SD Game, Fish and Parks Commission April Meeting at Pierre, SD and Zoom link

SD Game, Fish and Parks Hybrid Commission April Meeting at Pierre, SD and via Zoom link

The meeting will start  at 1 pm CT on Thursday and end at noon CT (or earlier)  on Friday.

The agenda and various information on the meeting is or will be posted to this web page before the meeting-

https://gfp.sd.gov/commission/information/

Agenda (this has the Zoom links):

https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/April_Agenda_Final.pdf

Public Comments Already received:

https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/PublicCommissionComments.pdf

The written comment deadline was  Sunday (3/30/25) just before midnight CT.  Go to March 30th alert on how to comment to Commission.

Folks can testify at 2 pm at hearing and/or open forum in person or by Zoom.  It is suggested you e-mail GFP staff person (Gail Buus at gail.buus@state.sd.us) in advance of the meeting to request remote testifying opportunity, but it is not required, as they always ask if anyone not registered wants to speak.  You can get 3 minutes at the hearing on each rule finalization you wish to speak on and at the “Open Forum”. During hearings on finalizations you can only testify on the rule change proposal. During “Open Forum” you can testify on anything. Finalization hearings precede the Open Forum.

Also go to the Event’s Calendar posting on March 6-7th meeting for more information on issues. After the meetings we post a summary of what happened and the issues:.- https://phas-wsd.org/event/sd-game-fish-and-parks-commission-meeting-pierre-sd-and-zoom/

Also visit our mt. lion action alert web page

Issues we are concerned about for 4/3/25

1.  Allowing hound hunting of lions on the prairie unit to originate on public and private land, with consent of owner. This would be a change from the status quo which allows hound hunting on private land and  only on public land if the chase moves  from private to public land.  We oppose this rule change and urge folks to write or testify in opposition to this. Go to our web site on Mt Lions for talking points.

Link to PHAS comment letter on Mt.Lion Season proposal:   https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Mt-Lion-PHAS-Comment-325_F.pdf

2. Allowing a rocky mountain sheep to be shot in the Deadwood unit – concern is that population is too low to support killing one. We are investigating this rule change.

3. Allow the SDGFP  hunting area that supports the west river prairie elk season to be increased to overlap west river Lakota Reservations, so Caucasians can hunt elk on private land in-holdings within the reservations.  The tribes oppose this. At the public hearing on 3/6/25 representatives from Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe and Oglala Sioux Tribes spoke against the rule change. We are investigating this rule change.

Link to PHAS comment letter on Prairie Elk Season proposal  –https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/prairie-Elk-comment-PHAS-F.pdf