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Public News Service: Next Step for Wilderness Designation in South Dakota
June 17, 2010
Environmental groups are encouraged after a U.S. Senate subcommittee held a hearing on a bill that could add 50,000 acres of new South Dakota wilderness. The Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests is considering Sen. Tim Johnson's proposed bill, the Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act, which would designate as wilderness land in the Indian Creek, Red Shirt, and Chalk Hills areas of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland in southwest South Dakota.
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Sen. Johnson Introduces Grassland Wilderness Legislation!
May 5, 2010
The South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition today praised Senator Tim Johnson for introducing legislation to protect nearly 50,000 acres on the Buffalo Gap National Grassland as wilderness. The group specifically cited Senator Johnson’s effort to reach out to varied stakeholders when crafting his bill.
Volunteer Terry Mayes said, "As a long-time landowner and outdoorsman in this state, I appreciate Senator Johnson's approach. He's done the important work of making sure that stakeholders and others directly affected by this bill understand the accurate facts about wilderness and has listened to their thoughts before moving forward. He's looking at the long-term, big picture for our wonderful prairie heritage."
The Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act of 2010 will designate nearly 50,000 acres of wilderness in the Indian Creek, Red Shirt and Chalk Hills areas. Wilderness designation will ensure that these areas remain the great haven they are for hunting, hiking, horseback riding, camping, rock collecting and birding. The legislation will also allow for the continuation of grazing where it exists now.
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Read Sen. Johnson's Press Release »
South Dakota Wilderness Ads
May 5, 2010
New print ads feature sportsmen, community leaders, and members of the Oglala Sioux Tribe speaking out for SD Wilderness. Click a thumbnail to view the full-sized ad as a PDF.
Wilderness Coalition Supports Sen. Johnson's Wilderness Proposal
Jan. 16, 2010
The South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition today expressed enthusiastic support for Senator Tim Johnson's intention to introduce legislation to designate as wilderness 40,000 to 50,000 acres within Buffalo Gap National Grassland, though acknowledged a tough compromise is involved.
"Support for this wilderness designation has been growing for a long time," said coalition manager Cheryl Warren, "so we are very happy that Senator Johnson has decided to introduce a bill to protect these unique places. The decision to keep the Indian Creek road open, rather than closing it at the first creek crossing as the citizens' proposal would do, is a tough compromise for us, but one worth making. The coalition sees the Senator's plan as a tremendous step forward in securing a living legacy of South Dakota's and the nation's grassland heritage."
Sportsman and South Dakota Wildlife Federation board member Terry Mayes applauded Senator Johnson for his leadership in initiating wilderness legislation. "I know the Senator has always had an abiding interest in the wild things and places of South Dakota. His action in initiating this legislation is further proof of his convictions," said Mayes, a retired South Dakota Highway Patrol commander.
Mayes, appointee to the 2005 West River Issues Working Group, noted that wilderness is part of the multiple use concept of public land management. "Wilderness protection ensures that the land will remain as it is, while still allowing hunting and fishing, hiking, camping, rock collecting, disabled access, and horseback riding." Mayes said that, when necessary, wilderness can be managed to control fire, insects and disease, and to protect public health and safety and private property. He also noted that emergency search and rescue operations can be performed in wilderness.
Warren said wilderness provides strong protections for ranchers who use these areas, as designated wilderness mandates by law that established livestock grazing shall continue. "In conversations we've had with ranchers who graze these proposed wilderness areas, we've heard concerns about the growing impact of motorized recreational use, and even possible future development of the landscapes they know and depend on for a living. 'Wilderness' may once have been a four-letter word to these ranchers, but when they realize it will help keep the grasslands the way they are today and ensure continued grazing, 'wilderness' starts to sound better.
Local business owners recognize the economic benefit of having the first-ever national grassland wilderness nearby. Billy and Joanna Cannon, proprietors of two Super Lube stores and Car Wash World in Rapid City, are pleased about senator Johnson's announcement.
"Preserving a wilderness area in our nearby grasslands could provide a unique attraction for everyone, local residents as well as tourists," said Billy Cannon, also recent president of the Black Hills Sportsmen Club. "This would set aside lands that are of interest to a wide range of people, from outdoor enthusiasts to hunters who want to be able to pack in and get close to nature undisturbed. The activity this would generate would benefit a wide variety of local businesses."
"I'm pleased that these geologically rich areas will be better protected," said Dr. Perry Rahn, professor emeritus of geological engineering at South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. "Rockhounds will still be able to enjoy collecting from the great variety of rocks and agates out there. But the heavier impacts of off-road vehicles and illegal commercial collecting on this public treasure should decrease."
The South Dakota Wild Grassland Coalition comprises 55 local, state and national organizations ranging from hunting groups such as Dakota Sportsman, Inc. and the Izaak Walton League, to the South Dakota Ornithologists' Union, Republicans for Environmental Protection, and the Oglala, Rosebud, Cheyenne River, Standing Rock, and Lower Brule Sioux Tribes.
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