BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Prairie Hills Audubon Society - ECPv6.15.20//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://phas-wsd.org X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Prairie Hills Audubon Society REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Denver BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20240310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20241103T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20250309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20251102T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20260308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20261101T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=America/Denver:20250306T120000 DTEND;TZID=America/Denver:20250307T110000 DTSTAMP:20260418T075341 CREATED:20250123T193500Z LAST-MODIFIED:20250321T170124Z UID:16870-1741262400-1741345200@phas-wsd.org SUMMARY:SD Game\, Fish and Parks Commission meeting\, Pierre\, SD and Zoom DESCRIPTION:SD Game\, Fish and Parks Commission meeting\, Pierre\, SD and Zoom\, March 6-7  The meeting started at 1:00 pm CT on Thursday and was supposed to have ended by 12 pm CT on Friday. \nThe Agenda was published on the GFP Commission “Current Meeting Overview” web page a few days before the meeting  and will remain up there until they post April meeting info.: https://gfp.sd.gov/commission/information/ \n A proposal to increase access for hound hunters of mountain lions to prairie unit public land was orinally  be up for a finalization review and vote in March but they continued it to April meeting. .  Right now\, the hound hunters can only go to certain public lands in the prairie\, if hunt starts on private land and moves to public land. With the change that is proposed\, they can start a hunt on private or public land. Prairie Hills Audubon Society opposes this rule change. \nThe proposal was amended on 3/6/25 to cross of section 10 of the rule – Modify the rule § 41:06:61:06 to exclude section listing some public land areas that are closed to hunting\, i.e.:  Wind Cave National Park\, Jewel Cave National Park\, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.  We think this is a “clean up” amendment\, as with the expansion of lion hunting to public land in the prairie unit\, they would need to list other parks and monuments\, that don’t allow hunting – such as Badlands National Park\, Minuteman Missile Silo National Historic Site & some areas of Missouri National Recreational River.  What federal lands are open to various types of hunting can be complex.  In discussion\, they say folks need permission of land owner to hunt\, but it doesn’t say that in the rule – but I suspect it is assumed hunters are supposed to know that. The finalization was continued until April 3rd\, 2025 meeting of the Commission \nJanuary version #1: https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Mt-Lion-proposal.-Commission_Book_-_January_9-10_2024.pdf \nMarch  version 2 – I have posted the new Mt lion hunting season rule change proposal  with new amendment added: \nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/MountainLLionP-March_2025_Commission_Book-2.pdf\n\nOppose hound hunting of mountain lion\, especially on public land. Talking points against hound hunting – https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/Hound-hunting-objections.pdf \nVisit our cougar alert page for information on SDGFP cougar management.  https://phas-wsd.org/cougar-alert/ \nThere was a public hearing & open forum on Thursday at 2 pm CT – testify in person and remotely on Zoom . Written comments were due\,  the Sunday (3/2/25) before the Thursday\, before midnight CT.  The is a web site to post comments to is: https://gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions/. \nIf your written comments are late\, they are shared with Commission for the next Commission meeting. \nUnless you want to communicate directly with each Commissioner  (those comments will not be in the public record)–  https://gfp.sd.gov/commission/members/  (no deadline). You can see phones and home address at this link.  Here are likely e-mails for them. \n“Stephanie.Rissler@state.sd.us” \, “Jon.Locken@state.sd.us” \,  “Travis.Bies@state.sd.us” \, “Robert.Whitmyre@state.sd.us” \, “Julie.Bartling@state.sd.us”   \nThe three new commissioners  e-mails likely are: – Jim.White@state.sd.us\, \, Bruce.Cull@state.sd.us\, Travis.Theel@state.sd.us\, \nAt the hearing they reviewed a rule change proposal to have a season for Jack rabbits\, instead of 365 days of unlimited harvest.  The Commission rejected the proposal \nIssues we are concerned about \n1.  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 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\, as it has been continued to April 3rd meeting. The public comment tally>>> Of written comments on this issue – 39 opposed it \, 20 supported it. Link to public comments – mt lion public comments (39 oppose\, 20 support ) https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/mt-lion-only-PC-from-March_2025_Commission_Book-4-3.pdf  At the hearing 2 folks testified against it. Go to our web site on Mt Lions for talking points.. \n2. Allowing a rocky mountain sheep to be shot in the Deadwood unit – concern is that population is too low to support killing one sheep.  We are investigating this rule change and will likely oppose the harvest limit at Deadwood population.There were many public comments on this issue. Here is the proposal – https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/BHS-from-March_2025_Commission_Book-2.pdf \n3. Allow the SDGFP the hunting area of the west river prairie elk season  to be increased to overlap west river 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. \n\nPrairie elk season rule change proposal:\nhttps://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/PrairieElkMarch_2025_Commission_Book-3.pdf\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTRIBAL CONCERNS ON PRAIRIE ELK SEASON\n\nNew proposed prairie elk season would extend the area hunting is allowed with GFP license to within boundaries of  the Lakota reservations west river. Elk are culturally important to Lakota – it is a symbol of strength\, endurance\, and patience. Elk meat is worth a lot of money – there are lots of  meat in an Elk.  and SDGFP charges  $121-$209 dollars for an elk license. Here is the fall 2024 rule change proposal for raising GFP’s hunting/fishing fees: https://phas-wsd.org/wp-content/uploads/FinalzizationFee-gfp.Book_.CommSept.5_9_24.pdf  Getting  an elk hunting license  from SDGFP is very competitive/limited.\n\n With the change Tribes are afraid too many of their elk would be shot by Caucasians at the Caucasian owned deeded lands that exist as in-holdings on the reservation and  also that Caucasian hunters would go hunt on the reservation in violation of tribal hunting laws (without a tribal license)\, perhaps embolden by the belief that tribes can’t prosecute Caucasians for criminal violations\, I need to research this and learn more about tribal legal leverage  over Caucasian hunters\, which may rest in federal courts. SDGFP went ahead with publishing the proposed change without consulting all the tribes first in violation of the MOUs they have with those tribes.  Conversely local Caucasian ranchers think they should be able to shoot elk eating grass on their ranches with GFP license and complained to SDGFP\, who is now trying to address their complaints.\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n  URL:https://phas-wsd.org/event/sd-game-fish-and-parks-commission-meeting-pierre-sd-and-zoom/ END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR