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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Two bills cosponsored by U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) passed the Senate unanimously. Cramer joined fellow North Dakota delegation members U.S. Senator John Hoeven and then-Congressman Kelly Armstrong in introducing the North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act and the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act.
North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act
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This legislation authorizes North Dakota to relinquish its lands and minerals on Tribal Reservations to the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) in exchange for those in the state which are federally-owned. North Dakota holds more than 130,000 acres of minerals and over 31,000 surface acres within Tribal Reservations, though they are largely unavailable for development. At the same time, existing laws do not adequately accommodate land and mineral exchanges between the state and the federal government.
“As any North Dakotan knows, fragmented mineral rights complicate energy and mineral development,” said Cramer. “Our North Dakota Trust Lands Completion Act is really an easy fix to federal and state land transfers to ensure we encourage more energy and resource development in the state.”
Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act
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The Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library Act authorizes funding for the library’s continued construction in Medora, and ensures the preservation of President Roosevelt’s history and legacy. It draws on established precedent of presidential libraries receiving federal funding via the Congressional appropriations process, as well as to receive artifacts from the federal government.
“A year and a half from now, North Dakotans and visitors from around the world are going to be able to see the story of our 26th President and our beloved Rough Rider while experiencing the actual place that had a large impact on his life and Presidency,” said Cramer. “This legislation is going to help immerse visitors in Theodore Roosevelt’s world as they view artifacts from every era of his life and learn, of course, about his legacy of leadership.”