Kevin Woster, Journal staff

UNION CENTER - Gov. Mike Rounds said Saturday that the endangered black-footed ferret is an inefficient predator that needs vast colonies of prairie dogs in order to survive - a troublesome, court-ordered reality that hurts West River ranchers.

During an agricultural summit at the community hall here, Rounds responded to criticism of the state's prairie-dog management plan. He agreed that the plan has shortcomings but said legal action from environmental groups and federal court rulings limit state options in prairie dog management.

"We're stuck with it," Rounds said. "Am I proud of the prairie dog plan? Absolutely not. Do I wish we could do more? Yes."

Rounds said black-footed ferret reintroduction efforts are especially troublesome because they create great expanses of prairie dog towns on federal land. And those towns - sometimes covering thousands of acres - and the prairie dogs they produce can hurt adjoining ranchers.

Rounds called the ferret "such a poor predator you've got to have a heck of a lot of prairie dogs out there so they are able to catch one."

Rounds talked about prairie dogs, the state brand board, animal identification and other issues during the summit, which attracted about 250 people. State Rep. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, helped organize the summit to give agriculture groups and individual ranchers a chance to question Rounds and agriculture officials.

Rhoden said some ranchers had been suspicious that Rounds was taking over control of the brand board so he could use it to impose a mandatory livestock identification system.

"I told the governor and (state Agriculture Secretary) Bill Even that they should come out and put that to rest," Rhoden said. "And I think they provided a lot of confidence on that issue."

Rounds said he has no plans to push for mandatory livestock identification system. But he does support use of a more limited ID system when needed to fight disease outbreaks and on a voluntary basis as a marketing tool for such things as South Dakota-produced beef. Used in that way, it could be an advantage for South Dakota producers, he said.

Bruce Knight, undersecretary of the U.S. Agriculture Department, also spoke at the meeting. Rhoden said Knight made it clear to ranchers that the federal agency was not pushing for a mandatory animal ID system.

Rhoden complimented the governor, state agriculture officials and Knight for responding to ranchers' concerns by attending the meeting, knowing they would face tough questions.

"I really think it turned out well," he said.

Contact Kevin Woster at 394-8413 or kevin.woster@rapidcityjournal.com.