North Dakota Governor Turns Down Ducks Unlimited Land Buy Request

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — Gov. Jack Dalrymple has denied a request from Ducks Unlimited to buy a wetland-rich parcel in eastern North Dakota.

The hunting and conservation group says it still wants to buy the 47-acre tract from a private owner in Foster County.

Ducks Unlimited regional director Steve Adair tells the Bismarck Tribune the group will work to find a plan that is more amenable.

Ducks Unlimited was planning to use the land for wetland mitigation and plant native grasses on it. Most of the acreage is now used for agriculture.

North Dakota's anti-corporate farming law limits the number of nonprofit groups allowed to buy land, and requires the governor to approve land purchases.

State officials say the law was put in place in 1932 to protect the state's agrarian heritage