Editorial: Praise for tribal hunting agreements

Friday, April 4, 2008  

"The news out of Bismarck on Tuesday that the Three Affiliated Tribes of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation and the state of North Dakota have reached new agreements on hunting and fishing regulations is indeed a major positive step in the right direction.

The Associated Press reported the two governments are going to recognize each other’s hunting and fishing licenses, while state and tribal game wardens also are going to assist each other in prosecuting regulatory violations.

The AP also stated the tribes are no longer going to charge access or conservation fees for boaters who wish to use tribal lands to launch their craft onto Lake Sakakawea. In exchange, the fishing agreement says the Game and Fish Department is going to pay the tribe $25,000 annually, and agency funds may be used to help develop boating and fishing facilities on tribal land.

“The idea we had was one stop instead of two stops, to get access to the lake, to get the hunting and fishing going,” tribal Chairman Marcus Wells Jr. said during a Tuesday new conference in the state Capitol.

Non-Indian anglers now have the opportunity to cross reservation lands to access Lake Sakakawea for fishing."

Get the Story:
Editorial -- New fishing, hunting agreements are positive (The Dickinson Press 4/4)
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North Dakota tribe signs hunting agreements (4/2)