Conservation
Federal government awards $23 million for Prairie Pothole Region
The federal government plans to spend $23 million to restore and conserve grasslands and wetlands in the Prairie Pothole Region, which is known as the “duck factory” of North America and is home to migratory birds, fish and other wildlife. The money is part of the Department of the Interior’s $120 million in funding from […]
Beekeeper says adulterated honey is a factor in plummeting production
One of the nation’s largest independent honey producers says adulterated products deserve some of the blame for new numbers that reveal a 41 percent drop in South Dakota honey production. It’s the third straight year of declining production in the state, and the 7.2 million pounds produced last year is South Dakota’s lowest value in […]
Black Hills National Forest adds 239 acres through deal with elk group and landowners
The Black Hills National Forest is growing by about one-third of a square mile. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation acquired 239 acres of land from two landowners for a total of $1.1 million and conveyed it to the national forest. The land is high in the remote western area of the forest in South Dakota, […]
New state law makes it harder to file a complaint or lawsuit against ag operations
MITCHELL — A new South Dakota law makes it harder to file a nuisance complaint or lawsuit against an agricultural operation and limits the amount of money that can be awarded. Governor Kristi Noem signed the bill on Wednesday at a farm implement dealership in Mitchell, after legislators approved it earlier this winter. The law […]
State caps non-resident archery licenses on public land
South Dakota will join most other states in capping deer and antelope archery licenses for out-of-state hunters on public land. The state Game Fish and Parks Commission unanimously approved the change Thursday at a meeting in Pierre. South Dakota had been one of the few states that allowed an unlimited number of non-resident bowhunters on […]
Bill to tax lithium as an energy mineral passes House
PIERRE – The South Dakota House of Representatives sent a bill classifying lithium as an energy mineral to the Senate on Thursday. If passed, the re-classification would subject the high-demand mineral, used to power cell phones, laptops and electric vehicles, to the state’s severance tax. The severance tax is imposed on the extraction of natural […]
Officials: Cause of Huron dam fish die-off unclear
A recently completed James River dam project was the site of a massive fish die-off in Huron last week, but state officials say the cause of the deaths is unclear. A state official says they are monitoring the situation on the ground and may restock the affected area of the river. The fish kill was […]
Landowners feel sidelined as Custer plans wastewater discharge into French Creek
Critics of a city’s decision to release treated wastewater into a scenic and historic Black Hills creek say it could pollute the water and is being done without sufficient input from affected residents. The city of Custer is upgrading its wastewater treatment system because of projected population growth and maintenance problems with the current system. […]
Sudden low water in Rapid Creek frustrates anglers, water users
Anglers and water users are criticizing a Black Hills dam’s government managers for a lack of communication about sudden low-water flows threatening downstream fish and domestic water supplies. Rapid Creek flows dropped from 40 to 12 cubic feet per second on Nov. 30. That imperiled brown trout spawning, which occurs during the fall, and created a […]
Endangered designation raises further alarm about bats in Black Hills
The federal government’s designation of an endangered bat species hit home this week in the Black Hills, where the bats lurk in caves and abandoned mines. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designated the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species on Tuesday. That announcement came as part of an effort to save the species […]
Federal government opens grassland conservation program to tribes
Three South Dakota tribal nations have a new opportunity to partner with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to conserve and improve grasslands. The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program pays landowners to set aside environmentally sensitive land for a specific conservation concern. Landowners get money, and the public gets benefits like cleaner water and more wildlife habitat. […]
State’s 2022 threatened and endangered species review complete
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) has completed a list of threatened and endangered species in the state. The Commission completed its most recent review at the September Commission meeting where the status of the Peregrine Falcon was changed from endangered to threatened. Surveys showed the species met the downlisting goals first identified during […]