Title 20.1, Game, Fish, Predators, and Boating

The governor shall appoint the director of the game and fish department. The director holds office for a term of four years beginning on the first day of July after the governor's election and until a successor is appointed and qualified. The director is subject to removal by the…

Before entering upon that individual's duties and within ten days after the date of appointment, the director shall take and file the oath prescribed for civil officers.

The salary of the director must be within the amount appropriated for salaries by the legislative assembly. The director must be reimbursed for the necessary expenses incurred by the director in the performance of the director's duties. The director's salary and expenses must be …

The director shall: 1. Maintain an office in Bismarck. 2. Adopt rules necessary to the conduct of the department. 3. Keep an accurate record of all the transactions and expenditures of the department and submit a biennial report to the governor and the secretary of state in accor…

The director may: 1. Fix the salaries and the necessary travel and other expenses of department personnel subject to law and legislative appropriations. 2. Employ any part-time personnel necessary to run the director's office and remove the employees at will. Salaries and necessa…

1. The director shall establish a comprehensive statewide land acquisition plan, subject to approval by the legislative assembly or the budget section if the legislative assembly is not in session. Every land acquisition made by the department exceeding ten acres [4.05 hectares] …

The director shall appoint, and may remove at pleasure, a deputy director who is under the director's direct control and supervision. The deputy, within ten days after the date of that person's appointment, shall take and file the oath prescribed for civil officers. The oath must…

The director, with the governor's approval, may appoint the following permanent employees: 1. A chief game warden who shall enforce all state game and fish laws and supervise all deputy game wardens. 2. District deputy game wardens, assigned by the director, to enforce all state …

The chief game warden, within ten days of appointment, shall take the oath prescribed for civil officers and file it with the secretary of state.

The chief game warden is under the direct control and supervision of the director and shall make monthly and annual reports to the director in a manner required by the director. The chief game warden shall keep a complete and correct record, in a format authorized by the director…

The director may appoint and remove at pleasure, one or more special deputy game wardens in each county. They serve for the time and manner as the director directs. They serve without compensation, but are entitled to a reward pursuant to section 20.1-02-16.

Each district deputy game warden and each special deputy game warden are under the direct control and supervision of the director, and shall make monthly and annual reports to the director in a manner required by the director.

No person who owns or possesses land in this state under lease or contract for hunting purposes, nor that person's employee or agent, may be appointed or may act as a chief, district, or special deputy game warden.

The director, deputy director, and all wardens and deputy wardens may serve and execute, in the same manner as any sheriff, all warrants and legal process issued by a court in enforcing this title. The officers of the department may call to their aid any sheriff, deputy sheriff, …

1. There is established a uniform complaint and summons that may be used in cases involving violations of this title or other violations of a state law which occur on property that the department owns, leases, or manages or on sovereign lands as defined by section 61-33-01. Whene…

The director, deputy director, and any bonded appointees of the director have the power: 1. Of a peace officer for the purpose of enforcing this title and any other state laws or rules relating to wildlife. 2. To make arrests upon view and without warrant for any violation, commi…

The director, deputy director, chief game wardens, or district game wardens have the power of a peace officer in the following circumstances: 1. To enforce state laws and rules on any game refuge, game management area, or other land or water owned, leased, or managed by the depar…

The director, out of legislative reward appropriation, may pay complainants, upon the arrest and conviction of any person violating this title, a reward not to exceed: 1. One hundred dollars if the offense involves a violation relating to big game. 2. Fifty dollars if the offense…

All income of the state game and fish department deposited by the director with the state treasurer must be credited to the state game and fish fund and the fund may be used only by the department. All money derived from the investment of the fund, special accounts, or portions o…

There is hereby established in the state treasury a special fund known as the nongame wildlife fund. The fund may be expended subject to appropriation by the legislative assembly to the game and fish department and must be used only for the purposes of preservation, inventory, pe…

There is hereby imposed, for the grant of the privilege of the right to harvest clams, a privilege fee of ten percent of the market value of clam shells harvested in this state. The fee imposed by this section must be paid to the director for deposit in the game and fish fund. Th…

The director shall deposit all motorboat license fees in a special account within the game and fish fund to be known as the motorboat programs and safety account. Funds placed in the motorboat programs and safety account may be used only for construction and installation of boat …

Each year in the month of July the state treasurer shall transfer from the highway tax distribution fund, before allocation of the fund under section 54-27-19, to the motorboat programs and safety account an amount equal to two dollars and fifty cents multiplied by the number of …

There is created in the state treasury a special fund known as the aquatic nuisance species program fund. The fund consists of transfers and deposits made in accordance with section 20.1-02-16.1 and section 20.1-13-02.1.

There is created in the state treasury a special fund known as the waterfowl habitat improvement fund. The fund consists of transfers and deposits made in accordance with section 20.1-03-12.5 and interest earned on moneys in the fund. Moneys in the fund may be expended, subject t…

North Dakota assents to the Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide that the United States shall aid the states in wildlife restoration projects and for other purposes" [Pub. L. 75-415; 50 Stat. 917; 16 U.S.C. 669 et seq.], and the Act of Congress entitled "An Act to provide …

1. The director shall submit proposed wildlife and fish restoration programs or projects and updated segments thereof involving proposed acquisitions by purchase, lease, easement, or servitude of wetlands, water, or land areas by certified mail with return receipt to the board of…

North Dakota consents, subject to the approval of the governor for each proposed acquisition, along with the conditions of sections 20.1-02-18.1 and 20.1-02-18.2, to the United States acquiring, by purchase, gift, devise, or lease, land or water in this state as the United States…

The governor, the director, or their designees, responsible under federal law for final approval of land, wetland, and water acquisitions by the United States department of the interior, its bureaus or agencies, for waterfowl production areas, wildlife refuges, or other wildlife …

A landowner may negotiate the terms of a lease, easement, or servitude for land, wetland, or water areas sought to be acquired by the United States department of the interior, its bureaus or agencies, with moneys from the migratory bird conservation fund [16 U.S.C.718d ] for use …

Notwithstanding the provisions of section 20.1-02-18, or any other provision of law, the United States may not acquire by any means any land or interests in land for migratory bird reservations, and the governor may not approve the acquisition of any land or interests in land wit…

The state game and fish advisory board consists of eight members, one from each of the following districts, appointed by the governor: 1. District one shall consist of the counties of Divide, McKenzie, and Williams. 2. District two shall consist of the counties of Bottineau, Burk…

Each member of the advisory board is entitled to be paid a per diem of sixty-two dollars and fifty cents for each day of service in going to, attending, and returning from the meetings required by section 20.1-02-25 to be held in that person's respective district and the meetings…

Each board member shall hold a public meeting at least twice each fiscal year in the board member's respective district to make presentations and to determine the needs and the opinions of those interested in these activities. The board shall meet at least twice each fiscal year.…

Any person who brings into this state any mounted trophy head or horns, has any trophy head or horns mounted in this state, or comes into possession of any horns of dall sheep, stone sheep, desert bighorn sheep, or Rocky Mountain bighorn sheep shall have the trophy head or horns …

1. The director may establish programs for landowner assistance that encourage public access to private lands for purposes of hunting. 2. Rules adopted by the director to implement this section may address: a. A hunter management program consisting of a cooperative agreement betw…

Within legislative appropriations, the director shall provide for a deerproof hay yard program. The deerproof hay yard program must provide materials and supplies at no cost and construction cost-share assistance to landowners for the establishment of deerproof hay yards to prote…

The following records, regardless of form or characteristic, of or relating to the game and fish department are exempt under section 44-04-18 and section 6 of article XI of the Constitution of North Dakota: 1. A record that would identify the name, address, or electronic mail add…

The department may develop and make available, as part of the broader support for establishment cost-share provided through the industrial commission, a special demonstration component of the private land open to sportsmen program to support perennial grass stand establishment of…

The director or the director's designee may authorize an individual to euthanize injured, sick, or emaciated deer under conditions determined by the director. The director may authorize targeted deer reduction programs to alleviate deer depredation.

The department shall implement a web-based online application process for Canada goose kill permits, publicize in select agricultural publications and trade journals the availability of Canada goose kill permits, and implement a program to match volunteers with agricultural produ…

1. A "fishing contest" means an event at which a prize or cash is given to a contestant for catching fish from waters open to the public. The term includes high-value tag contests, fishing tournaments, biggest fish contests, contests providing a prize for the largest number or we…

The department may establish educational and community outreach programs to promote public understanding of fisheries and wildlife management and promote interest in pursuing careers in fields employed by the department. The director may establish programs and determine participa…