By Denise Ross

The subject of Bear Butte and development around the state park / religiously significant landmark north of Sturgis lit up Saturday morning’s crackerbarrel meeting in Rapid City.

Most of the talk was philosophical - private property rights vs. protecting a natural treasure, but one bit of news emerged. House Bill 1275 might not be dead yet, said Rep. David Lust, R-Rapid City.

(Photos by Denise)  

Lust called himself “one of the few who was not viscerally opposed to the governor’s approach.”

I think the concept will be revisited, if not this session, another session. I give credit to the governor for trying to find a resolve to this situation. … This will continue to be an issue.

I think it’s incumbent upon us to address it, either through easements, outright purchase, private purchase, private easements. I think there’s a whole host of options out there. And I think they’re all being explored.

Apparently, there is some talk of reviving the bill and stripping the $250,000 general fund appropriation out of it, thereby leaving the governor free to seek another funding source should the bill pass. HB1275 died on the House floor decisively, and Lust couched the possiblity of bringing the bill back this session not as a certainty or even likliehood but as one of the possiblities being discussed.

I’ve reported before that HB1275 does not specify whose land is in play or how many acres are proposed to be subject to an easement that would cost $1.3 million total. Lawmakers Saturday morning said there are about 800 acres at issue, split about evenly between land on the butte and adjacent farmland.

Meanwhile, Rep. Brian Dreyer, R-Rapid City, who has fought and argued strenuously against a state-purchased easement, said he believes that if the proposal were instead that the state buy the land outright and expand the state park, that would be something that could pass in the House.

Said Dreyer: ‘If we pay taxpayer money for it, the public should have access to it.’

And, speaking to the format of the Rapid City crackerbarrels, one man, who I believe is Lakota, almost walked out in protest because the moderator cut off debate of the Bear Butte issue just as it was his turn to ask a question about it.

After a brief conversation with a cameraman, the man sat back down and listened to the remaining hour of the crackerbarrel discussion. He never did get to ask his Bear Butte question.

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