Riske said he went to the protest camp a few weeks ago and had a positive experience.

“I got the sense that they were open to talking,” Riske said.

Burgum said unlike his opponents he hasn’t yet gone to the protest camp near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation, though he has kept an eye on the ongoing protest movement, which has drawn thousands in the last couple of months.

“We’re always one incident away from this being a very different situation,” Burgum said. “There’s (also) some people in this who don’t want any compromise.”

Burgum said he’s trying to be in contact with representatives on each side in order to be prepared to lead immediately if elected.

Dakota Access LLC has been working on the 1,172-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline for months that would run from North Dakota to Illinois. The nearly $3.8 billion project when completed would transport up to 450,000 barrels per day of Bakken crude with a future maximum capacity of 570,000 barrels per day.

The project, which has a planned route crossing under the Missouri River near the reservation, has sparked opposition from Standing Rock Sioux Tribe officials, Native Americans and activists from around the country over fears of what would happen in the case of a leak.

(Reach Nick Smith at 701-250-8255 or 701-223-8482 or at nick.smith@bismarcktribune.com.)

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