PIERRE, SD – Interim Agriculture Secretary Hunter Roberts and several team members outlined the proposed merger of the Ag Department and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee last week. State Senator Josh Klumb of Mount Vernon is the committee vice-chairman.
“Unless the merger is challenged, it will go through. They were simply advising us of how it would operate,” shared Klumb.
The South Dakota Farmer’s Union opposes the merger and in response to the plan by the Governor, is crafting legislation that would make the Secretary of Agriculture an elected office rather than a gubernatorial appointee.
According to SDFU President Doug Sombke, “Agriculture provides over $30 billion a year to the GDP of South Dakota. That’s a pretty big number. Nothing even comes close to it,” says Sombke. “The secretary of that department should be elected by the people rather than be appointed by the governor.”
When asked if by electing the state’s Agriculture Secretary, it would place the decision in the hands of voters who are too far removed from production agriculture to comprehend the issues, he replied, “I’m not so concerned that the person wouldn’t be a farmer or rancher but rather that the person is protecting the farmers and ranchers and our environment; our soils, our air, our water.” He added, “The state of Iowa right next to us, has a lot of problems right now with its DNR. We need good practices put in place but we also need to make sure we have more than one set of eyes looking at problems that are causing damage.”
In 2007 the Senate Ag and Natural Resources committee killed a similar bill by an 8-1 vote
