South Dakota Farm Bureau and South Dakota Corn Growers Association Announce Support for 67% Eminent Domain Threshold
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 14, 2025
Contact:
- Krystil Smit, South Dakota Farm Bureau Executive Director, 605-353-8051, [email protected]
- Amanda Bechen, SD Corn Director of Marketing and Communications, 605-334-0100, [email protected]
South Dakota Farm Bureau and South Dakota Corn Growers Association Announce Support for 67% Eminent Domain Threshold
Sioux Falls, SD – The South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB) and the South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA) today announced their support for a requirement that CO2 pipeline companies secure voluntary easements for at least 67% of the pipeline before invoking eminent domain.
“This threshold offers a balanced approach,” said Taylor Sumption, President of the SDCGA. “The South Dakota Corn Growers Association respects landowners, and this compromise is intended to help empower individuals to improve their bargaining position. A reasonable path forward is not 0% nor is it 100% agreement. We look forward to engaging in a discussion that includes the many landowners who have chosen to enter into a voluntary agreement. SDCGA also opposes House Bill 1052 as it sets the requirement at 100%.”
“Private property rights are the cornerstone of South Dakota Farm Bureau,” said Scott VanderWal, President of SDFB. “That’s why SDFB’s grassroots members voted at the beginning of the carbon pipeline conversation to support a 67% threshold for voluntary easements before eminent domain can be used. This balanced approach was reached through collaboration among Farm Bureau members with differing views on the pipeline. Farm Bureau looks forward to finding solutions that support value-added opportunities and that respect individual landowners.”
About the South Dakota Corn Growers Association (SDCGA)
South Dakota corn producers formed the SDCGA membership organization in 1986 to serve as a collective voice on issues at the state and national levels. The state is divided into nine districts for representation, and SDCGA board members are elected by fellow South Dakota corn producers from their respective districts. SDCGA meets annually to pass resolutions and hold board elections.
About the South Dakota Farm Bureau (SDFB)
South Dakota Farm Bureau is a grassroots membership organization established in 1917 when the first county Farm Bureaus banded together to create the state organization. Today, SDFB represents more than 13,000 farm, ranch, and rural families across South Dakota.