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Burgum notes North Dakota examples of public land use in Senate hearing

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Burgum notes North Dakota examples of public land use in Senate hearing

By Jeff Beach
 Burgum notes North Dakota examples of public land use in Senate hearing
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Former Gov. Doug Burgum answers questions Jan. 16, 2025, during a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing on his nomination to be Interior secretary. Behind him are former first lady Kathryn Burgum and Ed O'Keefe, CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. (Photo taken from screenshot)

Doug Burgum committed to keeping wild horses in Theodore Roosevelt National Park and highlighted North Dakota examples of managing public lands and energy during his confirmation hearing to lead the Department of the Interior. 

Burgum’s comments came Thursday as the former governor answered questions for senators, including North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven, as a step to joining President-elect Donald Trump’s Cabinet. 

Burgum discussed North Dakota programs on clean energy, plugging abandoned oil wells and outdoor recreation in about three hours of testimony.  

Burgum, who also has been tagged by Trump to be the country’s “energy czar” leading a new National Energy Council, answered several questions about energy. 

Interior nominee Burgum promises to pursue ‘energy dominance’ in Trump administration

Burgum repeated his support of an all-of-the-above energy strategy, including wind and solar, but said baseload energy should be the priority. 

He was asked if he supported public-private partnerships for clean energy.  

“I think it’s great whenever we can get more market incentives built into programs,” said Burgum, whose administration was behind creating the Clean Sustainable Energy Authority in North Dakota, which has funded projects such as a fertilizer plant that would use wind power. 

“If we spend a tax dollar, if we can match it with two or three from the private sector, that’s one of the things we did in North Dakota to really both grow our economy and extend the return on investment for every taxpayer dollar.” 

He was asked about streamlining the plugging of abandoned oil wells. 

“The federal legislation, which was put in place after the pandemic, was modeled after something we created in North Dakota,” Burgum said. 

He noted that North Dakota, which has only been drilling for oil since the 1950s, now has fewer than 200 abandoned wells, while in some states such as Pennsylvania where drilling goes back much earlier, there may be thousands of abandoned wells. 

“This is something from an environmental standpoint, we’ve got to take care of. The technology is there. We can clean it up,” Burgum said. 

North Dakota tribal leaders see Burgum as an ally in Interior, energy role

Hoeven and others praised Burgum for his work with tribal nations. Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D.,  read part of a letter of support for Burgum from the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which participated in protests over the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline that carries crude oil from North Dakota. The tribe filed a new lawsuit over the pipeline in October. 

On the outdoors, Burgum pledged to continue using public lands for multiple uses, such as hunting and grazing. 

He touted North Dakota’s policy of allowing landowners to post online whether hunting was allowed on their property. 

North Dakota’s former director of the Game and Fish Department, Terry Steinwand, was credited with helping shape the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act, to help ensure healthy wildlife populations. 

“This sounds like you’re entrusting this back to the states, which is where it belongs,” Burgum said. 

Wild horses to stay in national park; management plan needed, advocate says

Burgum’s backing of wild horses in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park came in response to a question from Hoeven on a topic that has seen passionate discussion in North Dakota. The National Park Service last year decided against removing the horses, which are popular with many park visitors. 

“For the record, people should know that as popular as Sen. Hoeven is in our state, the horses in the national park have even more followers,” Burgum joked. 

Burgum made several references to Theodore Roosevelt, his ranching and his dedication to preserving natural areas. Burgum called North Dakota, “the cradle of conservation.” 

As president, Roosevelt signed the Antiquities Act, allowing presidents to create national monuments. 

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, said action by President Joe Biden in his state has restricted resource development and access to public lands. 

Burgum emphasized that such monuments should be as small as possible and the federal government should gather local input. 

“I just think it’s important that we strike the right balance,” Burgum said. 

Burgum did not mention the proposed Maah Daah Hey National Monument in the North Dakota Badlands. As governor, he called the plan for the monument “a surprise” from the Biden administration even though his staff had been briefed about the monument months earlier.