North Dakota
Trump policies leave North Dakota summer tourism prospects uncertain
By: Michael Standaert, North Dakota News Cooperative
WALHALLA, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – Communities and businesses near sites administered by the National Park Service and those reliant on Canadian tourists are facing uncertainty after recent policy decisions by the Trump administration.
After the firing of 1,000 National Park Service workers on Feb. 14 along with tariffs against Canada and barbs issued by President Donald Trump and others in his administration referring to our neighbor to the north as the “51st state,” informal boycotts ensued and the economic impact is already being reported.
On Feb. 3, the U.S. Travel Association estimated a 10% reduction in Canadian tourist visits would result in $2.1 billion in lost travel spending and 14,000 job losses nationwide following the Trump administration’s first salvo on tariffs.
While initially paused for a month, President Trump announced on Feb. 25 that the tariffs would go ahead as planned on March 4.
Informal Canadian travel boycotts
Some businesses in North Dakota have already begun to feel the impact of fewer Canadian tourists.
Frost Fire Park, a ski resort near Walhalla in the northeast part of the state, recently saw a drop in visitors.
“At least 25% or more,” the park’s general manager Patty Gorder said of the decline in the past month.
“I’ve even had emails where (Canadians) have taken the time to let me know how they feel about the whole situation and how they’re not wanting to support not only our business, but our state, because of what the state of North Dakota is standing behind,” Gorder said.
This includes people saying they’ll no longer use season passes they already hold, she said.
Since winter is almost over, the impacts may not be as great as they would have been if the Trump administration’s actions happened before the ski season.
Because the park is so close to the border and to Winkler, Manitoba, Gorder said around 75% of the clientele at Frost Fire is from Canada.
“It’s really unfortunate,” Gorder said.
The administration’s actions already impacted the Tourism and Marketing division of the state’s Department of Commerce as well, according to state tourism director Sara Otte Coleman.
This includes delaying a paid marketing campaign in Canada until there’s a better understanding of Canadian sentiment about traveling to North Dakota, she said.
“We have no way to project if our Canadian visitation numbers will decrease,” Otte Coleman said.
While Canadian border crossings increased around 10% in 2024 from the previous year, Otte Coleman said the state still lags behind pre-pandemic numbers.
Visits by Canadians are currently around 78% of what they were in 2019.
“We do not have detailed data on the number of Canadians visiting sites and events across the state, but know from tourism operators that Canadians are an important part of their visitation numbers,” Coleman said.
The International Peace Garden, which straddles the border near Bottineau and is operated jointly by a nonprofit board of American and Canadian members, has not yet had a considerable impact because the park is in its low season, said CEO Tim Chapman.
“We have received some feedback a few weeks ago from primarily Canadians, just kind of expressing dismay with some of the political rhetoric,” Chapman said.
Chapman said visitor numbers and revenue rebounded last year to meet or exceed 2019 numbers.
“One thing I’ve encouraged visitors who have been a little frustrated is to continue to visit, because I think most Americans and Canadians, regardless of what’s going on in politics, still really appreciate that cooperation and friendship that our countries have always had,” Chapman said.
Congresswoman Julie Fedorchak, R-N.D., said she recognizes the strong ties between North Dakota and Canada and would like to see policies encouraging, not discouraging, cross-border travel and business.
Fedorchak said she believed the proposed tariffs had been effective in pushing Canada to address fentanyl trafficking and illegal immigration.
Canada is the top destination for North Dakota exports, with the state sending $5.9 billion in goods to Canada in 2023, according to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative. That represents 79% of North Dakota’s foreign exports.
North Dakota also imports more from Canada than from any other country, with around $3 billion in goods annually coming south.
Theodore Roosevelt National Park staffing
Another area of concern relates to the firing of permanent staff at sites administered by the National Park Service and how this could impact services in the park and tourism in surrounding communities.
In North Dakota, this includes the state’s most visited tourist site of Theodore Roosevelt National Park, as well as Fort Union Trading Post straddling the border with Montana, Knife River Indian Villages near Stanton, and upkeep of both the North County and Lewis & Clark national trails.
Representatives of Theodore Roosevelt National Park and the National Park Service Midwest regional office out of Omaha, Nebraska, declined to comment on personnel matters when contacted by NDNC.
Bill Wade, executive director of the Association of National Park Rangers, which is tracking the firings and impacts, said he’s confirmed at least three permanent staff at Theodore Roosevelt National Park were fired on Feb. 14.
What kind of positions were axed at the park are not known, he said. Wade is also uncertain about any firings at Fort Union or Knife River.
“What we know from the numbers that we have nationwide, it seems that the functions in parks that were hit the hardest were those staff that do the interpretation and education, the visitor centers, staff that give the programs, do school groups, things like that,” Wade said.
Others let go include workers at park entrance stations and custodial staff, Wade said. Loss of those workers could lead to longer waits to enter parks and facilities that aren’t as well kept.
Staff at Fort Union declined to comment on any staff changes.
Wade indicated additional plans for staff reductions at the National Park Service are forthcoming and could occur in late March or early April.
“That suggests potentially many more layoffs,” Wade said.
In a statement in response to questions, Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., said that the National Park Service is still determining full-time staffing levels and there’s been no change for Theodore Roosevelt National Park’s seasonal hiring plans. He said the park expects it will be able to maintain its in-park experience for visitors.
Fedorchak said her team is currently looking into the situation with Theodore Roosevelt National Park and will continue engaging with stakeholders.
“I appreciate the concern folks in tourism and others have on the current federal funding uncertainty,” Fedorchak said. “I believe these disruptions will be short term and the summer tourism season won’t be impacted.”
Otte Coleman said the state Commerce department will have a delegation in Washington, D.C., in early April and hopes to get more clarity from the Department of Interior, now headed by former Gov. Doug Burgum, and the National Park Service.
Doug Ellison, former Medora mayor and owner of Amble Inn and Western Edge Books in Medora, said there’s been “some discussion and concern” about the impact of the staffing cuts on public services at Theodore Roosevelt National Park in the community.
“We’ll see how the dust settles,” he said.
On the Canadian tourism side, Ellison didn’t think there’d be a huge impact on Medora but did say around 20% of bookstore customers are Canadian.
Border restrictions during the pandemic reduced numbers coming down from Canada, so those impacts were already “very noticeable” in recent years, he said.
Greg Power, fisheries division chief with the North Dakota Game and Fish Department, shares information about the new 2026-2028 Fishing Guide and a few new regulations starting April 1, 2026.
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SIOUX FALLS — Ali Stephens had 17 points and 13 rebounds and 8th-seeded Omaha defeated 9th-seeded North Dakota 49-39 in the first round of the Summit League women’s tournament.
The Fighting Hawks had a tough time putting the ball in the hoop all night long, scoring just three points in the first quarter and having only marginally better luck from there.
UND (7-24) shot just 23.5 percent from the floor (12-for-51) and made 1-of-20 shots from outside the arc. Walker Demers and Mackenzie Hughes had 10 points each to lead the Hawks, with Demers adding eight rebounds.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Regan Juenemann had 10 points and five rebounds for the Mavericks while Avril Smith had seven points and 16 rebounds and Sarai Estupinan eight points, five assists and three rebounds. Omaha (6-26) shot the ball slightly better than the Hawks, going 16-of-53 from the field (30 percent) and 8-of-23 (35 percent) on 3-pointers.
With the win, the Mavs earn a date with top-seed North Dakota State on Thursday at 2:30 p.m.
The Bison won both regular season matchups by more than 50 points.
Matt Zimmer/Sioux Falls Live
Oral Roberts 84, Kansas City 62 — Don’t look now but the team that started the conference season 0-10 and at one point lost 15 of 16 games might be the hottest in the Summit League.
Oral Roberts picked up their fourth straight victory on Wednesday night in the conference tournament opener, routing Kansas City at the Premier Center in the 8/9 “play-in” game.
Ty Harper had 22 points to lead the Golden Eagles (10-22), who took a 44-21 lead by halftime and never looked back. ORU shot 50 percent from the floor and made 13-of-27 3-pointers while the Kangaroos shot just 34 percent and made 6-of-24 from deep. Martins Kilups had 17 points for the Eagles and Connor Dow added 14.
Jayson Petty had 14 points to lead the Kagaroos, who finish the season 4-27. It was their final game under coach Marvin Menzies, whom the school announced earlier this season would not return next year.
With the win ORU advances to face top-seed North Dakota State on Thursday at 6 p.m.
The Golden Eagles lost to NDSU 86-58 in Tulsa on Jan. 24 but they took the Bison to overtime in Fargo on Jan. 3 in a 79-77 loss.
Matt Zimmer is a Sioux Falls native and longtime sports writer. He graduated from Washington High School where he played football, legion baseball and developed his lifelong love of the Minnesota Twins and Vikings. After graduating from St. Cloud State University, he returned to Sioux Falls, and began a long career in amateur baseball and sports reporting. Email Matt at mzimmer@siouxfallslive.com.
North Dakota
The North Dakota Attorney General issued an opinion to the ND State Auditor – North Dakota Attorney General
04 Mar The North Dakota Attorney General issued an opinion to the ND State Auditor
in Opinions
March 4, 2026
Media Contact: Suzie Weigel, 701.328.2210
BISMARCK, ND – It is the opinion that federal law does not prevent the state from auditing P&A and even though P&A possesses confidential records, N.D.C.C. § 54-10-22.1 and 42 C.F.R. § 51.45(c) authorize the state auditor and the employees of the auditor’s office, to review the records without detriment to P &A.
Also, whether Rule 1.6 of the North Dakota Rules of Professional Conduct for licensed attorneys prohibits P&A from disclosing to the State Auditor the contents of a client file for the purpose of conducting a non-financial performance audit under N.D.C.C. ch. 54-10 when the requested file includes information about individuals and businesses in the private sector who chose to contact P &A.
This issue was already addressed in a 1995 opinion of this office regarding P&A. The 1995 opinion highlighted that P&A has authority to contract with private attorneys to represent private individuals. 17 During that performance audit, auditors asked to see billings from the contracted attorneys. 18 P&A redacted the names of the individuals represented by the contract attorneys under the rules for attorney-client privilege or attorney-client confidentiality. 19 The names of individuals seeking services of P&A are protected under N.D.C.C. § 25-01.3. The opinion stated:
Thus, P&A’s records which indicate to whom its services were provided are available to the State Auditor for performance audit purposes. The State Auditor has
been given access by P&A to its records other than the attorney’s billings. Therefore, the State Auditor already has access to the names of the persons to whom P&A
provides services. State law requires that the State Auditor and his employees must keep such information confidential.
Here, P&A has not identified a specific record. Given that, I rely on the past opinions declaring that records made confidential by N.D.C.C. § 25-01.3-10 are available under N.D.C.C. § 54-10-22 to the State Auditor and the Auditor’s employees for audit purposes.
Link to opinion 2026-L-01
###
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