The House Agriculture and Natural Resource Committee in Pierre wants mining and drilling companies to ask permission before entering private land. Representative Betty Olson of Harding County is the bills prime sponsor. Olson says the message of this bill is very simple.
"All it does is require mineral developers to give notice to surface owners before entering their land, so we don’t look out and see some truck driving around in our pasture and we have no idea who it is and what they’re there for," says Olson.
No legislator’s spoke against the bill in committee and it passed unanimously. It’s headed next to the state house floor.