Monthly Archives: April 2015

Vegetation is extraordinarily dry this spring season and fire danger is very high in the Black Hills and surrounding areas.

Fire restrictions are in place on state, federal and county lands within the Black Hills Forest Fire Protection District.

South Dakota Wildland Fire division director, Jay Esperance, is asking everyone to be cautious during this current dry spell to help prevent wildfires.

“It’s essential local area residents and visitors comply with the fire restrictions,” Esperance said. “One carelessly tossed cigarette could have tragic consequences for our state’s communities.”

State officials would like to remind area residents the increased potential for wildfires necessitates fire prevention precautions for all.

Ways to aid in prevention efforts include never driving or parking a vehicle in dry grass, making sure cigarette butts are properly extinguished and ensuring your outdoor equipment is maintained and equipped with proper spark arrestors.

“We are in a time of year where vegetation has yet to green-up, further increasing the fire risk,” says the Halley Legge, fire prevention technician. “Please be vigilant and abide by current fire restrictions for your area.”

Current restrictions can be found at www.blackhillsfirerestrictions.com for the Black Hills area.  For statewide fire danger, visit https://gacc.nifc.gov/rmcc/dispatch_centers/r2gpc/fuels.htm.

South Dakota Wildland Fire can be found on Twitter @SDWildlandFire and on Facebook by searching SD Wildland Fire.

By David Graper – South Dakota Master Gardener Program Interim Coordinator

Do you like to garden?  Do you like fresh, home-grown, nutritious vegetables and fruits?  Do you want to learn more about how to take better care of your lawn, trees or shrubs?  Are you curious about how plants grow and what they need to grow and be healthier?  Do you want to make new friends that are also interested in these things?  Do you like to teach and help people?  If you answered “yes” to any or all of these questions, then perhaps becoming a South Dakota Master Gardener is the right thing for you to do to satisfy those desires.

Master Gardener training classes are now being formed for 2015.  The registration deadline has been extended to April 24.  Classes will be offered in the Watertown, Mitchell and Hot Springs/Custer areas this year.  You do not have to live right in those cities to participate however, since the majority of the training is offered online so you can get the training in the comfort of your own home in a very open schedule with the first sections available online starting May 4, 2015.  But there are four days of required, hands-on training, to finish out the complete training course.  The four, day-long, hands-on sessions give trainees the opportunity to learn skills such as planting, pruning, plant propagation, along with plant and pest identification by seeing and doing. These will be held in each of the training sites.  Participants will be able to choose from the three locations for their hands-on training.

Master Gardeners work in their community to promote and teach gardening. Opportunities include writing articles, giving talks, working at fair booths, helping in community and school gardens, teaching and answering garden questions.  The training gives a well-rounded education preparing them to help their communities.  Currently there are about 850 active Master Gardeners across the state, many of which are also active in one or more of the 19 area groups of Master Gardeners.  In 2014 Master Gardeners contributed more than 12,700 hours of volunteer service, worth over $240,000 to South Dakota individuals, families and communities.

The South Dakota Master Gardener program began back in 1985 when Dean Martin organized the first classes.  When Dean retired in 1988, training was put on hold until 1993 when training resumed.  Each year training is scheduled to occur in different locations across the state so that individuals from all over the state will have an opportunity to take the training at a site relatively close to home.  The majority of the training is offered online, making it convenient for more people to participate in the training and only have to make arrangements to be away from home or work for four days to participate in the hands-on training sessions.

Gov. Dennis Daugaard announced members of the Native American Student Achievement Advisory Council.

The Governor issued an executive order establishing the council in February. The council will work to identify strategies for improving achievement and graduation rates among South Dakota’s Native American students and report its findings to the Legislature and the Governor by Dec. 1, 2015.

The appointees to the council from Mission are: Dr. Roger Bordeaux, Rep. Shawn Bordeaux, Sen. Troy Heinert; Richard “Tuffy” Lunderman,

“Native American students in South Dakota attend public, non-public, tribally operated and Bureau of Indian Education schools,” said Gov. Daugaard. “Thus, the responsibility for providing them educational opportunities is shared among individuals and local, state, tribal and federal governments. I am confident this group will help us move forward with a common vision for ensuring their success.”

The Bush Foundation will be funding the council’s work. The Bush Foundation is based in St. Paul, Minnesota, and serves the 23 Native nations and the states of Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“Improving educational achievement among Native American youth will drive growth and prosperity in both South Dakota and the Native nations that share the same geography. We are proud to support this important collaboration between state and tribal leaders. Together, they can lay the foundation for innovative and exciting efforts to increase educational opportunities for Native youth,” said Bush Foundation President Jen Ford Reedy.

The council’s first meeting is slated for April 28-29 at the Capitol Lake Visitor Center in Pierre.