In the future, GF&P will invite public comment on land sales

Talk about it

PIERRE — On the same day that more private land was bought for public use, the state Game, Fish and Parks Commission agreed Monday public comments should be invited when the commission considers putting GF&P land up for sale.

The idea came from Chris Hesla, executive director for the South Dakota Wildlife Federation.

He made the suggestion in response to the commission’s decision last month to sell a tract in Hand County.

Hesla pointed out the commission doesn’t follow the same process for seeking public comments on sales as is used for purchases.

His observation was accurate, according to several commission members and officials from the state Wildlife Division.

“That is something we will learn from this,” Tony Leif, director for the state Wildlife Division, said. “Even though it’s not required by (law), we can certainly do it.”

Land policy has been an evolving process in recent years.

Under the previous administration of Gov. Mike Rounds, the Wildlife Division aggressively pursued purchases, at times even buying up land still under water.

But the division and the commission have operated under a semi-ban against most land purchases since Gov. Dennis Daugaard took office 19 months ago.

The moratorium doesn’t apply to projects that were previously under way, such as the Tony Dean Acres initiative to put more waterfowl areas under state control.

The commission approved Monday its first state-funded purchase of land for the Tony Dean program, acquiring 199 acres in Bon Homme County from Joseph Zdenek for $500,000.

The commission previously made seven other purchases of Tony Dean areas using federal funding.

The moratorium also doesn’t apply to gifts of property.

The commission accepted such a gift Monday, receiving 160 acres northeast of Iona in Lyman County from the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation.

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