North Dakota Soil Conservation District Erosion Control Regulations

The state soil conservation committee and locally elected district supervisors administer chapter 4.1-20. Under section 4.1-20-28, adopted regulations impose engineering works such as terraces, check dams, dikes, and ditches, require contour cultivating and stripcropping, and force retirement of highly erosive cropland from cultivation. An ordinance takes effect only after two-thirds of the qualified electors voting on the question approve it (section 4.1-20-27). Supervisors enforce the rules, enter land to inspect compliance under section 4.1-20-31, and under section 4.1-20-32 perform required work themselves and charge the costs and expenses to a landowner who fails to comply.

A landowner who ignores an adopted land-use regulation faces a hearing before the district supervisors, who then perform the required erosion-control work and bill the costs and expenses to that landowner under section 4.1-20-32.