spectr17
09-05-2003, 08:42 PM
Sep. 02, 2003
HUNTING CONTROVERSY: Two governors may face off in Fargo
Hoeven, Pawlenty discuss Fargo rendezvous
Associated Press
FARGO - The governors of Minnesota and North Dakota tentatively agreed to hold their hunting summit here.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty late last week discussed by telephone setting up a meeting about restrictions North Dakota has placed on out-of-state hunters.
A Pawlenty spokeswoman said there has been no discussion of including South Dakota in the summit, even though it has made changes similar to North Dakota's. She said a date has not been set for the Pawlenty-Hoeven meeting.
New laws and North Dakota Game and Fish Department rules give residents a week's head start over nonresidents in many hunting seasons, including ducks and geese.
Nonresidents' hunting grounds also will be more restricted than those open to North Dakotans. Nonresidents will pay more for many North Dakota hunting licenses.
Also, out-of-state residents cannot hunt in North Dakota Oct. 11-17 - the first week of the pheasant season - on state-owned lands and other hunting lands controlled by the state.
However, Hoeven said North Dakota's restrictions on out-of-state hunters aren't as onerous as some Minnesota hunters apparently think.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department administrators say the October ban applies only to about 560,000 acres of land.
Randy Kreil, director of the Game and Fish Department's wildlife division, said the restriction still leaves 99 percent of the state available for nonresidents to hunt, including private lands and other public property not controlled by Game and Fish.
Pawlenty said he does not blame Hoeven, a fellow Republican, for the changes. Instead, he said, most of the decisions came from the Legislature, which is Republican-controlled.
Since the North Dakota Legislature is not scheduled to meet again until 2005, and Hoeven said he does not want to seek a special session, Pawlenty acknowledged there may be nothing anyone can do quickly.
Hoeven has described the possible meeting as an attempt to balance the interests of resident sportsmen with those of visitors.
Hoeven said Pawlenty seems more worried about increases in North Dakota's license fees for out-of-state hunters than about land access restrictions.
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Hoeven has described the possible meeting as an attempt to balance the interests of resident sportsmen with those of visitors.
HUNTING CONTROVERSY: Two governors may face off in Fargo
Hoeven, Pawlenty discuss Fargo rendezvous
Associated Press
FARGO - The governors of Minnesota and North Dakota tentatively agreed to hold their hunting summit here.
North Dakota Gov. John Hoeven and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty late last week discussed by telephone setting up a meeting about restrictions North Dakota has placed on out-of-state hunters.
A Pawlenty spokeswoman said there has been no discussion of including South Dakota in the summit, even though it has made changes similar to North Dakota's. She said a date has not been set for the Pawlenty-Hoeven meeting.
New laws and North Dakota Game and Fish Department rules give residents a week's head start over nonresidents in many hunting seasons, including ducks and geese.
Nonresidents' hunting grounds also will be more restricted than those open to North Dakotans. Nonresidents will pay more for many North Dakota hunting licenses.
Also, out-of-state residents cannot hunt in North Dakota Oct. 11-17 - the first week of the pheasant season - on state-owned lands and other hunting lands controlled by the state.
However, Hoeven said North Dakota's restrictions on out-of-state hunters aren't as onerous as some Minnesota hunters apparently think.
North Dakota Game and Fish Department administrators say the October ban applies only to about 560,000 acres of land.
Randy Kreil, director of the Game and Fish Department's wildlife division, said the restriction still leaves 99 percent of the state available for nonresidents to hunt, including private lands and other public property not controlled by Game and Fish.
Pawlenty said he does not blame Hoeven, a fellow Republican, for the changes. Instead, he said, most of the decisions came from the Legislature, which is Republican-controlled.
Since the North Dakota Legislature is not scheduled to meet again until 2005, and Hoeven said he does not want to seek a special session, Pawlenty acknowledged there may be nothing anyone can do quickly.
Hoeven has described the possible meeting as an attempt to balance the interests of resident sportsmen with those of visitors.
Hoeven said Pawlenty seems more worried about increases in North Dakota's license fees for out-of-state hunters than about land access restrictions.
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Hoeven has described the possible meeting as an attempt to balance the interests of resident sportsmen with those of visitors.