Biden grants Burgum’s request for presidential disaster declaration for spring storms, subsequent flooding

Gov. Doug Burgum welcomed news on Thursday that President Joe Biden has granted a presidential major disaster declaration for severe spring storms and subsequent flooding that broke precipitation records, knocked out power to more than 10,000 residents and caused more than $57 million in damage across the state.

In a June 23 letter directed to President Biden and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Burgum requested that a major disaster be declared for 40 counties: Adams, Barnes, Billings, Bottineau, Burke, Cavalier, Dickey, Divide, Dunn, Foster, Golden Valley, Grand Forks, Grant, Griggs, Hettinger, Kidder, LaMoure, Logan, McHenry, McIntosh, McKenzie, McLean, Mountrail, Nelson, Oliver, Pembina, Ramsey, Ransom, Renville, Richland, Rolette, Sargent, Steele, Stutsman, Towner, Traill, Walsh, Ward, Wells and Williams.

The state received notice Thursday that the request was granted covering all 40 counties, and additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and if warranted as a result of further damage assessments. All areas of North Dakota also are eligible for assistance under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, which helps communities pay for projects that increase resiliency and reduce costs in the long term.

“We appreciate President Biden and FEMA granting our request and recognizing the incredible hardship that this combination of severe storms and flooding caused for our farmers and ranchers, communities, local governments and first responders,” Burgum said. “This presidential disaster declaration will unlock FEMA public assistance to help our local governments, agencies and communities recover from extensive infrastructure damage and make resources available to help build resiliency against the long-term risk of future flooding. We’re also grateful to the Minnesota National Guard for its valuable assistance with flood-fighting capabilities under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.”

From April 22 to May 25, North Dakota experienced a series of wintry, mixed precipitation events around the state resulting in significant freezing rain, heavy snow, sleet and downpours. The severe weather caused damage to infrastructure including roads, bridges and railways and threatened the stability of flood control structures including the Bourbanis Dam near Cavalier, where North Dakota National Guard Black Hawk helicopters placed 213 one-ton sandbags to stabilize areas of concern around the dam. Strong winds and ice buildup from freezing rain led to the collapse of 7,000 utility poles and at least 550 miles of damage to electric infrastructure, leaving households in western North Dakota without power for up to three and a half weeks.

Infrastructure damage is currently estimated at over $57 million, with that number expected to climb once all damaged sites are tallied. Burgum previously declared a statewide emergency for the April 22-24 storm, which caused major damage to electric grid infrastructure in western North Dakota and kickstarted the flooding that impacted the eastern half of North Dakota for the following 30 days. The storm was preceded by an April 12-14 blizzard that dumped more than 30 inches of snow on some areas and was exacerbated by a third storm April 29-30 that dumped record rainfall. April 2022 was the second wettest April on record in North Dakota.

Burgum elected to National Governors Association Executive Committee at summer meeting

Three-day meeting included a session focusing on how states like North Dakota are leading the way in computer science education

Gov. Burgum was elected to the National Governors Association’s Executive Committee during the NGA Summer Meeting in Portland, Maine on Friday – the first summertime gathering of the nation’s governors since 2019.

Burgum will serve as one of seven at-large members on the nine-member NGA Executive Committee. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy was elected to succeed Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson as NGA chairman, while Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was elected to serve as vice chairman.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve on the NGA Executive Committee and continue working with fellow governors on the various challenges and opportunities facing our states, including in the agriculture and energy sectors that are so critically important to North Dakota and our national security,” Burgum said. “This year’s summer meeting was a great example of how NGA provides a unique bipartisan setting for governors to promote states’ rights, discuss ideas and best practices, and highlight policy successes and solutions to our shared challenges.”

The three-day meeting included a session led by Hutchinson on K-12 Computer Science Education and a Compact to Advance K-12 Computer Science Education signed by 50 governors, including Burgum. Burgum and Hawaii Gov. David Ige recently co-authored an op-ed piece about how states are leading the way in computer science education, with North Dakota being the first state to integrate computer science and cybersecurity standards for K-12 students.

Burgum participated in a session on the return of travel and tourism and how governors can work with industry moving forward to maximize tourism, along with discussions on cybersecurity, power grid resiliency and other topics.

Burgum also met with representatives from the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group, discussing a range of topics including North American energy security, the International Peace Garden and challenges with flooding along the U.S.-Canada border in northeastern North Dakota.

The NGA Summer Meeting is one of two annual convenings of the NGA, a bipartisan organization representing governors from the 50 states and five U.S. territories.

DATE CHANGED: Sixth annual Recovery Reinvented scheduled for Nov. 3 in Grand Forks

Gov. Burgum and First Lady Kathryn Burgum are inviting the public to join them for Recovery Reinvented, an event dedicated to eliminating the shame and stigma of the disease of addiction, on Nov. 3, 2022, at the Alerus Center in Grand Forks. The event will be free and open to the public.

This will be the first time the event is held in Grand Forks, having previously been hosted in Bismarck three times, once in Fargo and virtually in 2020. The daylong event will feature state and national addiction and recovery experts who will focus on reinventing recovery through the sharing of stories, creating recovery-friendly cultures in the workplace and community, and eliminating the stigma surrounding the disease of addiction.

“We continue to build on the message that storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have to end the stigma surrounding addiction,” First Lady Burgum said. “Bringing this experience to the community of Grand Forks will allow us to lift up more faces and voices of recovery and inspire people to know that recovery from addiction is possible.”

Opportunities to volunteer at the event will be available. The public is also asked to submit nominations for the Recovery Champion awards, which honor local individuals and groups making an impact in the field of addiction and recovery. Addiction- and recovery-related nonprofit organizations and service providers are encouraged to join the Recovery Resources Expo, which will connect people to extensive addiction, recovery and mental health organizations and resources from across the state. Anyone who is interested in these opportunities to get involved can visit recoveryreinvented.com to learn more and sign up.

Registration for Recovery Reinvented will open at a later date, and event information is available at recoveryreinvented.com with additional updates being shared by the Governor, First Lady, and Recovery Reinvented’s social media on Facebook at @GovernorDougBurgum, @FirstLadyND and @RecoveryND and Twitter at @DougBurgum, @FirstLadyND, and @Recovery_ND.

Burgum renews call to restore pre-pandemic hours at border crossings in letter to Homeland Security, CBP

Gov. Burgum is again calling on the federal government to restore pre-pandemic hours of operation at several ports of entry on the U.S.-Canada border where hours were reduced in April 2020.

The governor reiterated the request in a letter sent July 8 to U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus. Burgum noted that while the number of persons entering the United States through North Dakota ports of entry has increased by 40% since April 1 when the federal government rescinded the need for fully vaccinated travelers into the U.S. to be tested, the current number is still 50% below pre-pandemic levels.

Burgum expressed his gratitude for a meeting last month with Magnus in which the commissioner indicated the CBP is open to dialogue on the crossing hours at the 310-mile border between North Dakota and Canada.

“Many of these North Dakota individuals and businesses rely heavily on their Canadian counterparts for multiple reasons in their daily lives, and limited hours at the majority of North Dakota’s border crossings have made these critical interactions much more difficult,” Burgum stated in the letter. “While the small expansion of hours after COVID-19 at North Dakota’s ports of entry has been a welcome development, it is imperative that hours of operation return to their pre-pandemic status immediately before further damage is done to the economies and well-being of our border communities.”

Burgum previously sent a letter to Magnus and Mayorkas in late April, in which Burgum noted that of the 10 U.S. ports of entry into North Dakota where hours were reduced, nine of the reductions ranged from four hours to six hours. The letter came after CBP informed the state Tourism Division it had no plans to change the hours at any ports of entry in North Dakota, Montana, Minnesota, Idaho or Washington.

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Click Here to view the Governor Burgum's Weekly Newsletter - July 17, 2022