North Dakota Gov. Order Aims to Help Drought-stricken Producers

Gov. Doug Burgum has further relaxed commercial driving restrictions to help drought-stricken North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

reduced forage due to drought in North Dakota
reduced forage due to drought in North Dakota
(North Dakota State University)

Gov. Doug Burgum has further relaxed commercial driving restrictions to help drought-stricken North Dakota farmers and ranchers.

His executive order Wednesday allows producers to drive farm vehicles farther than 150 miles without a commercial driver’s license. That means they can travel longer distances to transport livestock, hay and water.

Burgum earlier waived driving hour restrictions on commercial haulers of hay, water and livestock, and eased weight limits for those trucks.

The state also is putting more money into its Drought Disaster Livestock Water Supply cost-share program.

Eight National Guard helicopters stand ready to help fight wildfires.

The latest U.S. Drought Monitor map shows nearly all of western North Dakota in either severe or extreme drought, and most of the rest of the state in either moderate drought or abnormally dry.

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