South Dakota Gov. Signs Pheasant Habitat Funding Bill

In March, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem signed SB176, allocating $1 million in funding for the state’s Second Century Habitat Initiative to preserving pheasant hunting and habitat.

The legislation, which goes into effect June 28, earmarks $1 million from the state’s general fund that may be used to match money from private donations and federal conservation programs.

“The first century of pheasant hunting put South Dakota on the map as a destination for every hunter,” said Gov. Noem. “As South Dakota’s Sportsman in Chief, I’m committed to expanding habitat and pheasant hunting opportunities for the next generation.”

Every year, more than 80,000 nonresident pheasant hunters spend an estimated $156 million in South Dakota. With the state having just celebrated a century of pheasant hunting in 2018, the preservation of pheasant habitat and hunting is critically important to South Dakota.