North Dakota landowners roundtable

Senators John Hoeven, R-N.D., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., welcomed Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt to a roundtable with North Dakota landowners in Hope Wednesday.

Farmers and ranchers voiced concerns over the Fish and Wildlife Service infringing on private property rights, especially relating to wetlands easements.

They're asking for regulatory relief, especially since we're in a wet cycle, and many are concerned about farmable acres.

"I think we have the beginning of a solution to that. I'm going to go back and look very closely at the clarity that we can provide both the service and the public. Also, how, when there is a dispute, how we can resolve that cooperatively between ourselves," said Bernhardt,

Bernhardt also visited the property of a landowner who was negatively affected by the regulations, to get a better understanding of the issues and how to resolve them.