Senior Airman Noelle Kurowski of the 219th Security Forces Squadron prepares to fire an M240B machine gun while wearing a gas mask at the firing range at Camp Gilbert C. Grafton South on July 12, 2018, shown in this photo by Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp. The airman is performing annual weapons familiarization training and qualification for the assigned mission of missile field security at Minot Air Force Base.

A bill in this year’s North Dakota Legislature includes $600,000 for an expansion at the North Dakota National Guard’s Camp Grafton Training Center-South in Eddy County.

The N.D. National Guard is proposing to expand Camp Grafton Training Center-South so it can provide more training for military members.

Maj. Gen. Alan Dohrmann, adjutant general of the N.D. National Guard, told members of the Minot Area Chamber of Commerce’s Military Affairs Committee during a meeting in Minot in October 2018, that Camp Grafton Training Center-South is an asset but it is not adequate in size to support range and maneuver functions.

Meeting additional training requirements of operational reserve requires additional in-state range and maneuver training areas to allow units to train and prepare in state more frequently. This includes ranges for all weapon systems.

At a minimum, the N.D. National Guard would like to expand Camp Grafton Training Center-South with 6,000 more acres to build a new range complex, Dohrmann said. They would also like to add another 17,000 acres if that opportunity is available.

Dohrmann said the proposed expansion will benefit soldiers and airmen by training in the state so they are ready to accomplish their missions when they are called upon.

Military members from Minot Air Force Base have also trained at the Camp Grafton.

Currently, military members in North Dakota go to such places as Camp Guernsey in Wyoming and Camp Ripley in Minnesota for some of their training.

Dohrmann said the Guard wants to continue to be good neighbors and will work with willing landowners for a fair land transaction for the proposed expansion.

He said the N.D. National Guard has no authority for eminent domain and will not seek such authority.

He said they will work with all landowners, counties, cities and the Spirit Lake Nation to receive input and discuss the proposal. Some townhalls and meetings had been held.

At the time of the October meeting, the proposal was in the preliminary stages of discussion to determine interest and to receive feedback before deciding if they should proceed with a proposal to the North Dakota Legislature during the next legislative session.

Two months later, leaders of the Guard and North Dakota Stockmen’s Association met to discuss landowners’ concerns surrounding the Camp Grafton expansion.

During the meeting the Guard affirmed its commitment to the project without the use of eminent domain and ensured that any newly acquired land remains in agriculture production.

Dohrmann and Dan Rorvig, a rancher from McVille who is president of the N.D. Stockmen’s Association, issued a joint statement:

“Although our positions may differ on the Camp Grafton south range expansion, our core values are more similar than not. The NDSA understands the readiness needs of the NDNG, does not oppose land transactions between willing sellers and buyers, and appreciates where land continues to remain in agricultural production. The NDNG understands the NDSA’s standing policy positions regarding eminent domain and the government ownership of land and appreciates the organization’s unwavering support for the military. We are all North Dakotans who have great respect for the land and each other and remain committed to open and transparent communication between our organizations as this initiative is considered.”