06-05-2025
Human remains banned at Bear Butte State Park
PIERRE, S.D. (KELO) — An old rule is being quietly restored that prohibits leaving human remains of any kind at Bear Butte State Park.
South Dakota Parks Division director Jeff Van Meeteren presented it on Tuesday to the Legislature's Rules Review Committee.
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Van Meeteren explained that the ban was originally adopted in 2002 at the request of tribal groups but was 'inadvertently' repealed in 2019.
'Bear Butte is a sacred worship area by the tribes. Leaving of human remains is not an acceptable thing in their culture,' he said.
No one else spoke on Tuesday for or against the ban being put back into effect.
But a lawmaker had an admittedly odd question.
Republican Sen. Taffy Howard asked, 'Do we allow this in other state parks?'
Van Meeteren replied, 'Yes, we do allow it.'
He explained that people are required to get a burial permit and then seek permission from the landowner, which would be the South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks.
'But you can basically spread ashes on any state property in the state, as long as you technically do those two things,' Van Meeteren said.
Democratic Rep. Erik Muckey said he appreciated that someone caught that the rule had been repealed.
'It's nice to be able to see good partnership with our tribal nations to make sure we're honoring their wishes and I'm glad we caught this, so thank you for bringing this to our attention,' Muckey said.
Republican Rep. Roger DeGroot said he had the same question as Howard about whether people can leave remains like ashes.
'A lot of people go to their favorite lake and they put their ashes out,' DeGroot said. He added, 'I think it's far overdue to put this back in place.'
Under state law, each rule is effective 20 days after filing with the South Dakota Secretary of State office.
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The panel also cleared rules proposed for:
Raising camping fees at the State Fair.
Creating a new foster licensure pathway for kinship foster homes.
Changing various Wildlife Division regulations for waterfowl hunting, prairie elk hunting, mountain lion hunting and boating rules.
Updating real estate appraisal certification rules.
Expanding who can clear or replace logic boards in video-lottery terminals.
Amending state Division of Insurance rules to reflect the 2025 Medicare Supplement coverage amounts set by the federal government.
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