North Dakota livestock relief program funds 470 projects as most of state remains in drought

The Drought Disaster Livestock Relief program has exhausted its $4.1 million in funding roughly a month after it was activated by an executive order from North Dakota’s governor. 

Reice Haase, director of the Department of Water Resources, told lawmakers on the Water Topics Overview Committee last week that the program has helped fund 470 projects proposed by 369 ranchers across the state. 

“What our drought disaster livestock program is intended to do is to provide relief and cost share for individual ranchers across the state to fund water projects for long-term drought resilience,” Haase said. 

North Dakota governor declares drought emergency, activates livestock water assistance program

The bulk of the approved projects are located west of the Missouri River and south of Lake Sakakawea, according to a map in Haase’s presentation. Ranchers could apply for up to $10,000 in cost share assistance per project to help fund items like new water wells, pipeline extensions, pasture taps and rural water connections. 

Gov. Kelly Armstrong activated the program via executive order on Aug. 18 and expanded it a week later. Haase said his staff spent late nights, weekends and “a significant amount of overtime” in order to review more than 500 applications during the subsequent two weeks. 

“At this point we have exhausted all funding available that the water commission had approved for this,” Haase said. 

Haase said the projects funded by the assistance would provide permanent relief and help during future droughts as well. 

Nearly 92% of North Dakota is affected by drought or abnormally dry conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Sept. 17 update. Around 31% of the state is in severe drought. Almost 14%, primarily in the southeast and southwest regions of North Dakota, is rated as extreme drought. 

North Dakota Monitor reporter Jacob Orledge can be reached at [email protected].