SD GFP NEWS FOR 1-11-09
GFP Piyas Lake Deal Won’t Proceed, Open House Still On
PIERRE, S.D. – Although a proposed land exchange is no longer in the works, the Game, Fish and Parks Department has decided to move forward with an open house meeting that had originally been scheduled.
Late Thursday, GFP Division of Wildlife staff were contacted by landowner Rick Sommers advising them he has reconsidered the idea of a proposed land trade on Piyas Lake. Citing public concerns over the exchange of lands owned by the Division of Wildlife on Roy Lake, Sommers and the Division of Wildlife have mutually decided it would be best to pull the exchange idea off the table.
Over the past several weeks, Division of Wildlife staff have been engaged in discussions with Sommers that would have potentially opened up access to Piyas Lake in northeast South Dakota. Piyas Lake, located in Marshall County, has seen heavy fishing pressure the past two years, but has little access to sportsman.
Although the land exchange is no longer under consideration, the Division of Wildlife has decided to proceed with plans to host an Open House at RoyKota Resort on Monday, January 12th. Division of Wildlife staff will still be on hand from 4 pm until 7 pm to visit with the public about fishing and hunting access needs and opportunities in northeast South Dakota.
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News Release – Embargoed until 2 PM CST Monday January 12th, 2009.
Note: A news conference will be held by phone on Monday, Jan. 12. Details appear below. For photos of Tony Dean, or for a PDF brochure about the project, contact Info@TonyDeansAcres.com.
Tony Dean’s Memorial Acres
A fund has been established to provide a fitting memorial for a well known South Dakotan who fought tirelessly for sportsmen and natural resource conservation.
Veteran outdoor communicator and conservation leader Tony Dean of Pierre died October 19th, 2008. Dean’s family and friends are now teaming up with the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation to provide a way for people to contribute to a memorial fund which will continue his legacy. The fund will be used to purchase land in South Dakota. The land will become a wildlife management area, provide public outdoor recreation, and carry on Tony Dean’s commitment to environmental education. A Memorial Fundraising Committee has been established and is working closely with major conservation organizations to design a project that will form partnerships to honor Tony’s long time dedication to South Dakota’s natural resources.
Tony produced the award winning Tony Dean Outdoors TV show as well as Dakota Backroads Radio for over 20 years. He also wrote articles and columns for many regional publications. He tried to educate his audience and readers about threats to the environment and habitats, and he urged them to become active in enhancing the opportunities for hunters and anglers.
“Tony always wanted the average person to be able to enjoy the great outdoors,” said Tony’s wife Dar. “We hope the people who enjoyed Tony’s shows and writing will step up and enable us to do this for him.”
Former South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Secretary John Cooper, Co-Chair of the Fundraising Committee, was a long time friend of Tony Dean. “Tony fought to protect wetlands, grasslands, clean air and water,” Cooper said. “He worked to ensure that people will always have a place to fish, hunt, learn about and enjoy everything nature has to offer, so this is a very appropriate way to honor the commitment Tony had both to conservation efforts and to enhancing opportunities for public recreation.”
A Tony Dean’s Acres Memorial Fund has been established through the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation, to allow individuals, businesses and organizations to make tax deductible contributions to the fund. Tax deductible contribution payable to Tony Dean’s Acres Memorial may be sent to:
South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation
Tony Dean’s Acres Memorial
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501
Or credit card donations may be made via the Parks and Wildlife website:
www.parkswildlifefoundation.org.
For more information, email info@TonyDeansAcres.com.
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News Conference
A news conference, regarding the project’s goals will be held by telephone on Monday, January 12th at 2 PM CST.
To participate, call:
1-800-944-8706
Enter code – 65411 #
Participating in the call will be:
Dave Zentner, Duluth, MN, Co-Chair (Long time conservationist and friend of Tony’s)
John Cooper, Pierre, SD, Co-Chair (Former SD Game, Fish and Parks Secretary)
Paul Lepisto, Pierre, SD, Tony Dean’s Acres Steering Committee Member (Former Producer of Tony Dean Outdoors TV and Dakota Backroads Radio)
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Road Fund Money Transferred to Counties
PIERRE, S.D. – Earlier this week, the South Dakota Department of Revenue transferred over $1 million to counties for deposit in the special highway fund for each county as part of an annual allocation.
Legislation in 1999 created the funding source to replace funds that each county had been receiving from the Game, Fish and Parks Department for assistance county treasurers had provided with the sale of general hunting and fishing licenses.
The legislature acted to replace the funds to the counties with a law appropriating $1,033,269.10 in Department of Transportation Highway funds to a special county highway fund. Money from this account is then distributed to each county in the same amounts as were distributed by GFP for license fees in calendar year 1997.
Hunters annually purchase an estimated 21.6 million gallons of gas in South Dakota in the pursuit of their sport. These gas purchases generate $4.5 million in gas tax revenue.
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SD Parks and Wildlife Foundation Elects Board
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation elected officers for 2009 at its annual board meeting in Custer State Park. Officers elected are: Ev Hoyt, Rapid City, President; Ken Barker, Belle Fourche, Vice President; and Jay Frink, Beresford, Secretary/Treasurer.
The Board recognized Kitty Kinsman for her leadership over the past few years in promoting strategic planning and increasing fundraising capacity. The Board also recognized past board member Nettie Myers of Sioux Falls, for her dedication and service on the Board.
Other board members include: Kitty Kinsman of Rapid City, Morris Radack of Yankton, Tom Lillibridge of Bonesteel, Duane Thurow of Aberdeen, Brian Boyer of Custer, and Dick Behl of Scotland. Ex-officio members of the board include Jeff Vonk of Pierre, Secretary of Game, Fish and Parks and Randy Kemink of Gettysburg, representing the Game, Fish and Parks Commission.
The South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation is a non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage private support for the enhancement and protection of our state’s natural resources for parks and wildlife and to promote outdoor recreational activities and environmental education in the state.
Projects for 2009 include working with partners to raise funds for the new outdoor learning center in Rapid City. The center will provide classrooms and other spaces dedicated to environmental education and related activities and would also provide offices and support facilities for Wildlife Division staff of the Department of Game, Fish & Parks. The center will be patterned after the successful Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls, which attracts thousands of users, students and visitors each year.
Two other priorities for 2009 include raising funds to purchase conservation easements near Bear Butte and Custer State Park to preserve the scenic character of these areas.
The Foundation has been involved in supporting a number of wildlife and recreation programs throughout the state including the Adams Homestead and Nature Preserve near North Sioux City, Ft. Sisseton near Lake City, The Outdoor Campus in Sioux Falls, the George S. Mickelson Trail in the Black Hills and a variety of other projects that support wildlife, parks or associated recreational activities.
Anyone seeking additional information about the Foundation or wishing to make a donation can call 605-773-4503 or visit the Foundation’s website at: http://www.parkswildlifefoundation.org.
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Game, Fish & Parks Now Accepting No Child Left Inside Small Grants Applications
PIERRE, S.D. – “Get out!” That’s the message coming from Game, Fish & Parks’ education program, entitled No Child Left Inside. As a response to the growing trend of children spending less and less time exploring their natural surroundings, GFP is implementing efforts to encourage parents and teachers to get kids outdoors, learning.
“So many kids are spending hours each day in front of the TV or computer,” says Chad Tussing, Education Services Coordinator for GFP. Recent surveys are showing that Americans watch, on average, four hours of TV per day. For children, that number climbs to an average of 6.5 hours per day.
The small grant program is designed to extend the impact of the No Child Left Inside effort to others who work with children. Groups, schools, and others can apply for one of these grants, ranging from $500-1,000 per grant.
The projects must include a strong educational value and should have the potential for wide-reaching impact. Potential projects include educational curricula, outdoor classrooms, or other educational activities. Projects are strongly encouraged to have greater reach and impact than the actual grant period.
Applications are due March 27, 2009 and can be found online at the address given below.
For more information about Game, Fish & Parks’ No Child Left Inside efforts, please visit http://www.sdgfp.info/Wildlife/Education/NoChild.htm or contact Chad Tussing at (605) 773-2541.
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GFP Finalizes Purchase of Outdoor Education Property in Rapid City
PIERRE, S.D. – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Department has purchased property in Rapid City for the development of a Division of Wildlife outdoor education facility and regional office.
The 33-acre property is along Sturgis Road at the western edge of the city. The property was formerly owned by Northwest Engineering.
“This is a wonderful bit of history for our agency,” GFP Secretary Jeff Vonk said. “We looked in detail at options that would work both physically and economically for the citizens of our state. We still have a great many details to work through, but our plan is to do so at an optimistic pace to have this facility open to the public in 2010.”
Vonk noted that the property purchase received financial support from the John T. Vucurevich Foundation and the Rapid City Izaak Walton League to help complete the sale.
GFP will be using expertise gathered over the past decade in the operation of The Outdoor Campus facility in Sioux Falls to help lay some of the foundation of an education facility in Rapid City. They continue to meet with civic leaders in Rapid City to gather input, including representatives from city government, the school district, local sportsmen’s groups and others.
Vonk said that an official timeline and budget for the project had not been finalized. “It is important that we are confident we have the basic information in hand for this unique project. It will be a top priority for us through 2009. We will build both support and momentum towards completion of what will be a great facility for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages.”
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