South Dakota GFP Commission accepts 2 donations of land

CUSTER STATE PARK, S.D. (KELO) — People who enjoy the South Dakota outdoors soon will have more public places where they can go.

The South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Commission on Friday accepted donations of land in Bon Homme County and in Day County.

The Bon Homme County Commission is giving a 0.2-acre triangle located about three miles northeast of Tyndall. The county acquired it in 1938 for 99 cents from the then-Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. The old right of way completes the Snatch Creek Game Production Area.

The Day County donation comes through the Brown County chapter of Pheasants Forever and the Aberdeen chapter of Whitetails Unlimited, which includes the Day County area. The two organizations together purchased 4.84 acres of land, including about three acres of wetland, about a mile north Roslyn for $20,000 from local farmer Ryan Wagner.

The additional area will allow year-round access to 150 acres of upland habitat known as the Krause Game Production Area. The road that currently leads to the Krause GPA is often under water and would cost about $80,000 to upgrade, according to Ryan Wendinger, habitat program administrator for the state Wildlife Division.

A parking lot will be built on the new parcel and gravel will be added to the section-line road leading to it, according to Wendinger. He said other improvements are planned.

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