U.S. Senator Byron Dorgan visits with a group of citizens at the school building at the McLeod museum on Monday, August 18.

by Janet Hansen

Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND) on Monday, August 18 met with members of the Sheyenne Valley Grazing Association and other interested area citizens, to listen to any concerns which they might wish to share. He also provided an update on his work in Congress, including the implementation of country-of-origin labeling and funding that he secured to control leafy spurge on the Dakota Prairie Grasslands.

Todd Anderson, Sheyenne Valley Grazing Association, welcomed Dorgan and State  Representative Pam Gulleson, to McLeod. Dorgan praised the McLeod Historical Preservation Society for the good job they have done in preserving history at their museum. He enjoyed hearing stories from former students of the school in which the meeting was being held. He noted the fine restoration job which had been done on the 102-year-old building.

The first area of concern was the high prices of oil and gas. “Doubling the price of oil and gas in the last year is not justified by supply and demand,” said Dorgan. He went on to give the following suggestions of ways to work toward a solution: Shut down excess speculation in the futures market; produce more oil in this country; commit to finding new energy sources; and conserve.

Dorgan inquired as to grazing conditions in the Sheyenne National Grasslands area. He was told that a recent rainfall, which came at a crucial time, has improved grazing conditions a lot. The fact that commodity prices are good but input prices for such things as fertilizer, gas, and seed are also going up drastically, was also discussed.

Farmers and ranchers commented that they were worried that the use of corn and grasses in the manufacture of alternate fuels could drive up the prices of food for their cattle. Dorgan stated that studies he has read show that the use of corn for ethanol has not had much of an impact (only 3 to 4 percent) on the price of corn for cattle feed. He added that he did not expect cellulosic ethanol production to have much effect either, even though he was sure the production of the grasses would be subsidized.

Country-of-origin labeling was discussed. “This year’s farm bill will force the implementation of country-of-origin labeling,” Dorgan said. “The United States produces the highest quality meat in the world. Customers at the grocery store should be able to know whether the meat they’re buying was produced here. I expect country-of-origin labeling to give a boost to American producers, and give consumers more information about what they are feeding to their families. We label our T-shirts, shorts and shoes. The least we can do is let people know where the meat on their dinner plate comes from.”

Concerns about big investors coming in to set up wind farms, rather than allowing local farmers to benefit from wind-generated power, was also brought up. Dorgan stated that he would like to see government incentives which would allow farmers to benefit from the installation of wind turbines.

Some farmers indicated that they thought fuel conservation should start on the local level, with individuals deciding on their own to drive slower, drive more fuel efficient vehicles, do more car pooling, etc., which would save a lot of fuel and eventually bring down the price. 

Recent reports of groups wanting to designate a portion of the grasslands in both western and eastern North Dakota as “wilderness” was also discussed.

“Groups have a right to push for the setting aside of pristine land,” stated Dorgan. “Similar proposals seem to come up every few years.” He went on to state that his concern was that the economic activity of the land be maintained. 

Bryan Stotts, district ranger, Sheyenne National Grasslands, stated that, according to the Eastern Wilderness Act, no motorized or mechanized vehicles or equipment would be allowed on areas designated as “wilderness”, but the designation should have no effect on grazing. Stotts stated that he had met with proponents of the wilderness designation and it appeared to him their main goal was to keep areas free from oil wells and uranium mines.

The battle against leafy spurge was also discussed. Ranchers explained that they were restricted by environmental regulations on the types of spray that could be used, especially in the national grasslands. About the only type of spray allowable was 2-4-D, which, they had observed, did not have much effect on the leafy spurge.

Dorgan stated that he had requested $300,000 to be used by the U.S. forest Service to control leafy spurge in the Dakota Prairie Grasslands. The next step is for funding to be considered in the fall Appropriations Committee later this year. 

The Senator spent the day traveling to various communities in southeastern North Dakota.