News Releases for September 2004
September 14, 2004
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Hoeven Announces Plan To Expand Greenway On The Red
Project To Enhance Nature Tourism, Wildlife Habitat, Flood Mitigation
GRAFTON, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven today announced plans to expand the Greenway on the Red by about 6,000 acres with a series of land enhancements at locations along the Red River corridor. The project would preserve scenic sites along the river for wildlife management, hunting, canoeing, hiking and other recreational activities, while continuing to improve flood control and water quality.
The concept dovetails with Hoeven’s statewide, nature-based tourism initiative, which seeks to expand North Dakota’s tourism industry through the growing worldwide interest in visiting scenic, natural destinations. The plan also complements a recently announced $100,000 study by the North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department to identify recreational trail opportunities in the Pembina Gorge and Turtle Mountains.
A greenway is an open space along a river corridor designed to mitigate potential flood damage, while providing opportunities for outdoor recreation. It can take many forms, from the riverside parks and bike paths seen in urban areas, to strips of land with native cover and habitat in the countryside.
“Our Greenway on the Red projects could do for northeastern North Dakota what the Maah Daah Hey Trail has done for western North Dakota,” Hoeven said. “It fits well with our comprehensive nature tourism plan, and is a clear winner for everyone - landowners, the tourism industry and anyone who loves North Dakota’s outdoors.”
Hoeven said the plan would pay landowners for the residual value in acreage now under floodplain easements with the federal government. The federal perpetual easements restrict the farming and buildings, but landowners are still responsible for property taxes and weed control. Once the state manages the land, it will be responsible for local taxes and weed management.
The Game and Fish Department has identified properties along the Red, Park and Pembina rivers in several counties that could be purchased and placed into the department’s Wildlife Management Areas (WMA) system. After reviewing more than 10,000 acres, approximately 6,000 acres would be recommended for inclusion based on the wildlife benefits and accessibility to the public.
Hoeven said he will include $700,000 in the Game and Fish Department budget next biennium for the project. Game and Fish will be working with landowners in the Red River Valley basin to offer them an opportunity to include their land in the WMA system. Other state agencies participating in Greenway on the Red projects are the North Dakota Department of Health, Water Commission and Department of Parks and Recreation.
Genevieve Thompson is the director of the Greenway on the Red, a private, non-profit organization devoted to developing the greenway project. “This exciting partnership, initiated by the Governor, will help to ensure all of the benefits and sustainability of the Greenway on the Red over the long term,” Thompson said. “The leadership provided by the ND Game and Fish Department to the Greenway will translate to significant wildlife habitat benefits, and will also provide flood resiliency and outdoor recreation opportunities for the residents of the Red River Basin. We are very excited about this evolving partnership.”
“The proposal fits very well within the goals of the Game and Fish Department to provide more public access for hunting and fishing in North Dakota,” said Dean Hildebrand, director of the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. “We are also extremely excited about the contributions these areas will provide to the Governor’s Greenway efforts and the possibilities for further Greenway activities, such as demonstration sites, educational and research opportunities, and recreational access.”
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