BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) 鈥� A coalition of conservation groups and Native American tribal citizens on Friday called on President to designate nearly 140,000 acres of rugged, scenic Badlands as North Dakota's first national monument, a proposal several tribal nations say would preserve the area's indigenous and cultural heritage.
The Maah Daah Hey National Monument would encompass 11 noncontiguous, newly designated units totaling 139,729 acres (56,546 hectares) in the Little Missouri National Grassland. The proposed units would hug the of the same name and neighbor named for the who ranched and roamed in the Badlands as a young man in the 1880s.
鈥淲hen you tell the story of landscape, you have to tell the story of people,鈥� said Michael Barthelemy, an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation and director of Native American studies at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College. 鈥淵ou have to tell the story of the people that first inhabited those places and the symbiotic relationship between the people and the landscape, how the people worked to shape the land and how the land worked to shape the people.鈥�
The U.S. Forest Service would manage the proposed monument. The National Park Service oversees many national monuments, which are similar to national parks and usually designated by the president to protect the landscape's features.
Supporters have traveled twice to Washington to meet with White House, Interior Department, Forest Service and Department of Agriculture officials. But the effort faces an uphill battle with less than two months remaining in Biden鈥檚 term and potential headwinds in President-elect 's incoming administration.
If unsuccessful, the group would turn to the Trump administration 鈥渂ecause we believe this is a good idea regardless of who's president,鈥� Dakota Resource Council Executive Director Scott Skokos said.
Dozens if not hundreds of oil and natural gas wells dot the landscape where the proposed monument would span, according to the supporters鈥� map. But the proposed units have no oil and gas leases, private inholdings or surface occupancy, and no grazing leases would be removed, said North Dakota Wildlife Federation Executive Director John Bradley.
The proposal is supported by the MHA Nation, the Spirit Lake Tribe and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe through council resolutions.
If created, the monument would help tribal citizens stay connected to their identity, said Democratic state Rep. Lisa Finley-DeVille, an MHA Nation enrolled member.
North Dakota Gov. is to which oversees the National Park Service. In a written statement, Burgum said: 鈥淣orth Dakota is proof that we can protect our precious parks, cultural heritage and natural resources AND responsibly develop our vast energy resources.鈥�
North Dakota Sen. John Hoeven's office said Friday was the first they had heard of the proposal, 鈥渂ut any effort that would make it harder for ranchers to operate and that could restrict multiple use, including energy development, is going to raise concerns with Senator Hoeven.鈥�
___
This story was first published on Nov. 22, 2024. It was updated on Nov. 23, 2024 to correct that the U.S. Forest Service would manage the proposed monument, not the National Park Service.
Jack Dura, The Associated Press
