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BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposes land trades between South Dakota School & Public Lands and any private party, government agency or NGO; unless the trade is approved by the respective county commissioners.

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposes South Dakota School and Public Lands trading land with the Nature Conservancy.

WHEREAS: The National Forest Service is about to finalize the Land and Resource Management Plan for the National Grasslands; and

WHEREAS: The National Grasslands in South Dakota are managed for multiple use; and

WHEREAS: The South Dakota Stockgrowers are concerned that a Wilderness designation would adversely affect livestock grazing and the economic health of the ranching interests and the local economy; and

WHEREAS: Wilderness designation limits noxious weed management and the ability of adjacent landowners to control noxious weeds, prairie dogs and other pests; and

WHEREAS: Current management over a long period of time has produced these natural areas, which Wilderness designation would not improve.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association is opposed to any increase in Wilderness Designation in South Dakota.

4. NORTH DAKOTA LAWSUIT AGAINST ('01) FOREST SERVICE NATIONAL GRASSLANDS/BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT

WHEREAS: National Grasslands in South Dakota and the Montana, North Dakota and South Dakota Bureau of Land Management have made final decisions on their Travel Management Plan.

WHEREAS: The state of North Dakota has sued Forest Service National Grasslands and the Bureau of Land Management because this Travel Management Plan will close section lines.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: South Dakota Stockgrowers Association requests the state of South Dakota to assist North Dakota with this lawsuit.

WHEREAS: Black Hills National Forest Plans revision amendment is proposing Research Natural Areas (RNAs) which are managed the same as wilderness but without Congressional designation; and

WHEREAS: South Dakota Stockgrowers Association policy requests no new wilderness in South Dakota.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association believes that the U.S. Forest Service should not designate RNAs where fire control and other management cannot take place.

WHEREAS: The sale of ranches to expand Wind Cave National Park is not like any sale between individuals for it becomes a permanent loss of part of South Dakota. It becomes federal land, over which South Dakota has no control over its weeds, pests, fires, settlement, roads, crimes or possible future assignment to become a United Nations World Heritage Site, as has happened to Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Caverns; and

WHEREAS: Our Founding Fathers sought to protect the states from federal encroachment by granting to the new federal government only the power to buy land from the states for certain constitutionally approved buildings, and any such loss of state sovereignty had to be approved by the legislature of the state so involved. (Art. I, Sec. 8, Clause 17, U.S. Constitution).

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association request that the South Dakota Legislature fulfills its constitutional responsibility by addressing the Wind Cave National Park expansion as well as any other federal land expansion in South Dakota.

7. PUBLIC LAND TRADES (’02)

WHEREAS: All property rights rely on the existence and retention of private property; and

WHEREAS: The public trust and public good are the primary consideration for governmental decision making; and

WHEREAS: Third parties and non-government organizations are not subject to the open meeting law.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association opposes any public land trade that reduces private property in value or acreage.

Be it further resolved: The public trust and openness of decision making be protected by involving no third party or non-governmental organization in the property exchange process.

8. FUEL MANAGEMENT PLAN (’02)

BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association demands that the Federal Land Management Agencies implement a proactive fuel management plan to reduce wildfire risk which would include, but not be limited to: commercial and pre-commercial thinning, grazing and logging.

9. NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE (’02)

Whereas: The U.S. Forest Services "Northern Great Plains Revision" preferred alternative will radically change the management direction of the National Grasslands in South Dakota; and

Whereas: This preferred management alternative will adversely affect Ranchers with Grassland grazing permits and the custom, culture and economics of rural communities in and adjacent to the National Grasslands in South Dakota; and

Whereas: Lamar Smith, Cascabel Range Consultants, in his "Comments on the Final Environmental Impact Statement Northern Great Plains Management Plans Revision" states that, "Little or not hard evidence of need for changing either objectives or management in documented in the EIS."

Therefore Be It Resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association requests that the Secretary of Agriculture, Larry Gabriel and Governor William Janklow comment on the Northern Great Plains Revision and encourage the Forest Service to implement the "No Action Alternative."

Be It Further Resolved: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association requests that Secretary of Agriculture Larry Gabriel or his representative(s) attend a meeting in Washington, D.C. with the U.S. Department of Agriculture official Dave Tenny concerning the "Northern Great Plains Revision" on Feb. 21.

10. FEDERAL LANDS LEASE HOLD TAX (’96)

WHEREAS: The United State government remits payment in lieu of taxes, money on federal land to state and county governments; and

WHEREAS: The United State government also remits a portion of the federal grazing fee to the state and county where the federal land is located to be used for schools and roads; and

WHEREAS: A state lease hold tax on federal grazing fees could call into legal question the continuation of those federal payments; and

WHEREAS: Ranchers grazing livestock on federal land do not have a lease, only a permit for the "privilege" to graze livestock on federal lands.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The South Dakota Stockgrowers Association oppose state leasehold tax on federal lands.

WHEREAS: Federal and State entities own and manage approximately one-third of all land in the United States; and

WHEREAS: Government and recreational interests are striving to enact more stringent and crippling regulations upon private landowners; and

WHEREAS: All private and public landowners have an inherent responsibility to care for and manage their land.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: All publicly held land shall be in full compliance with any new statute(s) and/or executive/departmental order(s) concerning the stewardship (management, conservation, control of weeds and pests) of land and water prior to private landowners being held liable.