Wednesday, South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed his state buffer legislation into law. State Farm Bureau Lobbyist Mike Held says Senate Bill 66 calls for a maximum buffer strip length of 120 feet. Eligible buffer strips are assessed at 60 percent of the land’s agricultural income value and grazing is prohibited from May 1 through September 30.

He says the law provides tax incentives to producers who establish riparian buffer strips on private land. The bill specifies the 575 lakes and 11,000 miles of streams included. Producers can combine this incentive with existing federal programs designed to improve water quality.

Held says it’s positive that participating in the buffer program is not mandated.

Another benefit to the buffer law is that it creates a separate classification for agricultural lands that qualify for the designation. According to the Governor, SB 66 avoids constitutional concerns by creating a separate classification for ag lands that qualify for the designation.