Broadcaster Press 5 June 13, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com A Good Compromise On Nonmeandered Waters By Gov. Dennis Daugaard: For at least 20 years, the northeastern part of our state has been dealing with the issue of nonmeandered waters. For that entire time, the state has NOT been dealing with the problems that our laws have caused. This issue arose during the 1990s, when eastern South Dakota received far more moisture than normal. Excessive rainfall created new lakes – called nonmeandered lakes – out of areas that once were farmland, pastures, small sloughs or other watersheds. Nonmeandered lakes come in all shapes and sizes, and offer varying degrees of recreational opportunities. Some, such as Cottonwood Lake in Spink County, are well-developed with several boat ramps and over 100 cabins and homes surrounding it; others may be only a couple of acres and a few feet deep. As the waters of nonmeandered lakes expanded, so did their recreational use, much of which is tied to exceptional fishing in some of the new lakes. As fishing became more commonplace, so did conflicts between sportsmen and landowners. Complaints emerged about boat trailers blocking roadways, littering, noise and many others. Unfortunately, our state laws surrounding nonmeandered waters have been ambiguous. While the public has a right to use the water, private landowners also have a right to control their property. Governors and legislators have tried several times to address these issues, but the many competing opinions and interests have made compromise impossible. Ambiguous laws lead to litigation, and the courts have SD ACE Camp 2017 The Aerospace Career & Education (ACE) Camp will be held July 9-12, on the campus of the South Dakota State University, Brookings. The 4-day, 3-night camp has been hosted every year since 1992 at SDSU. ACE Camp provides high school-aged students the opportunity to get an early start on aviation and aerospace careers. At the camp, students will learn about the fundamentals of flight, get behind the controls of an aircraft, build and launch model rockets, look into the workings of a jet engine, explore an F-16 fighter jet, and visit with aviation professionals. Tuition is $350 (includes a nonrefundable $50 application deposit to guarantee placement in the camp). Tuition covers an introductory airplane flight, lodging, meals, and transportation at the camp. ACE Camp applications due by June 30. Tuition assistance is available for up to $200. Please see the application for specific information. Scholarships are provided by the South Dakota Pilots Association, Yankton Regional Aviation Association, and other sponsors. Applications requesting tuition assistance are due by June 14. The application can be submitted on-line at https:// www.sdstate.edu/consumersciences/ace-camp or secured by mail from the Engineering Resource Center, SDSU, Box 2120, Ag Engineering 211, Brookings, SD 57007-0650. If you want more information, contact the ACE Camp Coordinator Cody Christensen at 605-688-6291. Concrete Pavement Repair And Grinding In The Vermillion Area YANKTON, S.D. – South Dakota Department of Transportation officials say concrete pavement repair and grinding work on Interstate 29 near Elk Point will begin the week of June 12. Contractors will be repairing deteriorated concrete pavement on both north and southbound I-29 at Exit 18. The work involves complete full-depth and partial-depth concrete repair, pavement grinding, resealing joints and new pavement marking. Traffic will be reduced to one lane in each direction as work is completed in the adjacent lanes. Motorists are asked to watch for suddenly slowing and merging traffic and to be aware of construction workers and equipment adjacent to the driving lane. Other concrete pavement repair work in the Vermillion area is scheduled upon the completion of the I-29 route in the following order: •Highway 46 in Beresford from west of Truck Town to the 13th Street intersection •Highway 81 from 300th Street (Lesterville Road) to Highway 46 intersection •Highway 81 (Broadway Ave) in Yankton from 23rd Street to 306th Street (Tabor Road) Interstate Improvements of Faribault, Minnesota is the prime contractor on the $1.8 million dollar project. For complete road construction information, visit www.safetravelusa.com/sd or call 511. tried to resolve these ambiguities. But in South Dakota, our courts still understand that it’s not their job to write new laws – it’s their job to ensure the laws are properly and fairly enforced. The South Dakota Supreme Court made that abundantly clear in their Duerre v. Hepler decision this past March. In that decision the Court stated, “it is ultimately up to the Legislature to decide how these waters are to be beneficially used in the public interest.” Our state legislators heard the Supreme Court’s message loud and clear and the Legislature promptly convened an interim committee to find a solution. That committee acted quickly. Over the past six weeks, it held four meetings, toured areas inundated with nonmeandered waters, met with affected agricultural producers, sportsmen, and business owners, and heard testimony from over 70 individuals. The committee was able to mold that mass of information and input into a compromise bill that balances the rights of landowners with the ability of sportsmen to use public waters for recreation. I applaud the efforts of the summer study committee and I support the bill. It will open tens of thousands of acres of nonmeandered waters to public recreation, while respecting the property rights of landowners. You can find it at sdlegislature.gov. As I write this, I have called a Special Legislative Session for Monday, June 12, to address the recreational use of nonmeandered waters in South Dakota, and I am hopeful that we will finally resolve this issue for the betterment of our state. New Dignity Specialty License Plate Available July 1 Pierre, S.D. – Beginning July 1, South Dakota residents may apply for the new Dignity license plate. The plates will be available for motor vehicles and motorcycles. Qualifying South Dakotans may apply for Dignity plates at their local county treasurer’s office or online at https:// mysdcars.sd.gov during their renewal period. The plates will be available for the cost of $10 plus a $5 mailing fee. The Dignity plates were designed with the help of the sculpture’s creator, Dale Lamphere. The sculpture represents the courage, perseverance and wisdom of the Lakota and Dakota culture in South Dakota and can be found in Chamberlain. “The Dignity license plate will be an on-demand plate and available to anyone with a South Dakota driver’s license,” Motor Vehicle Division Director Lisa Weyer said. “Working with Dale Lamphere, we were able to produce a very appealing license plate honoring the Dignity Sculpture.” For a tutorial on how to order this plate online, visit https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOZEWUzjqZ0. Welcome to the Left to Right: RD, team lead; Gene, Makyla, Paul, Laura, Steve, store manager; Sandra, team lead. Located at 509 W. Cherry, Vermillion 605-624-4000 KnutsonFamilyDentistry.com Vermillion 525 W. Cherry 605-624-5574 Dr. Richard Knutson, D.D.S Dr. Matthew Knutson, D.D.S Dr. Troy Larson, D.D.S 605-624-6291 1714 East Cherry Street, • Vermillion bp Since 1934 Welcome TSC 201 West Cherry 605-624-4429 Broadcaster Press