Next 25 years in North Dakota

Last night our old friend Mike Jacobs was over to dine.  The three of us talked about our dreams for the next 25 years in North Dakota.

Here is our list:

• ·         60,000 more acres of wilderness
• ·         Healthy wetland environments large enough to sustain a full complement of wetlands and grasslands birds with nesting habitats
• ·         Spaces quiet enough that you can hear Sprague’s Pipits
• ·         A grasslands national park similar to the Canadian Grasslands National Park (Des Lacs and Lostwood knit together would be a great grasslands national park)
• ·         Enough funding so that every time an oil well goes out of production the state would buy the land and do nothing with it so that it eventually becomes wildlife habitat
• ·         Wetlands are key
• ·         Wrong to manage for a particular species but how ever habitat exists it would support multiple species
• ·         All oil wells gone
• ·         Unified North Dakota University System
• ·         One library card for all
• ·         Mike would like to know that if he wanted to see an antelope on any given afternoon he’d be able to see one
• ·         Would like to be able to find burrowing owls
• ·         J. Clark Sayler is as precious a place as it is now
• ·         A meaningful International Peace Garden as a place where there is real engagement about peace and justice, where peace is more important than flowers
• ·         VA healthcare and long term care in all cities of more than 15,000
• ·         Expanded Elkhorn Ranch with national monument status
• More Democrats in the legislature