We Will Find the Balance Through Partnerships…

Issues surrounding land usage in South Dakota and its vital impact on virtually everything within the state from education to hunting to citizens’ rights are a pretty complicated thing unless entities are willing to compromise. But where will the compromise come from?

- The landowners in South Dakota want private property rights restored by abolishing the Open Fields Doctrine
- The South Dakota Game Fish and Parks wants to protect wildlife populations from illegal poaching
- Rural communities and residents want more land available for private use and for people to live on
- The state education system wants more land available to generate revenue for schools
- The state wants to protect hunting rights for the hunters because of the millions dollars sportspeople bring to the state every year

I believe the answers will come from partnerships… not increased competition for finite resources. Competition for resources never ends well for at least one competitor. In many cases something must cease to exist so another can flourish. I do not see anything on the above list that we can afford to lose. In South Dakota we are very fortunate for what we have, but we must remain constantly vigilant about our current circumstances so we can make the right choices for the future.