Environment

Visitors drive into Badlands National Park on Oct. 1, 2013, near Wall. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

How a looming government shutdown could hit national parks

BY: - September 26, 2023

National parks and nearby communities could forgo millions of dollars per day during a partial government shutdown that could start this weekend. Would-be visitors will likely see restrictions on park access, though the extent of those restrictions was still unclear just days before a potential lapse in federal appropriations set to begin Sunday. Parks would […]

The monument to Hugh Glass, as seen today, at its new location. (Courtesy of Joseph Weixelman)

Family of famed poet plans to breach century-old monument to unlock mystery inside

BY: - September 25, 2023

LINCOLN, Nebraska — After gaining federal permission, the family of a famed poet/author plans to trek to a remote corner of northwest South Dakota in October to retrieve a century-old monument dedicated to a heroic mountain man. The goal is to finally unlock a mystery hidden inside the monument, erected at the direction of writer […]

Shelly Stutson of Sioux Falls, right, talks about her all-electric Subaru Soltera at an EV Expo on Sept. 19, 2023, in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

South Dakota-led poll finds alignment of rural, urban opinions on electric vehicles

BY: - September 22, 2023

SIOUX FALLS — Around half of the rural Americans served by electric cooperatives expect less reliable service and higher bills because of electric vehicles. Even so, about half would consider buying an EV the next time they need a new vehicle. Those opinions came from Paulsen Marketing in Sioux Falls, which conducted a nationwide poll […]

COMMENTARY
Zebra mussels on a rock pulled out of Lake Kampeska at Watertown, and washed-up piles of aquatic weeds. (Brad Johnson, for South Dakota Searchlight)

State is content to be a benchwarmer in aquatic invasive species battle

BY: - September 22, 2023

Pathetic best describes South Dakota’s response as zebra mussels and other aquatic invasive species transform the state’s lakes and rivers. While Minnesota invests heavily in education and research to counter the impacts of zebra mussels, our state gives lip service.  Leadership flows down from Gov. Kristi Noem and, since protecting our water is not important […]

Low water levels are visible at Lake Powell on June 24, 2021, in Lake Powell, Utah. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

U.S. Senate panel grapples with how to ensure access to water amid Western drought

BY: - September 20, 2023

Decades of drought in the West has made water quality and quantity a major issue requiring government funding and innovation to fix, members of a U.S. Senate panel said Wednesday. Demand for water in growing municipalities is stretching agricultural and tribal communities, while shrinking availability is leading to higher water prices, witnesses told the Senate […]

A duck hunter sits amid cattails and reeds along a publicly conserved wetland south of Madison. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State launches efforts to fight duck-hunting decline and protect habitat

BY: - September 18, 2023

State officials are embarking on a comprehensive plan to boost duck-hunter numbers that have been declining for two decades, and to preserve waterfowl habitat in the process. The plan focuses on providing better access for hunters. It’s a joint venture between the South Dakota Wildlife Federation, the South Dakota Waterfowl Association, and the state’s Department […]

COMMENTARY
The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board, comprised of 16 representatives from an array of interest groups, meets in October 2022 at the forest's Mystic Ranger District office in Rapid City. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight)

New approach needed as Forest Service fumbles on Black Hills leadership

BY: - September 18, 2023

When I reported back in May that the Black Hills National Forest was on its eighth supervisor in seven years, I made it sound like that was a lot of turnover. Since then, there have been two more supervisors. That brings the tally to 10 in the past seven years, and five this year alone. […]

Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, left, of Navigator CO2, participates in a debate about carbon dioxide pipelines Aug. 22, 2023, at Dacotah Bank Event Center in Brookings while moderator Sara Frankenstein looks on. (Courtesy of David Bordewyk)

Carbon pipeline company has not ‘taken any state off the map’ after SD permit rejection

BY: and - September 15, 2023

A recently failed permit application is not necessarily the end of a carbon capture pipeline company’s goal of building in South Dakota and four other states, according to a company spokesperson.  “We have not taken any state off the map,” Elizabeth Burns-Thompson, of Navigator CO2, told South Dakota Searchlight in an interview Friday. The South […]

A farmer harvests corn near Slater, Iowa. on Oct. 17, 2020.

Big gains projected in South Dakota corn and soybean production

BY: - September 13, 2023

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is projecting South Dakota’s 2023 corn harvest at 816 million bushels, up 23% from last year’s production, based on new field and survey data.  South Dakota farmers will harvest corn on 5.59 million acres. That’s 12% more than last year. The department estimates farmers will harvest an average of 146 […]

Affected landowner Jared Bossly (in vest) and others attend a hearing Sept. 11, 2023, in Fort Pierre where the Public Utilities Commission rejected a permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions. (Joshua Haiar/South Dakota Searchlight)

State denies Summit permit; both carbon pipelines proposed in SD now rejected

BY: - September 11, 2023

FORT PIERRE — Some landowners who’ve been fighting against a proposed carbon dioxide pipeline shed tears of joy Monday as South Dakota utility regulators denied a permit application from Summit Carbon Solutions. The decision means both carbon pipelines currently proposed in eastern South Dakota have been rejected in their first attempts to gain permits in […]

A drawing of a Rapid City apartment complex that would generate enough solar energy to offset all of its electricity usage. (Courtesy City of Rapid City)

Rapid City apartments would offset all their energy use with solar panels

BY: - September 9, 2023

In what’s being described as a rare project for South Dakota, a developer is planning a six-building apartment complex in Rapid City with enough solar panels to offset all of its energy use. The housing will be available to those earning 60% or less than the average income in the area. The project — one […]

A map of Summit Carbon Solutions' proposed carbon-capture pipeline. (Courtesy of Summit Carbon Solutions)

Commission staff files motion to deny Summit’s carbon pipeline permit

BY: - September 8, 2023

The South Dakota Public Utilities Commission’s staff has filed a motion to deny Summit Carbon Solutions’ application to construct a carbon dioxide pipeline, citing non-compliance with ordinances in Brown, McPherson, Minnehaha and Spink counties.  The news comes after Summit withdrew its request to have the commission overrule county ordinances. Another company trying to build a […]