The north dakota game and fish department will use funding from this project to administer portions of the private land open to sportmen plots program

The North Dakota Department of Game and Fish received a formula grant award of $8.42 million from the U.S. Department of the Interior Fish and Wildlife Service Region 6 under the Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program (CFDA 15.611) for the period July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. The department will use this funding to administer the Private Land Open to Sportsmen (PLOTS) Program, a voluntary habitat and public access initiative that provides year-round walk-in hunting access on enrolled private lands across North Dakota. The award covers landowner payments, habitat improvements including grass seed, title work and recording fees, staff salaries and related expenses, and the annual publication and distribution of the PLOTS guide to vendors statewide.

The Wildlife Restoration and Basic Hunter Education and Safety program, authorized under the Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act, provides formula-based grants to state fish and wildlife agencies for wildlife conservation, habitat management, and hunter education initiatives. This award represents the state's allocation under the federal program's standard funding distribution methodology for eligible state agencies with statutory authority over fish and wildlife resources.

The plots program is a voluntary habitat and access program that provides year round public walk in hunting access on enrolled acres. In addition to landowner payments this project also includes expenses incurred by the department for grass seed title work and recording fees as well as staff salary fringe and expenses. Locations of the enrolled tracts are published annually in the plots guide and disseminated to vendors across the state.