PIERRE – The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission held its December meeting at Brookings’ McCrory Gardens.
The commission continued its discussion on the cancellation of campsites and lodging facilities without fee for a period of time after a reservation is made. After that period has lapsed, a fee of one-half of the first night’s camping or lodging fees would be assessed for both types of overnight use.
The commission continued its discussion to remove no boating zones and allow for non-motorized watercraft within the Waubay National Wildlife Refuge and the Waubay State Game Bird Refuge.
GFP and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have been working in collaboration to align state and federal regulations within the USFWS Refuge System, resulting in more recreational opportunities within the refuge boundaries.
Additionally, the commission amended its proposal to establish a no wake zone at a new boat ramp at Lake Poinsett State Recreation Area in Brookings County.
Finally, the commission also continued to discuss two administrative rules to align business practices and requirements for license agents in preparation of launching a new online system. Go Outdoors South Dakota will launch Dec. 15, 2021. This system combines the purchases of hunting and fishing licenses with our state parks camping reservations and other purchases.
Once the system is live, license agents will be required to operate under new business practices, including electronic ACH transfers and adjusted timeframes when electronic money sweeps will occur. License agents serve an important role for selling licenses on behalf of GFP as well as providing hunters with the ability to purchase hunting and fishing licenses in person outside normal business hours that GFP offices are open.
To see any of these proposals, or more in-depth information on the December meeting, visit gfp.sd.gov/commission/archives/.
If you would like to comment on any of these proposals, visit gfp.sd.gov/forms/positions. Comments can also be mailed to 523 E. Capitol Ave., Pierre, S.D.
To be included in the public record and to be considered by the Commission, comments must include a full name and city of residence and be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 31.
To hear the discussion on these proposals, audio from the meeting is available through South Dakota Public Broadcasting and will soon be available on the GFP website as part of the meeting archive. To see the proposal in its entirety, visit gfp.sd.gov/commission/information.
The next GFP Commission meeting will be held Jan. 4-5 in Pierre.
'No wake zones' on Lake Poinsett
Brookings County public water safety zones. Brookings County public water safety zones are as follows:
Lake Poinsett:
(a) The waters fronting on that portion of the shoreline beginning approximately 1,800 feet west of the east property line marker located between sections 3 and 4 of the department public access area in the north half of section 4, township 112, range 52 west of the fifth principal meridian and extending approximately 700 feet westerly from this point are a “public swimming zone”;
(b) The waters fronting on the waterfront area north of the main building of the Lake Poinsett Methodist Camp for a distance of 500 feet along the shoreline centering just north of the main building are a “public swimming zone”;
(c) The waters fronting on that portion of Lake Poinsett State Recreation Area beginning at a point 500 feet west of the west recreation area boat ramp and extending 2,150 feet west are a “no wake zone”;
(d) The waters fronting on that portion of Lake Poinsett State Recreation Area beginning at a point 100 feet west of the east property boundary of the state recreation area and extending 500 feet west is a “no wake zone.”
