BISMARCK, N.D. – Gov. Doug Burgum today thanked members of the State Water Commission for their service and announced the eight appointed Commission positions are now open for applications.
The eight members are appointed to six-year terms by the governor and provide regional representation on the Commission. Under state law, they are considered to have resigned effective Jan. 1 of the first year of each four-year term of the governor.
Burgum, who began his second term Dec. 15, accepted the members’ statutorily triggered resignations at the end of today’s Commission meeting and announced the positions would be open for applications, including from current members who wish to continue serving. He similarly opened the Commission positions for applications in 2017.
One of the eight members, Commissioner Steven Schneider, who represents the Little Missouri, upper Heart and upper Cannonball river basins, resigned from the Commission on May 13.
“We are grateful to these State Water Commission members for their leadership in promoting water resource management and addressing water supply, flood protection and other water issues. This board has engaged deeply in regular meetings and subcommittee meetings throughout their tenure, and we appreciate the positive energy and thoughtful policy ideas they have brought to the Commission,” Burgum said. “Thoroughly reviewing a pool of leadership candidates at the beginning of a new term is always a good board governance practice.”
For purposes of continuity, the governor is required to reappoint three of the current members to fill out their terms. Pursuant to statute, all commissioners shall continue to serve until the governor’s appointments or reappointments have been named.
All current commissioners are eligible to reapply. The governor will accept applications for the open commission seats until Thursday, July 15. The application form can be found online at https://apps.nd.gov/gov/boards/.
In addition, the state will soon begin accepting applications for director of the North Dakota Department of Water Resources, established as the primary state water agency with the passage and signing of House Bill 1353 in April. The new director will hire and oversee the State Engineer and the staff of Department of Water Resources.
The 10-member State Water Commission consists of Burgum as chairman, Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring, and the eight members appointed by the governor to six-year terms, with one member each from the following drainage basins in North Dakota: upper Missouri River basin; the lower Missouri River basin; the James River basin; the upper Red River basin; the lower Red River basin; the Mouse River basin; the Devils Lake basin; and the Little Missouri River, upper Heart River, and upper Cannonball River basin.