Land Use in North Dakota: Agriculture, Energy & Wide Open Spaces

How North Dakota Uses Its 44M+ Acres

North Dakota's landscape is dominated by **agriculture and energy**, with sparse urbanization and significant conservation.

1. Cropland (~27M acres / 60%)

• **#1 U.S. producer:** Spring wheat, durum, canola, flaxseed, honey, dry edible beans, peas, lentils.
• **Top 3:** Corn, soybeans, barley, sunflowers, oats, rye.
• **Precision ag:** GPS, variable-rate, drones widespread.
• **Irrigation:** ~300k acres (center-pivot) along Missouri, Yellowstone, Red River valleys.

2. Rangeland & Pasture (~10M acres / 22%)

• **Cattle & calves:** ~1.8M head (#9 US); cow-calf operations on native mixed-grass prairie.
• **Sheep, bison, horses** — niche but growing.
• **Management:** Rotational grazing, prescribed fire, invasive control (leafy spurge).

3. Energy Development (Western ND — Bakken/Three Forks)

• **Oil:** ~1.1M bpd (2023) — #3 US (TX, NM). 15,000+ active wells.
• **Gas:** 2.5+ Bcf/day — much flared (improving via capture).
• **Footprint:** Well pads, access roads, pipelines, compressor stations, man camps — ~1% land area but high local impact.
• **Coal:** Lignite surface mines (Center, Beulah) → mine-mouth power plants (4 GW).
• **Wind:** #6 US potential; growing farms (e.g., Courtenay, Emmons-Logan).

4. Urban & Built Environment (~1% land)

• **Metros:** Fargo-Moorhead (250k), Bismarck-Mandan (135k), Grand Forks (100k), Minot (75k).
• **Campuses:** NDSU (Fargo), UND (Grand Forks), Minot State, Dickinson State.
• **Infrastructure:** I-94, I-29, US-2, US-83, US-85; BNSF/CPKC rail; Hector Intl (FAR), Bismarck (BIS).

5. Conservation & Recreation (~3M acres / 7%)

• **Federal:** Theodore Roosevelt NP (70k), 63 National Wildlife Refuges (2.2M ac), 5 National Grasslands (1.1M ac), Lake Sakakawea (Garrison Dam).
• **State:** 13 state parks, 22 wildlife management areas.
• **Hunting/Fishing:** Pheasant, waterfowl, deer, walleye — major tourism driver.

6. Transportation Corridors

East–west (I-94, US-2, BNSF Northern Transcon) and north–south (I-29, US-83, US-85, CPKC) move grain, oil, coal, equipment to ports (Duluth, PNW) and markets.

Balancing Act

ND Century Code Ch. 38-18 (Surface Owner Protection), ND Industrial Commission, PSC, and Dept. of Environmental Quality regulate to balance production, reclamation, water, and habitat.