Senate Bill 66  - This bill reduces taxes on land planted in vegetated riparian buffer strips along waterways. It reduces the property taxes paid on 50′ to 120′ wide buffer strips by 40% . This is a voluntary action by the landowner and is not a mandatory action. We support this bill as it removes the tax disincentive for maintaining buffer strips along waterways and lakes in South Dakota.This bill has passed both houses and we expect the Governor to sign the bill into law. Although this bill covers over 11,000 miles of rivers and streams, it does not cover all streams and lakes that may be very important to local communities. Hopefully, future legislative sessions will find ways to address these specific water bodies..