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The Ward County Commission reconsidered its denial of a right-of-way reversal request from the Souris Valley Bowmen on Tuesday, Aug. 18.
The club requested to have its donated right of way along County Road 12 returned, but the county declined at its June 2 meeting because it would put the roadway and culverts out of county jurisdiction. Instead, the commission offered to purchase the right of way to maintain control of the roadway infrastructure.
Ward County had adopted a right of way reversal program in 2022, enabling landowners to request the return of any right of way they were forced to donate that is in excess of the 33-foot statutory right of way on section lines. The property along County Road 12 differs from most county roads, however, because no statutory easement exists and the road deviates from the section line.
Club representatives Brian Boppre and Warren Anderson appeared before the commission to explain that a 33-foot right of way does exist in this case, even if it isn't statutory. The concern is the total right of way is 75 feet, which extends into the archery range and creates a safety concern.
Anderson said the lack of a buffer zone also affects the club's insurance.
"If we don't get it back, we get a heck of an economic cost on our end," he said. "We just want it back so we don't have to redo our approach to get in there, redesign our whole course and get reinsurance and all that. We don't have the money to do that."
The commission directed Highway Engineer Dana Larsen to work with Souris Valley Bowmen on a permanent easement to replace the dedicated right of way that the club is asking to have returned. The easement would enable the county to access the road and culverts for maintenance purposes.
Any agreement will come back to the commission for review before a final decision is made on returning the right of way.