Pheasants Forever is praising the work of the South Dakota Legislature and Governor Dennis Daugaard for the passage and signing of
Senate Bill 66, which provides tax breaks for individuals who install buffer strips between agricultural land and waterways. The bill, which received bipartisan support during its recent approval, has positive implications for water quality as well as the habitat conservation efforts to benefit pheasants and other upland wildlife.
The new South Dakota bill applies to voluntarily enrolled buffer strips of 50-150 feet in width which cannot be mowed or harvested until July 10
th, coinciding with the primary nesting season for pheasants, grouse, and other grassland wildlife. Each buffer would be subject to a 40 percent tax break on all enrolled acres, while providing a financial incentive to landowners interested in protecting water quality and providing critical wildlife habitat.
“Pheasants Forever would like to thank Governor Daugaard and state legislators for their commitment to preserving and protecting one of our most cherished assets, our lakes and streams,” stated Matt Morlock, Pheasants Forever’s acting director in South Dakota. “The passage of this bill shows wide support from both sportsmen and agricultural producers, demonstrating a statewide obligation to protecting our water and wildlife resources.”
About Pheasants Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division,
Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 149,000 members and 720 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent, the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure. Since creation in 1982, Pheasants Forever has spent $708 million on 517,000 habitat projects benefiting 15.8 million acres nationwide.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953
jwiklund@pheasantsforever.org