The violent protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline cost the State of North Dakota nearly $40 million. That dollar figure is based on what it cost to have law enforcement, first responders, the National Guard, and various state/local agencies address the situation. There were a lot of factors at play during the protests but one…

An aerial view of the protest camp on U.S. Army Corps of Engineers land at the confluence of the Missouri River and Cannonball River in southern Morton County North Dakota on February 13, 2017. Tom Stromme / Bismarck Tribune