ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL GRASSLANDS, INC.

JUNE 2016 NEWSLETTER AND ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATION

2016 Officers
President
Bob Harshbarger
1162 Lynch Rd., Newcastle, WY 82701
President Elect
Dan Anderson
c/o Grand River Grazing Association
P.O. Box 538, Lemmon, SD 57638
Vice President
Frank Tomac
9999 57th Ave., SW, Watauga, SD 57660
Sec-Treas.
Joan Cantrell
23954 Recluse Rd, Philip, SD 57567

Information Needed...
The Public Lands Council is requesting information from ANG members regarding their first-hand knowledge of the impact of back burns, prescribed burns, etc.,
that are started on federal land and burn over onto private ground. Information is
being gathered for legislative efforts to amend the terrorism act to exempt valid
agricultural practices from prosecution.
For example, on April 3, 2013, the U.S. Forest Service conducted a prescribed burn
near the South Dakota and North Dakota border in Perkins County, South Dakota. The
prescribed burn was intended to cover 135 acres, and burned out of control, resulting in
approximately 14,000 acres of pastures and farmland being damaged. The fire is known
as the Pautre Fire, and included privately owned hay land, pasture land, harvested hay,
fences, one building and personal vehicles being destroyed.
We are seeking range-wide data and/or several more examples of federal agencies
starting and losing control of fires. Please contact: Lance Russell at 605-745-3228 or
lance_russell@yahoo.com so we can compile factual information for Congress on
the number of acres burned and monetary damages caused by escaped fires.

THANK YOU! Your Feedback Makes a Difference!

President Robert Harshbarger and Lance Russell traveled to some of the South Dakota Grazing Association meetings over the past year and spoke about the
South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks 20-acre rule that
requires that 20 acres of private property adjacent to
National Grasslands must be occupied by prairie dogs
prior to the State of South Dakota taking any action to
control the encroachment from the Grassland. The
South Dakota Prairie Dog Management Plan requires
only encroachment for action by the SDGF&P.
We surveyed ANG members, and your feedback
was very helpful! On June 13, 2016, GF&P issued a press
release, stating assistance for landowners experiencing
10-acres of prairie dog encroachment could get assistance with prairie dog control. (See accompanying
press release).
Thank you for taking time to respond to ANGs
survey and providing critical information on your
needs.

ANGs Annual Meeting

September 19-20, 2016

Community Building
Crawford, NE
Crawford, NE Lodging options
Fort Robinson308-665-2900 or
Hilltop Motel308-665-1114

Register for ANGs Annual Meeting by calling 605-745-3228

or email lance_russell@yahoo.com
NO REGISTRATION FEE!

www.nationalgrasslands.org

ASSOCIATION OF NATIONAL GRASSLANDS, INC.

JUNE 2016 NEWSLETTER AND ANNUAL MEETING INFORMATIONPAGE 2

General membership voting change

At ANGs 37th Annual Business Meeting held in Newcastle,
Wyoming last Fall, several proposed changes to the Associations
By-laws were considered. Among them was a change to those
eligible to vote on ANG business. This change allows for more
folks to be a part of ANGs business decisions.

ARTICLE III.
A quorum shall be the members present at any meeting. The
right to vote at General Membership meetings shall be limited to
those permittees (one vote per membership legal entity, family
or partnership) who operate wholly or in part on National Grasslands and are current with their annual dues, either individually
or through their Grazing Association.
-Change motion and approved: September 15, 2015

ANG Files Comment on

Cheyenne River RAMP
The Wall Ranger District has issued an Environmental Assessment for the Cheyenne River Allotments in Pennington
County, South Dakota. ANG filed formal comment and objections to the EA on February 26, 2016.
The Forest Service scoping notice stated that the action is
needed because existing conditions are not meeting the LRMP
direction for desired diversity of vegetation structure and vegetation composition.
ANG made formal comment that the wilderness designation was restricting water development and creating harm to
the riparian areas. ANG proposed alternatives for EA consideration during the scoping period to eliminate the wilderness management to enhance management flexibility. ANGs alternatives were not considered in the Environmental Assessment.
The ANG formal comment objected to the Forest Services
failure to consider alternatives that adequately addressed the
causes of riparian area harms, including Bison concentration,
lack of prairie dog control, and the lack of water improvements
within the area managed for Wilderness.

~ NOTICE TO ANG MEMBERS ~

Original government documents concerning the acquisition of grasslands can
be very powerful evidence in advocating permittees rights. If you have, or
know someone who has, original documents that may be of help to ANG,
please consider providing a copy to our ANG Archives by sending it to:
P.O. 184, Hot Springs, SD 57747

SD Legislature passes resolution requesting Congress to reimburse Grand River

Grazing Association members through House Concurrent Resolution No. 1012
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION, Requesting the South Dakota congressional delegation to introduce legislation to compensate private landowners
for fire damage caused by the United States Forest Service.
WHEREAS, on April 3, 2013, the United States Forest Service lost control of the pautre fire in Perkins County, South Dakota; and
WHEREAS, private property valued at millions of dollars was destroyed; and
WHEREAS, on April 13, 2015, the United States Park Service lost control of the cold brook fire in Wind Cave National Park, which burned 5,420
acres more than the planned 1,000 acres, and threatened private property adjacent to the park; and
WHEREAS, the federal government has denied any liability for the private property damaged by these fires:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, by the House of Representatives of the Ninety-First Legislature of the State of South Dakota, the Senate
concurring therein, that the Legislature respectfully requests that South Dakota's congressional delegation introduce legislation to compensate the
private landowners that have endured property and monetary damages as a result of the Pautre and Cold Brook escaped fires.
Adopted by the House of Representatives, February 10, 2016; Concurred in by the Senate, February 16, 2016