The Federal government agreed to pay $28 million to the state of North Dakota to compensate the state for costs it suffered during the Dakota Access Pipeline protests that took place in 2016 and 2017.
According to the North Dakota Monitor, the amount is the same as was awarded to North Dakota in 2025 by U.S. District Court Judge Dan Traynor. The $28 million is part of a settlement of a 2019 lawsuit over the demonstrations against the construction of the crude oil pipeline known as DAPL. The state contended the federal government caused the protests to grow in size and intensity by unlawfully allowing demonstrators to camp on federal land.
The U.S. appealed the federal judge’s judgment to the 8th Circuit then agreed to dismiss the appeal as part of the settlement announced by Attorney General Drew Wrigleyat a state capitol press conference.
Wrigley said the settlement means the state and the federal government won’t have to spend more public money fighting the 7-year-old lawsuit. North Dakota had already spent $7.5 million in legal fees, but they are covered by the settlement.
In a statement, the Justice Department said the agreement held President Barack Obama’s administration responsible for the harms suffered by North Dakota during the protests.
The U.S. Department of Justice as part of the agreement issued a statement Thursday afternoon holding President Barack Obama’s administration responsible for harms North Dakota incurred during the protests.
The agency said that while it still disagrees with Traynor’s legal findings in the case, it “acknowledges in hindsight that, under the Obama Administration, the federal government could have done more to reduce the impacts to the people of North Dakota from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests,” according to the statement.
The Department of Justice’s statement also notes that some protesters engaged in unlawful behavior, including violent acts. But it also explained it allow the encampments on federal land for safety reasons.
“To avoid further escalation of unlawful behaviors, the federal government at the time chose not to forcibly remove the protestors from the encampment on federal property,” the agency said. “The United States recognizes that this difficult choice had painful consequences for North Dakota and many of its residents.”
