CONTACT THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE OFFICIALS (BELOW) AND LET THEM KNOW YOUR DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS MONEY GRAB, THAT YOU DO NOT SUPPORT IT AND WILL NOT SPEND ANOTHER DIME IN NORTH DAKOTA UNTIL IT THIS NEW RULE IS REMOVED.
WHAT IS GOING ON?
The Bass Federation, Inc (TBF) is the nation’s oldest and largest organized grassroots Fishing, Youth and Conservation organization with chapters in all 48 US mainland states and Canada. As such we work hard to promote fishing, clean water and to work and support DNR’s and Fish and Game agencies in their efforts our TBF affiliated Bass clubs across the nation do even more grassroots work than anyone. TBF and our TBF affiliated circuits, member and clubs has donated millions in cold hard cash and tens of thousands of labor hours to Bass Conservation projects locally and nationally and was instrumental in lobbying for clean water legislation such as the clean waters act and various Sport Fishing legislation for decades.
So it is with great sadness we have to report that North Dakota and the North Dakota Fish and Game has quietly passed new rules with no opportunity for all stakeholder comment or input that will financially prohibit larger tournaments from operating anymore in the state of North Dakota.
For years ND Game and fish has had the very highest (by far) tournament permit fees in the nation bar none. Nearly every state in the US charges $200 or less for a tournament permit for a large event. However large events and National circuits holding events in North Dakota have been charged up to $5,000 for a tournament permit by ND Fish and Game in the past.
We have now been told that effective immediately there is no limit on permit fees by North Dakota Fish and Game. NO input, NO discussion, just that North Dakota Game and Fish will demand 10% of gross receipts/entry fees to be paid to ND Fish and Game to hold a tournament. Large events would be forced to pay 10K, 20K, 30K and more (there is no limit) as a fee to host a tournament to be paid to ND Fish and Game.
You read that correctly, the ND Game and Fish will require 10% of gross receipts/entry fees of the tournament prize purse to be paid to them in order to secure the event permit. (For all tournaments of any size) and will include side pots, big fish pots etc.
This WILL impact all events but certainly top level events if they were to hold an event in North Dakota in the future. Think about TBF, TBF National semi finals even the federation national championship with a $400,000 total payout would now have to pay North Dakota Fish and Game $40,000 to hold the championship event in North Dakota and many more events of all species will be also be impacted. It is a cash grab by North Dakota Game and Fish for the privilege of bringing in millions in tourism dollars and TV exposure to North Dakota and funding to ND fish and game.
WHY should we as competitive anglers be charged more to catch the same 5 fish anyone else with a fishing licenses can legally catch (and eat) from public waters?
This is highway robbery and it is purely discriminatory in our opinion. It WILL affect interstate commerce.
No other use of public waters, or public land or public streets, to our knowledge is required to pay 10% of gross receipts/entry fees from an event to any other state agency. ONLY tournament fisherman and only in North Dakota.
YOUR fishing licenses sales and boat gas and tackle purchases already fund Sport Fish Restoration dollars totaling millions of dollars to the state of North Dakota. For every fishing licenses sold in North Dakota the state gets MORE Sport Fish funding. Anglers are already paying for the ND Game and Fish and funding most projects that they do.
IN 2020, the North Dakota Game and Fish Department received $12.8 million as its share of excise taxes paid by America’s recreational shooters, hunters, anglers and boaters.
Sport Fish Restoration is guided by the Dingell-Johnson and Sport Fish Restoration Act and is funded by the collection of excise taxes on sport fishing equipment and electric motors, import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats, and a portion of gasoline tax attributable to motorboats and small engines. States use Sport Fish Restoration Program funds to stock fish; acquire and improve sport fish habitat; provide aquatic resource education opportunities; conduct fisheries research; and build boat ramps and fishing opportunities and license sales fund the ND Fish and Game.
Additionally, TBF and affiliated organizations and Bass clubs and host communities everywhere have donated big dollars to support fishery conservations over the years in North Dakota.
TBF and our affiliates have held numerous youth fishing clinics, reel kids events conservation projects, TBF National Semi finals events and more in North Dakota. We want to do our part and we want to promote and ensure good fishing nationwide.
Every DNR & Game and Fish in most states are primarily (and in many states like ND) fully funded BY ANGLERS, their license sales and their fishing expenses. WE as anglers are already funding the ND fish and game as they received no general fund revenue. WE do our part and then some. So these are targeted and punitive fees in our opinion. It was put into place quietly and without discussion or input from those stakeholders that it impacts.
SO THE WAY TO GET THIER ATTENTION, is buy hitting them in the pocket book and reducing their tax base and their tourism dollars to the state BY NOT GOING TO NORTH DAKOTA and by reducing fish and game funding by simply NOT buying any North Dakota hunting or fishing licenses AND by contacting the elected officials there TO GET THIS CHANGED.
This new rule will effectively kill tournaments in the state of North Dakota as every major circuit already pays back more than $100 of entry fees to the anglers each year and cannot afford to pay these excessive fees. Now even after paying THE HIGHEST permit fees in the nation for years to ND Game and Fish they want MORE and we WILL NOT pay it. It is a pure money grab.
Most states recruit tourism and out of state dollars, they want it, most DNR’s and fish and game folks WANT people to use the resources, apparently this is no longer the case in North Dakota who simply wants to penalize tournament anglers for the privilege of coming to the state and spending millions each year on tourism. This will negatively impact anglers, communities, tourism both local and state and interstate commerce.
Anglers cannot stand by quietly on this issue, these are public waters. TBF will NOT hold any events in ND in the future and take these kind of funds away from our events and we urge all others NOT to hold any in ND or fish North Dakota until this new rule is changed. We also ask all of you to CONTACT North Dakota officials and let them know you want it changed.
We ask all TBF members and all clubs, all anglers everywhere, all resort owners and host communities you have every stayed at to contact North Dakota officials, governor’s office, state legislators and ND fish and game. Let them know this WILL negatively impact them and let your voices be heard that competitive anglers who spend big dollars to support them are tired of being taken advantage of.
YOU have the same right to go catch your legal limit of fish as anyone else with a license tournament or not. YOU helped pay for those public ramps and parking lots and fish stockings much of which was built with FEDERAL funds as well AND YOU help fund the ND Game and Fish as much as anyone. We all already paying more than our fair share which we are happy to do for our sport, but this is too much.
This could very well impact any or all of you, don’t assume that it is not happening in your state YET. If this punitive fee structure is allowed to stand how long before it comes to YOUR state? IF there was ever an issue that should unite anglers everywhere, this is it.
CONTACT THE NORTH DAKOTA STATE OFFICALS AND LET THEM KNOW YOUR DO NOT APPROVE OF THIS MONEY GRAB AND WILL NOT SUPPORT IT.
Office of Governor State of North Dakota
600 East Boulevard Avenue, Bismarck ND, 58505-0001
Phone Number: (701) 328-2200, Fax: (701) 328-2205
Contact – https://www.governor.nd.gov/contact
CLICK here to go to North Dakota Legistators contact page
North Dakota Fish & Game,
100 N. Bismarck Expressway, Bismarck, ND 58501-5095
Director’s Office: 701-328-6305
email – ndgf@nd.gov
- Terry Steinwand, Director
- Fish Chief Greg Powers 701-328-6323
CLICK HERE TO GO TO NDFG facebook page
The Bass Federation, Inc.
www.Bassfederation.com
support@Bassfederation.com
580-765-9031
