
WHEREAS, proper weed control is going to require greater surveillance and vigilance by landowners and others in order to be effective.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA urges lawmakers and regulators to give noxious weed control high priority and to fund related control programs and efforts at a level commensurate with the problem.
WATER APPROPRIATION - 24 (EI)
WHEREAS, recreational needs are growing at a rapid pace, creating more demand on the waters of the state; and
WHEREAS, this increased pressure on water resources may lead to attempts to change the priority ranking for water allocation.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, the NDSA opposes any attempt to diminish agriculture’s and livestock’s priority ranking for the waters of the state under the jurisdiction of the Department of Water Resources.