Office of Gov. Dennis Daugaard

500 E. Capitol Ave.

Pierre, S.D. 57501

605-773-3212

www.sd.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2013

CONTACT:  Tony Venhuizen or Kelsey Pritchard at 605-773-3212

Governor Offers Update On Parks And Hunting Lands

PIERRE, S.D. – Despite the ongoing shutdown of the federal government, all state parks and state hunting areas in South Dakota remain open, Gov. Dennis Daugaard said today.

“We are fortunate in South Dakota to have many outstanding state parks, from Custer State Park to Good Earth State Park, and all remain open to visitors,” said the Governor.

Unlike some other states, South Dakota does not have any state-run parks or recreation areas on federal lands, so no state facilities have been threatened with closure.

Federal officials have announced that they have closed the federal wildlife refuge system, which includes wildlife refuges and waterfowl production areas. State Game, Fish and Parks officials are not enforcing the closure of federal lands, but will continue to conduct compliance checks for licenses and bag limits, as usual.

Prior to the federal government shutdown, Gov. Daugaard offered state resources to keep Mount Rushmore National Monument open. The National Park Service rejected the Governor’s offer saying the entire National Park System should be closed during the shutdown.

                                                            -30-