Prairie Hills Audubon Society

Christmas Bird Count Season Dec 14th, 2025-Jan 5th, 2026
2025-12-14 00:00 - 2026-01-05 23:59 (America/Denver)
Every year the National Audubon Society sponsors the Christmas Bird Count Season Dec 14th, 2025-Jan 5th, 2026
Right now [12/15/25] we are still editing the 126 season list of regional Christmas Bird Counts up on our web site. We have updated SD CBC information for this CBC season (12/14/25-1/5/25) and are working on updating th info in the 7 adjacent states for our nearby but out-of-state Counts.. – https://phas-wsd.org/christmas-bird-counts-regional/
Christmas Bird Counts – for more info on Xmas Bird Counts nationwide to to the National Audubon Society
https://www.audubon.org/community-science/christmas-bird-count
To find a count near you on an interactive map:
https://gis.audubon.org/christmasbirdcount/
Other links:
SOUTH DAKOTA
https://phas-wsd.org/christmas-bird-counts-regional/
http://sdoubirds.org/SDOU/Calendar.aspx
NEBRASKA:
http://www.noubirds.org/Activities/CBC.aspx
MINNESOTA:
http://moumn.org/CBC/cal/calendar.php
IOWA
https://iowabirds.org/Connections/CBC.aspx
All official counts will be held between the dates, Saturday, December 14th, 2025 through, Sunday, January 5th, 2026.
The Audubon CBC is one of the longest-running wildlife censuses in the world. Each individual count takes place in a 15-mile-wide circle and is led by a compiler responsible for safely organizing volunteers and submitting observations directly to Audubon. Within each circle, participants tally all birds seen or heard that day—not just the species but total numbers to provide a clear idea of the health of that particular population. We tend to have 11-13 Xmas Bird Counts in western SD, a few are not official counts. Eastern SD tends to have 10-12 counts. There are nearby counts in states adjacent to SD also.

Boebert's wolf de-listing bill - vote on house floor possible 12/15-19/25
2025-12-16 06:00 - 2025-12-19 17:00
Rep. Boebert’s wolf de-listing bill may be voted on in the House Floor this week (Dec 11-19th, 2025)
Rep. Boebert’s bill, H.R. 845, would de-list gray wolves in the lower 48 states The bill undermines the Endangered Species Act by not only circumventing sound science and legislatively delisting wolves but also undermines citizen enforcement by precluding judicial review.
H.R. 845, the “Pet and Livestock Protection Act,” which aims to de-list the gray wolf, was reported out of the House Natural Resources Committee in April 2025 and has been waiting on a floor vote since then. To see floor schedule each day – https://docs.house.gov/floor/
Please contact Dusty Johnson. ‭(202) 225-2801‬ or on-line connection:
https://dustyjohnson.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email-me
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Action alerts, some are pre-fab letters.
ESC Action Alert –https://actionnetwork.org/letters/urgent-house-vote-next-week-to-strip-gray-wolves-of-esa-protections?source=direct_link&

Wolf Conservation Center Action Alert https://engage.nywolf.org/site/Advocacy?page=UserAction&cmd=display&id=211

Project Coyote Action Alert
https://projectcoyote.org/stop-congresss-attack-on-wolves-and-the-endangered-species-act/

WildEarth Guardians Action Alert
https://action.wildearthguardians.org/page/79474/action/1?locale=en-US

Pennington County Commission reading of amendments to Alternative Energy Ordinance
2025-12-16 09:00 - 17:00
On Tuesday November 4th the Pennington County Commission continued the first reading of amendments to Alternative Energy Ordinance to December 16th, 2025.

Notes on Pennington County Alternative energy ordinance (amendments),
This is up for hearing on at Commission meeting on Tuesday 16th of Dec. It was continued till Jan 20th, 2026 and got sent back for a new rewrite of the draft Ordinance. Go to the calendar at that date for updates. Written comments will be due before the weekend before the meeting – for exact time and date check with Joan Martin.

Volunteer(s) from DRA, including Rick Berry, testified at this hearing

The written comment deadline was Wed 10th, but it has been extended to Friday, 12th at 2 pm
I think the staff sends the meeting packet to the Commission before COB on Friday for a Tuesday
meeting (so Commission can read over the weekend), which is why they want to receive stuff on Friday afternoon.
Send comments to pcboc@pennco.org,
For more info – call Joan Martin is Commission staffer 605-394-2174 ext 1690
However if you go to the meeting in person, or know someone going, written comments can be submitted
at the Commission meeting.
Also I assume you can e-mail the Commissioners directly over the weekend, all provide an individual e-mail address (scroll down)

NEW LOCATION FOR MEETING

Pennington County has a new building out on 900 Concourse, in Rapid Valley . This is a road off of Elk Vale in Rapid Valley.
You go toward Sturdevant paint/auto supply and Concourse is South of that business and you turn west on
Concourse. https://pennco.org/new-cab

TIME OF REVIEW

Due to Alternative Energy Ordinance place on the Agenda of the – it won’t be reviewed before 10:30 am and given all the other stuff on the Agenda before it, likely later after that. It is item 16 b on the agenda:

https://pennco.org/vertical/sites/%7B94B870DC-F4F5-409E-B25D-A72449C5D7C0%7D/uploads/December_16_2025_BOC_Meeting_Agenda_Public_Notice.pdf

HISTORY

This was first considered on Nov 4th and continued to Dec 16th, so I don[’t know if this is still a first reading or if it is
a second readling. It is not listed as second reading on the agenda. Brittney Hand

brittneyh@pennco.org in Planning Dept. likely knows about Ordinance, I have sent an e-mail asking if this is first or second reading,
she did not answer that question, but said the Commission could amend, approve or continue it on 16th..

DRAFT ORDINANCE

Meeting packet, for Ordinance on Nov 4th Commission meeting–- see pages 269 to 327, for draft Ordinance Public comment at page 327
https://pennco.org/vertical/sites/%7B94B870DC-F4F5-409E-B25D-A72449C5D7C0%7D/uploads/December_16_2025_BOC_Meeting_Agenda_Public_Notice.pdf

Meeting packet, for Ordinance on October 27th Planning Commisiion meeting– -see pages 149-203 for draft Ordinance, public comment at page 203
https://pennco.org/vertical/sites/%7B94B870DC-F4F5-409E-B25D-A72449C5D7C0%7D/uploads/10-27-25_PC_Packet.pdf

Existing Pennington county Zoning Ordinance – see section 317 – that will be amended
https://docs.pennco.org/docs/PZ/ZoneOrdinance.pdf

Packet that was submitted for the Dec 16th meeting. You will find the draft ordinance and public comment in here in the 700 plus pages.
https://pennco.community.highbond.com/document/22591/?lastModified=639015868409730000

OTHER PHAS ALERTS ON THIS TOPIC

Oct 27th – Planning Commission
https://phas-wsd.org/event/pennington-county-planning-commission-to-review-amendment-to-alternative-energy-ordinance/

November 4th,- Full Commission
https://phas-wsd.org/event/alternative-energy-amendment-to-ordinance-brfor-pennington-county-comission/

Dec 16th – Full Commission
https://phas-wsd.org/event/pennington-county-commission-continues-first-reading-of-amendments-to-alternative-energy-ordinance/

PENNINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

Ron Rossknecht
Commission District 1
Term expires: 2026
605-391-1162
value@hills.net
pcboc@pennco.org
Ron Weifenbach, Chair
Commission District 2
Term expires: 2028
605-209-2418
ron.weifenbach@pennco.org
Deb Hadcock, Vice Chair
Commission District 3
Term expires: 2026
605-389-0395
debdistrict3@midco.net
Jerry Derr
Commission District 4
Term expires: 2028
605-545-2505
jerry.derr@pennco.org
Gary Drewes
Commission District 5
Term expires: 2026
605-940-1120
gary.drewes@gmail.com
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