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News Release — Byron Dorgan, Senator for North Dakota

DORGAN HOLDS MEETING WITH RANCHERS IN MEDORA

Senator working hard to address issues important to N.D. ranchers

Sunday, June 29, 2008

CONTACT: Justin Kitsch
or  Brenden Timpe
PHONE: 202-224-2551

(MEDORA, N.D.) - Senator Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) convened a meeting at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Medora today regarding issues of concern to North Dakota ranchers. The discussion focused primarily on the area’s dry conditions, high fuel prices and a wide range of issues affecting ranchers.

“The dry conditions and rising energy costs have been affecting the grazing situation in this area, and ranchers need assistance,” Dorgan said. “I held this meeting to hear what concerns ranchers have, and to discuss with them how I’ve been working to open up CRP land for grazing and fighting to put downward pressure on fuel prices.”

Dorgan has been working with other members of the state’s Congressional delegation to tackle the grazing issue. Many areas of the state have been plagued by recent drought. Earlier this month, they sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer requesting the USDA open Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land to drought-stricken ranchers.

The effort was successful. On June 25, the North Dakota Congressional delegation sent out a statement welcoming the news of the USDA’s decision to immediately open CRP land to grazing in 26 North Dakota counties.

Dorgan has also been working hard to address high fuel prices. Recently, he authored legislation to wring the excessive speculation out of the oil futures market. Also, legislation he authored to increase the petroleum supply was overwhelmingly passed and signed into law in May. The legislation halted the shipment of oil into the nation’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve, which is currently 97 percent full. Dorgan has also been pushing for more domestic oil production. In April of this year, an assessment - done at the Senator’s request - was released by the United States Geological Survey regarding North Dakota’s Bakken Shale Formation. It found an estimated reserve of nearly four billion barrels of oil.

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