State parks are for all to enjoy regardless of physical ability. In the recent Game, Fish, and Parks commission meeting, an outgoing regional supervisor provided an update on a program aimed at improving access to parks.
‘Operation Mobility’ is a program partnership with GFP and South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation. The program provides tracked powerchairs for people with various disabilities.
The powerchair allows for further exploration of nature while removing some limitations for individuals.
Emmett Keyser is the Regional Supervisor for South Dakota Game, Fish, and Parks. The commission meeting served as his final day in his position after 30 years of service.
He said track chairs are important for induvial with disabilities to experience the outdoors in a more impactful way.
“So we also want to retain folks who, you know, as you age you just naturally have knee issues, hip issues, and sometimes they are temporary, but sometimes they are more debilitating. So the whole idea with Operation Mobility is that we are going to do everything we can to get folks outdoors,” said Keyser.
The first track chair was gifted to GFP and was stationed at the outdoor campus in Rapid City.
Keyser said the tracked chair was so efficient that the state now wants to acquire more.
“Put some additional chairs out in the state that can be used by others with the same types of mobility challenges. To again, open up those doors, to get them outdoors and doing things they done maybe their entire life,” said Keyser.
Keyser said on average, a tracked chair and trailer to haul it costs around $30,000. With the program at its beginning stages, Keyser said even upon retirement he plans to continue to be involved.
South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation has a fundraising goal to provide up to 30 all-terrain track chairs and trailers to distribute throughout the state’s parks.
The chairs can be reserved and used free of charge at participating parks.
