South Dakota Gov. Noem Denied Request for July 4th Mount Rushmore Fireworks…Again
The National Park Service has again denied South Dakota Republican Gov. Kristi Noem’s request to host a fireworks show at Mount Rushmore on the Fourth of July.
The federal agency cited opposition from Native American tribes and the possibility of starting wildfires as the reason behind the rejection, Just the News reports.
A letter from the Interior Department, which oversees the park service, said a fireworks show would not be “safe and responsible.”
Noem held the event in 2020 when Trump was president, but was denied a permit in 2021 during the pandemic.
She filed a federal lawsuit against the Biden administration after she was denied a permit for the event last year, to no avail.
Noem said this week that she would take the issue to court yet again.
“Many of the reasons presented for their denial have been previously addressed, indicating that these reasons are not in good faith,” she said this week. “We will move forward with our litigation and urge the court to help us come to a speedy resolution.”