Bismarck Tribune - North Dakota News - NDSU, Ducks Unlimited getting new logo license plates

NDSU, Ducks Unlimited getting new logo license plates

Jan 30, 2008 - 04:05:41 CST

By DALE WETZEL
Associated Press Writer

Supporters of Ducks Unlimited and North Dakota State University may begin buying special logo license plates, if showing them off is worth $25 annually.

For Ducks Unlimited members, it is a chance to build camaraderie and raise money for conservation programs, said Charles Franzen, of Dickinson, who is the organization's volunteer state chairman in North Dakota.

"The money gets put right to the ground, right here in North Dakota, for conserving wetlands and habitat," Franzen said. "Not only for ducks. The most important thing is all wildlife."

For each plate, $15 of the $25 extra annual fee is returned to the sponsoring organization for use in its programs. North Dakota State's cut of the money will be spent on student and outreach programs, according to NDSU's alumni association.

Gov. John Hoeven, state Department of Transportation director Francis Ziegler and officials representing Ducks Unlimited and NDSU held news conferences in Bismarck and Fargo on Tuesday to unveil the new plates.

The Ducks Unlimited plate shows DU's national logo, which is an outline of a duck's head. NDSU's logo features a bison and the school's letters, in gold with green trim.

The logo is positioned to the left of the numbers on North Dakota's most common license plate design. They may have up to five characters. The Lewis and Clark-style plate cannot have the logo, Ziegler said.

The DU and NDSU plates are the first issued since the North Dakota Legislature made them easier to obtain. Before, an organization was required to sign up at least 400 members before the Department of Transportation would issue the logo plates.

During the 2007 session, lawmakers reduced the minimum number to 50, and required the organization to pay a $1,500 fee up front. Ziegler said the money covers the cost of the specially printed reflective materials used on the plate.

Linda Butts, the Transportation Department's deputy director for driver and vehicle services, said Dickinson State University is also attempting to recruit enough plate buyers to justify a special logo plate.

Jeff Essler, a North Dakota regional director for Ducks Unlimited, said about 75 members have signed up so far to get plates. DU has about 7,000 members in North Dakota, and Essler said he hopes the organization can raise $4,000 to $5,000 annually from its cut of license plate sales.

NDSU's alumni association, which has been promoting the sale of the plates, said about 120 people have signed up to buy one so far.

The logo plates cost $25 above the normal cost for a regular plate. A vanity plate with a logo costs another $25. The fee must be repaid every year the plate is renewed.

News > State

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Comments

4MANDAN wrote on Jan 31, 2008 6:49 PM:

" THANKS GOV....ANOTHER FEATHER IN YOUR HAT FOR ANOTHER FANTASTIC IMPROVEMENT TO THE ND ECONOMY & A WAY TO STIR UP TOURISM. AS PEOPLE GO SCREAMING OUT OF NORTH DAKOTA, THEY NAME HOW MANY DIFFERENT ND PLATES THEY SAW & WONDER WHY WE HAVE PLATES ON BOTH ENDS OF THE CAR. NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, LOW WAGE JOBS, ANOTHER NEW PLATE, & GOV HOEVAN...THE DEATH OF ND. "

BB wrote on Jan 30, 2008 10:26 PM:

" Glad to see i am not the only one who relizes we need more then a school logo or a outline of a duck people at the DMV need to wake up if they would produce a better looking plate with some better design i would surely get one but as of now i am stuck with the piece of wheat and a buffalo. "

Fossilman wrote on Jan 30, 2008 8:03 PM:

" Just what we needed,another plate(rolling eyes)!!!!!!!!! "

DU wrote on Jan 30, 2008 7:45 PM:

" Thanks to Governor Hoeven for attending the press conference in Bismarck. We're glad to have the plates here in ND like so many other states already have in place. We're just as proud of the building that provides the ideal work environment for the staff. Rather than incurring a monthly lease for space that was woefully inadequate, many donors stepped up to the plate during the building campaign that was conducted. The donors gave specifically for the new building. The land was donated too. We invite anyone for a tour and we'll show you what we do for the eight states served by the Great Plains Regional Office. "

billy bob wrote on Jan 30, 2008 7:04 PM:

" If you're blaming Hoven you don't know what you're talking about. Many states already do this. NDSU has had people pushing for this for years. "

writer wrote on Jan 30, 2008 12:32 PM:

" Way to go, Hoeven. Did you ever consider conferring with the outdoorsmen at Delta Waterfowl, also right here in Bismarck, who do NOT work out of a palace? I just wonder where all the donors' dollars are going at DU ... "

Who pays? wrote on Jan 30, 2008 12:04 PM:

" So are you going to flip the bill for the new plates? The state is not going to eat the cost of reissuing everyone new plates. So that means that for when they issue new plates everyone will have to pay more to get them. Besides who cares it is just a stupid license plate. Just becuase North Dakota doesn't come out with new plates every other year doesn't mean anything. I for one could care less what the plates look like. They server there purpose and that is all they need to do. If you guys think you can do betetr design your own plate and get people to want to buy it and keep paying to have it. "

RM wrote on Jan 30, 2008 11:54 AM:

" Idaho has some really nice plates as well in support of wildlife, and cost about the same as these proposed plates do but MUCH nicer looking. I mean come on, if you're going to do this, at least make them nicer with different designs rather than a stupid symbol to the left with the same old boring design. Check out the following web link to view some of the different Idaho plate options (I lived in Pocatello for year and a half before moving back to Bismarck):

http://h237-41.state.id.us/dmv/vehicleservices/documents/plates.pdf

Granted, most are ugly, but the wildlife ones near the bottom of the page are very nice (I had the ELk plate). Why can't we do something like this. If we did, I would buy one. If the ones proposed in the article are made, no way..... "

JK wrote on Jan 30, 2008 10:51 AM:

" Does anyone realize the plates North Dakota is using were introduced in 1993? That is 15 years ago! I cannot believe new plates have not been issued in that entire time frame. South Dakota has changed their plates 3 times, including a new introduction last year. Montana has changed their plates 2 times since 2000. It's time for a fresh change to our plates to market our state as we are traveling out-of-state. "

BB wrote on Jan 30, 2008 9:39 AM:

" This is great but we still have the same drabby old Yellow and Blue Plates with a piece of wheat and a Buffalo oooo so exciting, Has the state ever seen Minnesota's plates they have 6 different plates and so does Montana, with beautiful backgrounds on them, and here we sit with a piece of wheat, a Buffalo and now a Duck, this state needs to wake up and smell of coffee we are never going to get out of this slow rut this state is in. "

SE Forty wrote on Jan 30, 2008 7:33 AM:

" I allready paid $167 for my new tabs. Thats enough. Somebody came up with this new idea and hovan took credit for it. That should be reason enough for most people NOT to get them. "

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