PIERRE, S.D. – Game, Fish and Parks officials say that new shooting preserve applications will now be considered by the Game, Fish, and Parks Division of Wildlife Director instead of the GFP Commission. This change was brought about by HB1049 in the 2005 South Dakota Legislature.

"New shooting preserve applications will now be reviewed and approved or denied by the Game, Fish, and Parks Wildlife Division Director, similar to the manner in which all other permit applications are handled by the Division of Wildlife," said Shooting Preserve Program Assistant Steve Thompson. "There will no longer be a formal public hearing held before the Game, Fish and Parks Commission regarding these applications. However, the department has printed a public notice advertising new preserve applications in at least three newspapers of general circulation. The papers targeted will focus in areas of the state most likely to be affected by the proposed permits. The public notice provides that any interested persons may present data, opinions or arguments in writing to the department regarding any applications."

Thompson explained further that if the Wildlife Division Director denies a shooting preserve operating permit, the applicant may then make a written request to the department for a contested case hearing before the GFP Commission, pursuant to statutes governing contested case hearings in South Dakota. Oppositely, if the Wildlife Division Director grants a shooting preserve operating permit, any interested person who has requested the status of an interested party, and who has presented data, opinion or arguments in writing to the department pursuant to the requirements in SDCL 41-10-4.5, may also make a written request to the department for a contested case hearing before the GFP Commission.

Other state law changes provide that a shooting preserve applicant may be permitted to operate or own interest in no more than two shooting preserves, each of which may be comprised of a contiguous tract of land from 160 up to 1,280 acres. Another option is to operate or own interest in only one shooting preserve that is comprised of a contiguous tract of land from 1,281 acres and is no larger than 2,560 acres. The increased acre-changes will allow a preserve operator to maintain one set of records for those combined preserves that are 1,281 to 2,560 acres in size and stipulate a minimum release of 600 rooster pheasants.

For the 2005-06 season, Game, Fish and Parks received nine new shooting preserve applications and seven renewal applications requesting additional permit-acres that are located within one mile of a public hunting area. The department also received another 25 new applications and 19 renewal applications that requested additional acres that are more than one mile from a public hunting area. The applications will be considered for approval by the Wildlife Division Director.

"If all applications are approved, and no further changes are made for existing permits, a total of 211 shooting preserves will be licensed in South Dakota for the 2005-06 season," Thompson said. For the 2004-05 season, there were a total of 223 licensed shooting preserves, and 177 of the existing preserves requested permit renewal for the 2005-06 preserve season.

Persons wishing to receive a listing of the applicants may contact the department in writing at: Game, Fish, and Parks, Shooting Preserves, 523 E. Capitol, Pierre, S.D. 57501 or by e-mail at wildinfo@state.sd.us.

A listing of new shooting preserves (PDF file) is temporarily available on the Game, Fish and Parks website at www.sdgfp.info. Those seeking the listing should hold their cursor over "What’s New" and click on the link to "New Preserve Operating Permits."

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