Several West River lawmakers say they'll be watching with interest Rep. Betty Olson's efforts to have the state's brand board elected by brand owners and producers rather than appointed by the governor.

The governor recently took the brand inspection program from the South Dakota Stockgrowers Association and put it under state control, said Rep. Tom Brunner, R-Nisland.

For Olson, Republican of Prairie City, the state's brand board - primarily a West River concern -- is a major issue.

Olson has the sole responsibility for representing the biggest chunk of South Dakota real estate in the state House.

She has a ranch background that reflects her half of District 28, which includes most of the northwest corner of South Dakota.

If she has her way, instead of being appointed by the governor, the brand board would be an elective post. A petition signed by 10 brand owners in one of seven districts would be required to run. So would being a brand owner and livestock producer. Only brand owners would be able to vote.

"Run it the way the FSA runs their elections," she said, referring to the federal Farm Service Agency. "The main deal is to get politics completely out of it and just have representation for the people who need a brand inspection."

That also would make the board more responsive to the West River ranching community, she said. Now, she said, the governor is the only constituency the brand board has to please, not the livestock producer.

"There is no brand inspection East River, so the whole East River would be just one district," she said. "There would be six districts west of the river where we do have brand inspection."

Olson said she hopes to get a "bullet proof" majority that could override a governor's veto.

State Sen. Larry Rhoden, R-Union Center, said that he was considering being the prime sponsor in the Senate for Olson's bill.

"I know the governor's not necessarily going to like it very much because he loses the authority to appoint it," Rhoden said.

On the other hand, he said, recent changes in the brand board have put the board under a state agency rather than the ranchers who want and pay for the service.

"I don't think it's out of line that the cattle producers who are in the program elect people from their ranks to represent them on that board," he said.

Olson's bill also would expand the rancher-elected board from five to seven. That, Rhoden said, would be positive.

Brunner said there could be some interesting activity surrounding the proposal.

"The Stockgrowers hired a heavy hitter for a lobbyist, Jeremiah Murphy. Maybe they've got something planned," Brunner said.

Also this session, Olson is looking again at some issues involving the Game, Fish & Parks Department.

One is a mountain lion bill that would allow someone legally shooting a mountain lion as a clear danger to people or domestic animals to keep the pelt.

Another would force the GF&P to get legislative approval if they purchase more than a 20-acre parcel of land.

Finally, she plans a proposal to give counties $1 from each big game hunting license. The cash would go into the county road and bridge funds.

She said it appears that in Perkins County, it took about $24,000 to repair roads damaged on one weekend by hunters. Harding County spent about $9,000 to re-grade "what hunters tore up in one weekend."

"Another thing I'm trying to do is take the animal damage control program away form Game and Fish and put it under the Department of Agriculture where it belongs," she said. Other states do just that, she said, since an ag department has more interest in protecting livestock resources than the GF&P.