North Dakota Senator Kevin Cramer held a roundtable discussion with Interior Department Assistant Secretary of Fish and Wildlife and Parks Shannon Estenoz on Wednesday. Land owners are concerned about easements put in place before 1976 with unclear maps and definitions. Farmers would like to see fair appeals and due process. North Dakota Grain Growers Association Past President Jeff Mertz attended the meeting. “When many farmers signed up for these easements, they were acting in good faith. I think the individuals buying the easements back then were also acting in good faith. Now, it seems like this is more of a land grab,” explained Mertz. “People want to improve the ground, but the agency has different setback for tiling than the NRCS. Hopefully, the assistant secretary can get people working together.”
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