THE ESTABLISHMENT AND RETERRITORIALIZATION OF PLANNING DISTRICTS IN SOUTH DAKOTA AS A RESPONSE TO ECONOMIC CHALLENGES

Rural areas in South Dakota have been experiencing population decline over the last forty years. This has reduced tax revenues of small town and cities, in turn reducing the abilities of local governments to provide services. The concurrent rise in federal monies and federal policies has caused many local communities to reterritorialize into planning districts that are quasi-government in nature. These planning districts bring together the resources and talents of local communities to obtain much needed federal monies through grants. This is an examination of this process and its effects within South Dakota.