FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, June 23, 2004
CONTACT: Chuck Schlueter, 773-3904

PIERRE, S.D. – A group formed to address issues between West River landowners, sportsmen and the Department of Game, Fish and Parks will hold its third meeting in July in Rapid City.

The West River Issues Working Group has already held meetings in May and June. The next meeting will be Monday and Tuesday July 19 and 20 at the Ramkota Inn in Rapid City.

An open house will be held from 7-9 p.m., July 19 at the Ramkota Inn. The open house is planned as an opportunity for everyone who has an interest in issues being discussed by the group, primarily centering around big game hunting in western South Dakota, to discuss their views and share ideas.

The working group will meet at 8:30 a.m. on July 20. There will be another opportunity for public input at 1 p.m. After the public input, the group will then reconvene and meet until approximately 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend all or any part of these meetings and can actively participate during the public input portion.

Members of the West River Working Group are Terry Mayes, Rapid City, Dean Wink, Howes, Jan Nicolay, Sioux Falls, Bill Fraas, Hot Springs, Bob Johnson, Buffalo, Mark DeVries, Belvidere, Chris Hesla, Pierre, John Cooper, Pierre, Sen. Paul Dennert, Columbia, Sen. Jay Duenwald, Hoven, Rep. Gary Hansen, Sisseton and Rep. Bill Van Gerpen, Tyndall.

The issues under consideration by the Working Group are landowner relations and communications with GFP, the "Open Fields" doctrine, aerial hunting policies and regulations, big game hunting seasons and license allocation, improving hunter access to private lands, land acquisition policies and conservation easement programs, an overview of the GFP Wildlife Division budget, paraplane hunting and permits, prairie dog management and mountain lion management.

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