SD Game, Fish and Parks Commission March Hybrid Meeting, in Pierre SD

SDGFP Commission March 5-6, 2026 in Pierre and Zoom -here is the  agenda – https://gfp.sd.gov/UserDocs/nav/Commission_Agenda_-_March_5-6_Public.pdf

It has the Zoom links for attending the hybrid meeting.

Agendas can change up to 24 hours before meetings, I think, unless the statute about that  has changed.  You can testify (remotely or in person) at about 2 pm CT (1 pm MT) during  the open forum.  Zoom testifying instructions are in the agenda (see link above).

        The SD Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee killed a bill (SB 148) during session, that would have stopped the Nest Predator Bounty Program, but said it would send a letter to the Commission asking for changes to it. AS of about 1:13 pm SDGFP had not received a letter from Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources about the Nest Predator Bounty Program, asking for the Commission to 1) cut annual funds down to quarter of a million/year, 2)  limit bounty  eligibility to minors and 3) enforce a  $250 limit per each minor/season  (neither has Nancy Hilding received it &  she  has written/called/messaged and asked for a copy once written.)

       The Nest Predator Bounty Program  is up as an information item (not an Action Item), however we still ask that folks go to the Public Comment portal and 

post at least one sentence in opposition to the NPBP or if you wrote a letter to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee just refashion it for Commission. PHAS wants them to see opposition to it —  maybe some of them will start thinking about the harm of the NPBP.

If people testify on the NPBP, we may get newspaper coverage. You get three minutes during open forum. You can use the entire 3 minutes or just speak a sentence or two.  Or you can testify on the Wildlife Damage Management Action plan.

3 rule change proposals for public hearing– see SD admin rules page – https://rules.sd.gov/Uploads/928_OrginalDraftRules.pdf

or excerpt from January Commission Book – rule changes plus some discussion/justification:

        Public water Zoning and Iron Creek Lake Access Improvement

        Lake Albert Waterfowl Refuge

       Hunt for Habitat

You can testify on each rule change proposal for 3 minutes

The Wildlife Damage Management Action plan and Giant Canada goose Action plan will be voted on. URL to PHAS’s comments on the  Wildlife Damage Management Action Plan: https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/SDGFP_WDMAP_Comments_FINAL.Print_.pdf

The official comment deadline was 2/20/26, but they will vote on it at Commission so you can still comment and testify on the Plans, as Commission (not staff)  must make the decisions.

It looks like Elk Action Plan will be continued (it is an information item, not Action Item)

Folks can submit comments at https://gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions/ For the Commission  to see & read your comments before the March meeting,  please submit at the GFP’s comment portal  on Sunday night March 1st, 2026  before midnight CT .   However, late comments are delivered to the Commission in April. It can take many years of our asking, to get SDGFP to change course.