2026 marks two major milestones for the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust: 40 years of commitment to conservation and more than a half million acres positively impacted through our work across the state.

The North Dakota Wetlands Trust was born out of the controversy surrounding the Garrison Diversion Irrigation Project in the late 1970s and early 1980s. When Congress preserved the Garrison project through the 1986 Reformulation Act, the Trust was formed, with a mission to preserve, restore, manage, and enhance wetlands and wildlife habitat across North Dakota. The Dakota Water Resources Act of 2000 broadened that mission to include grasslands and riparian habitats, resulting in a name change for the Trust.

From the beginning, the Trust’s governance model was designed to bring different perspectives to the same table. A six-member voting board includes three members appointed by conservation organizations and three appointed by the Governor, with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department Director serving as a seventh, non-voting member. Some questioned whether such a structure could work given the diversity of interests. Trust boards over the years have answered that question decisively – when people focus on the common good, collaboration works.

So, what does the Trust do? In a word, partner. Our work spans everything from public policy at the federal and state levels, to one-on-one collaboration with landowners to restore wetlands, establish grasslands, improve grazing management, and enhance habitat. Along the way, we work with agricultural, conservation and energy-sector partners. Together, these efforts have positively impacted more than 525,000 acres of grasslands and wetlands across North Dakota — and the work continues.

None of this happens alone. Our partners are central to everything we do. Whether colleagues, landowners, agencies, organizations or conservation partners, you know who you are—and the Trust is grateful for each of you.

Ultimately, conservation in North Dakota is about people and place. Here, many say, “I work here so I can live here.” Helping keep that sentiment alive—through clean water, healthy soils, thriving wildlife and working lands—is what makes conservation so rewarding. Working alongside North Dakota’s farmers and ranchers to advance conservation that supports their families, strengthens their operations, and sustains rural communities is a privilege we never take for granted.