Seven North Dakota farm and commodity groups have gotten to together to ask the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to end NRCS’s practice of using Ducks Limited employees to do conservation work in North Dakota.

The groups include:

• North Dakota Grain Growers Association
• North Dakota Corn Growers Association
• North Dakota Soybean Growers Association
• Northern Canola Growers Association
• US Durum Growers
• AmeriFlax
• North Dakota Farm Bureau
• North Dakota Farmers Union
• Landowners Association of North Dakota  

They have sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack asking him to “rescind the current contribution agreement” that NRCS has with DU.

"While our organizations respect DU’s activism on behalf of waterfowl in North Dakota, we do not appreciate that they are an out-of-state political organization working against North Dakota’s farmers when it comes to land usage and its stewardship,” says a letter signed by the groups. “Instead of entrusting stewardship of the land to the farmer, DU has attempted to position itself as a better steward of the land, and therefore, as the organization that has the final say on what can be done with private land.

"To now allow the federal government to use these employees as their “boots on the ground” in the state of North Dakota is unfair to every farmer, and the entire agricultural industry, in our state. The farmers in North Dakota have proven outstanding stewards of the state’s land for the last 150 years, and because of their conservation efforts (not DU’s) we still have some of the best growing conditions in the world while our waterfowl population continues to rise to record levels.

"The current contribution agreement between North Dakota NRCS and DU presents a direct conflict of interest that has the potential for abuse. Giving an out-of-state political organization with an agenda unlimited access to farmer and landowner information is not in the best interest of North Dakota farmers and landowners; similarly giving this out-of-state political organization unlimited access to farmers and landowners presents a recipe for disaster. Farmers and landowners need and deserve unbiased information from personnel hired and trained by North Dakota NRCS and not from individuals who serve an out-of-state political organization.

"Therefore we respectfully request that you immediately rescind the current contribution agreement between North Dakota NRCS and DU. This agreement is NOT in the best interest of North Dakota farmers and landowners and is in direct conflict with the NRCS mission statement of “helping people help the land."

NRCS has previously stated that DU staff are only helping landowners implement conservation practices on land that they have voluntarily enrolled a programs. DU staff are not involved in wetland determinations, according to Mary Podoll, NRCS state conservationist in North Dakota.