ND farm group opposing

oil taxes for outdoors

North Dakota's Farm Bureau says it will fight a proposed initiative that would require spending oil tax money on wildlife and conservation projects.

The measure would give an appointed nine-member control over almost $90 million a year. The board would get five percent of the state's oil tax collections.

Farm Bureau President Doyle Johannes says it's too much money to set aside for wildlife and conservation programs.

He says those efforts already get a lot of state and federal support.

Johannes says the measure would take money away from education and property tax relief.

He says the board could take land out of private ownership.

Ducks Unlimited regional director Steve Adair is the campaign's chairman. He says it would provide farmers voluntary incentives for land conservation.