Peace Garden News

Two legislative bills, cosponsored by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, have been unanimously passed by the Senate. These bills are the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act. The introduction of these bills was a collaborative effort involving Senator Cramer, U.S. Senator John Hoeven, and former Congressman Kelly Armstrong.

The North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act aims to facilitate land exchanges between North Dakota and the federal government. This legislation allows the state to transfer its lands and minerals on Tribal Reservations to the U.S. Department of the Interior in exchange for federally-owned lands within the state. The current situation involves over 130,000 acres of minerals and more than 31,000 surface acres that are largely undeveloped due to fragmented mineral rights.

Senator Cramer highlighted the importance of this bill by stating, "As any North Dakotan knows, fragmented mineral rights complicate energy and mineral development." He added that this act is intended as a straightforward solution for facilitating federal and state land transfers to promote energy and resource development in North Dakota.

In addition to this, the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act has been passed to secure funding for ongoing construction efforts at the library located in Medora. The act ensures that President Theodore Roosevelt's history and legacy are preserved through established precedents involving federal funding for presidential libraries via Congressional appropriations. It also provides for receiving artifacts from federal sources.

Cramer expressed enthusiasm about this initiative: "A year and a half from now, North Dakotans and visitors from around the world are going to be able to see the story of our 26th President... This legislation is going to help immerse visitors in Theodore Roosevelt’s world as they view artifacts from every era of his life."