Dwight Wrangham, Director, Landowners Association of N.D., Bismarck

I am writing to thank North Dakota Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring for his strong stance in protecting our private property rights. The Industrial Commission is currently considering a policy that could significantly restrict drilling and oil and gas development on public and private lands in North Dakota deemed “extraordinary places” by requiring a public comment period.

Goehring supports a policy that excludes private lands from the public comment period. We agree with Goehring. Owners of private property should not be exposed to comment periods in order to use their own property.

Special interest groups should not have the opportunity to influence management decisions on a landowner’s private property. Landowners Association of N.D. as firmly opposed every effort to erode private property rights. This is another of those attempts.

We acknowledge the significance of these “extraordinary places;” however, protecting private property rights is paramount and should not be compromised. Thanks, Commissioner Goehring, for standing up for private property rights.