North Dakota PLOTS Working Lands Program

Working Lands pays North Dakota landowners multi-year rental and access payments for maintaining or improving wildlife habitat on active cropland and working grasslands. Enrolled acres are signed and published as open to walk-in hunting in the annual PLOTS Guide. Cost-share and higher payments are available for new conservation practices or new habitat.

• Private landowners with active agricultural lands or working grasslands in North Dakota.

• 'Landowner must agree to maintain or improve the agreed-upon management activities for the term of the agreement and must allow the Department to sign and publicize the access acres as open to walk-in hunting.'

• Biologists evaluate habitat, hunting opportunity, management practices and proximity to other accessible lands.

'The agreement length is normally two years but longer term agreements may be available.' PLOTS agreements overall run 'from two years up to 30 years'; cancellation may require reimbursement of payments/cost-share.

Published amounts: 'Payments vary based on land use, habitat features and management activities.' 'Landowners may also receive cost-share and increased payments for implementing new conservation practices or developing new habitat.'

Contact a Game and Fish private land biologist (online form https://gf.nd.gov/pli/contact or district biologist); enrollment deadline June 30 for the PLOTS program.

Deadline text on the page: 'Landowners can contact a private land biologist in their area at any time, however the deadline to enroll land into the PLOTS program is June 30th.'