Governor Noem Announces Merging of Agriculture and Environment and Natural Resources Departments
PIERRE, S.D. – Today, Governor Kristi Noem announced the South Dakota Departments of Agriculture and Environment & Natural Resources will merge to form the streamlined South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources.
Hunter Roberts, the current Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources, will be tapped to oversee the new department. Beginning September 8, and until the merger is complete, Roberts will serve as interim Secretary of Agriculture while continuing to also lead the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“Lieutenant Governor Rhoden has stepped up to guide the Department of Agriculture through this important transitional time period, and I really appreciate his hard work and leadership,” said Gov. Noem. “Agriculture is our number one industry, and under Secretary Roberts’ leadership, this department will serve our producers better than ever before.”
Roberts is an owner and operator of the Roberts Ranch in Stanley and Lyman counties. He has worked in the Governor’s Office of Economic Development as state energy director and as a policy advisor for Governor Daugaard working on agricultural policy and overseeing the South Dakota Department of Agriculture. It is worth noting that Roberts’ grandfather, Clint Roberts, served as SD Secretary of Agriculture from 1979-80 during the first Janklow administration.
“I’ve worked in agriculture my entire life, and I am excited to lead this department,” said Secretary Roberts. “South Dakotans know that farmers and ranchers are the best conservationists, and this department will promote our number one industry while we simultaneously protect our natural resources.”
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Excellent. Ag is the best use of our land .. it’s a form of mining (mineral extraction), and I love it.
Oh, I get it. Now, ag can definitely override environmental issues.
Very Stable genius. Don’t get to excited about over ridding environmental issues. Farmers are some of the worst polluters there are. Dumping millions of untreated animal waste on the land. In the name of fertilizer. Farmers shed millions of pounds of excess toxic waste into the water shed. My big question is why hasn’t corn beans wheat prices went up. Look at it. China is flooding farm ground flooded. Buying record beans wheat pork corn An no price increase. 13 million acres of corn bean damaged in Iowa. Prices are dropping. Our store shelfs near empty. Record pork beef exports to overseas in June/July! Prices are low!! Wake up people!! Who is controlling what? We being scammed. I vote Trump in “16” I will do so again. But SOMETHING is wrong!! 2+2 is not adding up
Oh, I am not excited, trust me.
And you get that from what, “genius”? Too bad common sense can’t override stupidity on the left.
From common sense.
we could be reeeeeeally innovative, and just put everything into the “department of bureaucracy” now instead of having it play out over years.
This question was asked during the Mickelson era. Everyone that I recall in the discussion at Ag & DNR agreed it made sense. Why wasn’t it pursued? How can South Dakota not have a separate Department for its #1 industry? That was it. Nothing more, nothing less.
VSG’s comment makes sense on the surface and to the uninformed. However, 30 years ago all at the table realized it would actually get conservation and environmental input on policies and actions earlier in the process and with more influence.
Let me give you a small example: Weed control falls on the farmer and local weed control boards mostly controlled in rural counties (where the most weeds are) by farmers. So, decisions, policies and practices are almost always pursued in good faith in that circle. Well, DNR (& GF&P) had an interest in weed control as it impacts water through run-off (where do ditches run?).
I know it sounds easy to say just make then communicate better but in practice divided responsibilities, different “mandates”, different bosses, & different buildings create barriers both internally but more importantly externally. The people controlling weeds on the ground called Agriculture because that is who they knew. Agriculture isn’t anti-environment but its not their focus or expertise.
This is a great move to blend expertise and focus to the benefit of all interests (as they aren’t adversaries but just coming at things from a different direction). And, will actually have the effect in the real world opposite of what VSG asserts.
P.S. I don’t know Hunter Roberts (I think my last direct contact with him was when he was in grade school) but he was raised by great farmers and conservationists on both sides of his family.
There will need to be an executive reorganization executive order filed with the legislature next session to make this legal.