Supporters of spending some of North
Dakota's oil tax revenues on conservation projects say their idea
is ready for voters to decide.
They've been circulating an initiative petition, and they say
they'll be turning it in to Secretary of State Al Jaeger's office
on Monday.
The measure is a proposed constitutional amendment. It needs the
signatures of at least 27,000 North Dakota voters to qualify for
the November ballot. The submission deadline arrives at midnight
Wednesday.
It would set aside 5 percent of North Dakota's oil tax
collections in a special fund for conservation, wildlife and
wetlands projects.
The fund would be controlled by a nine-member appointed board.
Based on current rates of oil production, the fund could collect
more than $80 million a year.
