Accomplishments for 2025

View from the Maah Daah Hey Trail near Bear Creek. Photo by Nora Swenson, June 18th, 2025.

BCA’s Accomplishments for 2025

Action alerts mobilized BCA members to: oppose the rescission of the Public Lands Rule; protect the Forest Service from USDA Reorganization; oppose the rescission of the Roadless Rule; protect Public Lands from the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” (H.R. 1), and urge Rep. Julie Fedorchak to oppose the bill.

Issues and outreach: Attended Industrial Commission meetings, and the North Dakota Reclamation conference in Watford City. Monitored regional haze issues, the Billings County bridge crossing, and the impacts of data centers on North Dakota’s energy grid; monitored the effects of tariffs on North Dakota’s agriculture and energy industries; monitored bills during North Dakota’s legislative session and opposed SB 2137, the baiting bill; monitored and opposed the Bureau of Land Management’s reversal of North Dakota’s resource management plan. Participated in Giving Hearts Day, joined the UND bus tour, spoke at an Optimist luncheon, and met with students at DSU, UND and NDSU. Began hosting monthly Zoom calls with BCA members.

BCA submitted comments with Western Environmental Law Center and other conservation organizations: to defend NEPA and challenge the U.S. Department of Agriculture Interim Final Rule USDA-2025-0008; to challenge oil and gas lease sales in Colorado, Montana-Dakotas, and Wyoming during Q3 2025.

BCA launched the Badlands Conservation Corps, a collaboration between BCA and Strengthen ND to bring AmeriCorps field crew members to work on short-term service projects to improve the grasslands of western North Dakota. From May to July, 2025, the six-person BCC field crew provided approximately 1,800 hours of service. Working alongside 13 project partners, BCC maintained 40 miles of trails, removed 4.75 miles of fencing, installed or repaired 30 mile markers and other posts, placed eight benches, and reinforced two erosion-preventing bridges. The crew built a temporary bridge over Knutson Creek, installed wildlife-friendly fencing at Logging Camp Ranch, built an earthen dam at White Butte, and transferred native species to be planted on the roof of the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library. Over a three-day period in June, BCC worked with the U.S. Forest Service and the Northern Region Pack Train, Montana Conservation Corps, and a team of volunteers to build the Bear Creek bridge and reinstall a gate.

Events: BCA potluck (January), celebrating Earth Day at White Butte with Dakota Goodhouse and Heather Husband (April), volunteer at White Butte with MDHTA and the BCC field crew (May), volunteer in TRNP for National Trails Day (June); film screenings, discussions, and a hike at Bear Creek with Walt Dabney (October).

BCA received grant funding from the Tortuga Foundation, the Robbins Family Foundation, Dakota Resource Council, and the Anthropocene Alliance. BCA entered a two-year collaborative agreement with the North Dakota Natural Resources Trust. BCA worked with the North Dakota Wildlife Federation to complete a grant from the Outdoor Heritage Fund.

BCA submitted additional grant applications to the Bush Foundation, the Mule Deer Foundation, Midcontinent Communications, Costco, and the Mountain and Plains Environmental Justice Grants Hub. BCA also applied for a Creative Community Solutions grant from Strengthen ND.

Badlands Conservation Corps received support from donors and sponsors including Northern Bottling Company, Baker Boy, Cloverdale Country Store, Runnings, Costco, Minot Restaurant Supply, Straight’s Concessions, LLC., and Dakota Cyclery.

In 2025, BCA collaborated with numerous partners and groups, including North Dakota Native Vote, Environmentally Minded People of Minot, Three Affiliated Tribes National Park, Central Grasslands Roadmap Initiative, North Dakota Wildlife Federation, North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, North Dakota Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, North Dakota Chapter of The Wildlife Society, North Dakota Sierra Club, and the Dakota Resource Council.

Press

Patrick Lohmann and Mary Steurer, “As USDA announces plans to repeal ‘roadless’ rule, ND has 250,000 acres that could be affected,” North Dakota Monitor, June 27, 2025.

“Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badland Conservation Alliance, said that the proposed repeal of the rule is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers to strip away public land protections. ‘We’re losing our wilderness, we’re losing our habitat,’ Straight said.”

Joey Harris, “Building a bridge with the help of 10 mules on North Dakota's Maah Daah Hey Trail,” The Bismarck Tribune, June 21, 2025.

“Straight said he hopes the work that Badlands Conservation Alliance is doing with Americorps will inspire more North Dakotans to make full use of their public lands and volunteer at them, too.”

Brad Dokken, “Upcoming North Dakota presentations put public lands in the spotlight,” Grand Forks Herald, Oct. 11, 2025.

“Getting people involved – and keeping them engaged – is an uphill battle, says Straight, of the Badlands Conservation Alliance. ‘We have that conservative nature in us here,’ Straight said. ‘And what scares me the most is if we don’t stand up now unified and we lose it, we’re not going to know it until it’s far gone. The challenge is not just the advocacy, but we need to connect our politicians, as well, to the economics and the economic impact (of public lands). We just want people to come out and be educated and recognize how important public lands are to the state of North Dakota.’”

Mary Steurer, “Federal lands need the public’s help, retired National Park ranger says,” North Dakota Monitor, Oct. 13, 2025.

“‘What Walt talks about in his talk, [BCA’s collaboration with the Dakota Prairie Grasslands to rebuild the Bear Creek bridge] is a great example of that,’ Shannon Straight, executive director of the Badlands Conservation Alliance, said during the hike.”

Members at large are encouraged to get in touch if you’re interested in being involved in committee work, volunteering, letter-writing campaigns, or submitting your writing or photography to our newsletter, Wild Badlands.