PHAS February Member's meeting - National Audubon Society staff reports on their activities in SD, ND & NE Monday, February 26th, 6:30-9:00 by Zoom.  (Scroll down for Zoom details).   Audubon Great Plains (AGP) staff will join PHAS to update the group on AGP conservation programs across the three states of South Dakota, North Dakota …

PHAS February Member’s meeting – National Audubon Society reports on their activities in SD, ND & NE Read More »

IACHR GRANTS THEMATIC HEARING ON IMPACTS TO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ HUMAN RIGHTS FROM URANIUM EXPLOITATION Historic Hearing to be Held in Washington, D.C. Weds, Feb. 28th at 11am EST/9am MST  What: Inter-American Commission on Human Rights’ Thematic Hearing Where: IACHR/OAS, 1889 F St. N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006 When: Wednesday, February 28, 2024 at 11am EST/9am MST Who: Members of the …

Hearing on Uranium exploitation policies with Indigenous people Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Read More »

Scoping comments  are due on Feb 28th, 11;59 pm on the Bluelead Vegetation Management Project, Mystic Ranger District,  Black Hills National Forest, for details and map visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/blackhills/?project=65527

The 2024 Black Hills Area Botany & Ecology Workshop will be Friday, March 1, 2024, at the Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City, SD. Emphasis will be on the in-person event, but sponsors will offer remote participation (via Zoom) to both speakers and watchers. Therefore, sponsors will ask you to register in advance in order …

2024 Black Hills Area Botany & Ecology Workshop Read More »

The deadline to send in written Comments to the SDGFP Commission before their March Meeting is just before midnight CT on Sunday night. You can still attend remotely and testify by Zoom on Thursday 3/7/24 or send comments to them individually. But to get them in the public record, you need to send about 3.5 …

Written Comments due to SDGFP Commission Sunday before their March meeting. Read More »

March 4th is the deadline to submit comments on USFWS proposed rule about predator hunting and other issues on National Wildlife Refuges.   We assume comments must be posted on-line  just before 10 pm MT, or midnight CT. Or if sending by postal mail, postmarked on 3/4/24. For the federal register notice ... https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/02/02/2024-02076/national-wildlife-refuge-system-biological-integrity-diversity-and-environmental-health  Quotes from …

Comment deadline to USFWS on the proposed biological integrity, diversity, and environmental health (BIDEH) rules of our national wildlife refuges Read More »

March 5th is the deadline to comment on Draft 2024 SD Integrated Report for Surface Water Quality Assessment (Integrated Report), See Dept. Of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) notice page at https://danr.sd.gov/public/ Public notice on this deadline is here https://danr.sd.gov/officeofwater/surfacewaterquality/pn/2024IR_PNLetter.pdf The Integrated Report is required under the federal Clean Water Act. This report combines the …

Deadline to comment on Draft 2024 SD Integrated Report for Surface Water Quality Assessment Read More »

A meeting is scheduled for the Water Management Board on 3/6/2024 9:30:00 AM. Please visit the Boards and Commissions Portal to learn more about past and upcoming meetings! (3/6/2024, 8:30 AM - 1:30 PM) Agenda: https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/bcuploads/3.6.2024%20WMB%20Agenda.pdf https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/Meetings.aspx?BoardID=106 https://boardsandcommissions.sd.gov/ live audio: https://www.sd.net/mtc/   Includes Appointment of Rapid Valley Water Master – Nakaila Steen Includes: Consider Water Permit …

SD Water Management Board March Meeting Read More »

Paul Lepisto is the guest speaker at the Rapid City Chapter, Izaak Walton League (Ikes), membership meeting, 6:30 pm Wednesday 3/6/24 at Outdoor Campus West . Paul is the Ikes representative for the Missouri River Initiative (MRI) panel and also the SD Division's lobbyist. Paul will give the Ikes a rundown on what his roll …

Rapid City Chapter, Izaak Walton League, hybrid membership meeting on legislature and Missouri River Read More »

The Forest Service writes:   "A new project is proposed on seven isolated parcels of National Forest land adjacent to the Bear Lodge Mountains, Black Hills National Forest. High fuel loading on these lands poses a risk to surrounding lands and communities. Proposed activities include thinning and removal of ponderosa pine trees. Project information, collaboration …

Comments due Northwest Forest Management Project – Black Hills National Forest Read More »

Deadline for objections to Spruce Project of the Black Hills National Forest. To download documents: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61599 Spruce Vegetation Management Project “A project to treat mixed conifer stands across the Black Hills National Forest System lands with the objective of increasing overall forest resiliency and reducing undesirable fire behavior."   "Objections, including attachments, must be addressed …

Deadline for objections to Spruce Project Read More »

Public meeting on Mitchell Dam Project at the Community Center in Hill City, March 13th 6-8pm https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/blackhills/news-events/?cid=FSEPRD1166271   The Black Hills National Forest is proposing a project to address the deferred maintenance of the dam at Mitchell Lake, located on Spring Creek just east of Hill City along Highway 16. The project is called the …

Public meeting on Mitchell Dam Project in Hill City Read More »

March Forest Service Advisory Board meeting Forest Service Office – Mystic Ranger District Office  8221Mount Rushmore Road, Rapid City, SD 57702  1:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. – March 20, 2024 Time  Agenda items include;  Legislative Updates – Federal and State Length of Stay on Forest Mitchell Dam Project BHNF Forest Plan Revision For more information: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/blackhills/workingtogether/advisorycommittees/?cid=stelprdb5114550  …

March Forest Service Advisory Board meeting Read More »

World Water Day's (WWD)  2024’s THEME IS “Water for Peace.” "Water can create peace or spark conflict. When water is scarce or polluted, or when people have unequal, or no access, tensions can rise between communities and countries." – United Nations March 23  from 1-4 pm (MT) at Aby’s on 406 5th, St. in Rapid …

World Water Day 2024 Celebration in Rapid City Read More »

March 26th is the deadline for candidates for election to statewide offices, county offices & some municipal and school board elections to submit candidate nominating petitions. Municipalities and school boards can select from 3 options for election dates and thus can have one of three candidate nominating petition submission deadlines.  Go to the SD Secretary …

Deadline for candidates to submit some candidate nominating petitions in SD Read More »

PHAS's March Members Meeting will be on beaver dam analogs in the Black Hills National Forest. A Black Hills National Forest  employees (Melissa Dempsey and Matt Scott)  will  join us and tell us about volunteer help they need with building beaver dam analogs (imitation beaver dams)  in the northern Hills. SD Game, Fish and Parks (GFP) …

PHAS’s March Members Meeting on Osprey and American Dipper in the Black Hills Read More »