South Dakota Agricultural Land Trust (SDALT) is adding a Project Manager to their team to coordinate and complete conservation easement projects in western South Dakota. Bill Eastman from Belle Fourche will join SDALT in January 2025.
Eastman comes to SDALT after 27 years of working with landowners as a Conservation Officer and Habitat Biologist for South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks. Eastman is well-known in Butte and Lawrence Counties for his conservation efforts and his ability to work with farmers and ranchers throughout western SD.
“We are excited to have Bill joining our team at SDALT” said SDALT President Lyle Perman. “We need the local presence, and the skill set that he has to help us deliver over $20 million in conservation easement project funding to ranchers in and around the Black Hills of South Dakota.”
The funding that SDALT has secured for these easements comes from the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Regional Conservation Partnership Program and their Agriculture Conservation Easement Program. Additional easement project partners include the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, and the National Wild Turkey Federation.
“I have seen first-hand how low-density residential development of rural areas has impacted land values and the ability of ranch families to retain their property as agricultural.” Eastman said. “I welcome the opportunity to help those landowners who are seeking assistance from SDALT with this challenging issue.”
SDALT was founded by the South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association, South Dakota Association of Conservation Districts, South Dakota Grassland Coalition, and South Dakota Farm Bureau Federation to work with landowners to conserve South Dakota’s agricultural heritage and working landscapes for the benefit of future generations.