Let your district members of the South Dakota House and Senate know your concerns and how important protecting water in the Black Hills is for the health and wellness of people, wildlife, outdoor recreation, hunting and fishing, and the state’s tourism dollars.
NEW RULES FOR TESTIFYING TO STATE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEES – Click here to read these updated rules.
Here are some new rules for testifying to South Dakota State Legislature committees. This applies whether you are testifying in person, by zoom, or by email. You are expected to notify the Legislature 24 hours before the committee hearing on the specific bill.
This does not apply if you are calling or emailing an individual legislator — just if you want to testify to a full committee on a specific bill.
2/5/26 update:
SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 1273 — PROTECT THE BLACK HILLS
A bill has been introduced in the South Dakota Legislature that would provide important protections for water, cultural sites, land, and communities. It is House Bill 1273, which would revise mining statutes to provide more protection from projects to mine limestone, lithium, sand, gravel, and other materials. The text of the bill is here – You can find it here — 2026 House Bill 1273 | South Dakota Legislature
Click HERE to review HB1273
As you will see, the bill looks long. But most of the bill is about deleting the current law that regulates limestone, lithium, sand, gravel, etc. A lot of people in the Legislature — and the state – support reducing regulations.
Basically, what the bill does is to remove the section of the laws that treats mining for sand, gravel, lithium, limestone, etc. differently from other mining. It makes sure that all mining gets similar treatment, including:
- Public notice of planned mining proposals,
- The opportunity for public comment and hearings,
- Pre-permit environmental review and reclamation plan,
- Protection of cultural resources, communities, and special places, and
There would not be just a one-page application, and public notice would be required BEFORE a permit was considered.
HB 1273 keeps the differences between small-scale mines and large-scale mines (over ten acres), with more protection from large-scale mines.
Please plan to contact a lot of legislators quickly. A hearing will be held SOON before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee. Everyone needs to email them saying you support House Bill 1273. Do not just copy the wording shown here. Use your own words. Here are their emails – you can just copy and paste these into the “TO” line in your email –
Click HERE to get this committee’s email adresses to quickly email them in one swoop.
Copy and Paste these addresses below to included in your email TO field:
Spencer.Gosch@sdlegislature.gov, Tim.Goodwin@sdlegislature.gov, Jana.Hunt@sdlegislature.gov, Travis.Ismay@sdlegislature.gov, Trish.Ladner@sdlegislature.gov, Liz.May@sdlegislature.gov, Kaley.Nolz@sdlegislature.gov, Marty.Overweg@sdlegislature.gov, Drew.Peterson@sdlegislature.gov, Kathy.Rice@sdlegislature.gov, John.Shubeck@sdlegislature.gov, Kevin.VanDiepen@sdlegislature.gov, Kadyn.Wittman@sdlegislature.gov
Include in the CC field Staffer: Lance.Nixon@sdlegislature.gov
It is also important that you call or email your own district’s state legislators and let them know you support the bill — Find My Legislators | South Dakota Legislature. Your district has two House members and one Senator. Tell them that you live in their district.
Black Hills Clean Water Alliance 