South Dakota Supreme Court

Morse v. State

July 9, 20262026 S.D. 45

Summary

The Court affirmed summary judgment for the State because the plaintiffs did not establish that the State’s mining, reclamation, or retention of mineral rights constituted a taking or damaging of private property for public use. The State’s mining activities occurred while it owned the property, and its retained mining rights did not satisfy South Dakota’s public-use requirement. The Court therefore did not reach strict liability, causation, standing, or timeliness.