This is the forty-first diary in my Expanding the National Parks series. Prior diaries are linked at the bottom of the diary. Last time I was in South Carolina, today I’m in South Dakota. South Dakota has 6.2% of its territory federally owned, good for 23rd most in the country, slightly behind Arkansas and slightly ahead of Minnesota and Wisconsin. Currently, South Dakota has 2 national parks, 1 national monuments, 2 national forests, 9 wildlife refuges, and 7 historic sites and other NPS units. I will propose adding 4 additional monuments to South Dakota's tally
South Dakota
Total Area 77 116 sq miles
Land Area 75 811 sq miles
Water Area 1 305 sq miles
Coastline — 0 miles
Additional Monuments- 4
ADDITIONAL MONUMENTS -4
* Black Hills Proposed Area 1, 500, 000 acres ( In SD and WY)
Would set aside the entirety of the existing Black Hills National Forest, as well as surrounding lands such as Custer State Park , as a national monument. The Black Hills are sacred to the Sioux, and designating the areas as a monument, and giving the Sioux co-management of the monument, is the next best thing to returning the area to them. the monument would surround existing areas such as Mount Rushmore , Jewel Cave and Crazy Horse, and grant further protection to the area.
* Fossil Cycad Proposed Area 3000 acres
would re-establish a monument on the site of one of the nations largest collections of fossil cycads. the first monument- which existed from 1922-56 and covered 320 acres- was delisted because all the cycads had been stolen by visitors. It is almost certain that large amounts of cycads still lie underground in the area waiting to be excavated. a highway built in the area in the 1980s revealed large numbers of cycads. the larger acreage is to better protect the cycads this time around.
* Wounded Knee Proposed Area 1000 acres
Would conserve the site of the 1890 Wounded Knee Massacre, where as many as 300 Lakota were killed during the December 29, 1890 massacre by the US 7th Calvary, as a national monument. the site is currently managed as the Wounded Knee Battlefield, and deserves monument designation, to honor the memories of the victims.
* Bear Butte Proposed Area 10000 acres
gfp.sd.gov/…
a map of Bear Butte is shown above
Would incorporate the existing state park and preserve Bear Butte , also known as Noahavose in Cheyenne, in its entirety . The mountain is sacred to three different tribes, and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973 and was designated as an National Historic Landmark in 1982. The monument would be co-managed by the Cheyenne , Sioux and Arapaho tribes, to maintain the area for their cultural and religious ceremonies, as well as for general recreation.
EXISTING SITES
NATIONAL PARKS-2
* Badlands Established 1939 Covers 242 756 acres
Preserved the largest intact grass prairie left in the the US, and is divided into two section, the South section, covering 133 300 acres, is co-managed by the Oglala Lakota tribe, and the North section covers 109, 456 acres. 64000 acres, or a quarter of the park is wilderness. the area was first oked as a monument in 1929, but was not formally designated as a monument until 1939. Congress upgraded it to a park in 1978. Nearly 1 million people visited the park in 2016.
* Wind Cave Established 1903 Covers 33 847 acres
Created by Teddy Roosevelt in 1903, Wind Cave is the 7th oldest national park in the system, and was the first park to protect a cave anywhere in the world. Currently around 140 miles of the cave system is explorable, good for 6th longest in the world. Above ground, the park also protects the largest expanse of mixed-grass prairie left in the US. Over 600000 people visited the park in 2016
NATIONAL MONUMENTS-1
* Jewel Cave Established 1908 Covers 1273 acres
Established by President Roosevelt in 1908, Jewel Cave is currently the third longest cave system in the world, with nearly 182 miles having been mapped, only Sistema Sac Actun in Mexico (216 miles) and Mammoth Cave in Kentucky (405) are longer. Jewel Cave’s above ground acreage was heavily burned by a forest fore in 2000, 90% of the monument was affected. nearly 140000 people visited in 2016.
NATIONAL FORESTS-2
* Black Hills Established 1897 Covers 1, 253, 308 acres ( in SD and WY)
The larger of South Dakota’s forests, Black Hills covers most of the Black Hills mountain range, and stretches into Wyoming. A seventh of the forest, roughly 180000 acres, lies in Wyoming. In all, the forest contains 3 mountains ranges, the Black Hills and Elk Mountains in South Dakota and the Bear Lodge Mountains in Wyoming. The Black Hills are by far the largest of the 3. Over 13000 acres of forest is designated as the Black Elk wilderness.
* Custer Established 1908 Covers 1,188,130 acres (in MT and SD)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
A mountain goat passes in front of Granite Peak, part of the forest, in the above photo
The Second-smallest of Montana's 9 national forests(only Helena is smaller), Custer was originally established as Otter NF in 1907 then renamed to Custer in 1908.the forest increased in size through absorbing all or parts of other national forests until it reached its current size in the 1930s. the forest is split into 10 different sections- most of them in Montana, although some stretch into South Dakota.In all all but 70000 acres of the forest lies within Montana.Nearly 350000 acres of the forest in wilderness.
WILDLIFE REFUGES-10
* Bear Butte Established 1935 Covers 374 acres
Part of the Lacreek Refuge Complex, Bear Butte ( which does not contain of the Formation of the same name) is a easement refuge owned by the state, and lies within the borders of Bear Butte state park. most of the refuge is occupied by Bear Butte Lake, and borders Fort Meade.
* Huron WMD Established 1992 Covers 17 518 acres
located along the Missouri river, the district covers 8 counties and lies within the Prairie Pothole region. Whooping cranes, red-tailed hawks and great-horned owls are present, as well as pronghorn, beavers and badgers.
* Karl E Mundt Established 1974 Covers 1085 acres (in NE and SD)
Located mostly in South Dakota, the refuge, named after former South Dakota Senator Karl Mundt, who was a avid supporter of the Endangered Species Act, is home to the largest collection of bald eagles in the country outside of Alaska, with more than 200 birds seen each winter. to protect the birds and their habitat, the refuge is closed to the public.
* Lacreek Established 1935 Covers 16410 acres
Part of the Lacreek refuge complex (Along with Bear Butte WR and Lacreek Wetland Management district (WMD)), Lacreeek is home to nearly 30000 ducks and 37000 geese, as well as nearly 300 other species of birds. the refuge borders the Sandhills of Nebraska, and was developed by the Civilian Conservation Corp in the 1930s.
* Lake Andes Established 1936 Covers 5638 acres
Part of the Lakes Andes WR complex, alongside the 82000 acre Lake Andes WMD and Karl Mundt WR, Lake Andes is a spring-fed lake that dries up every 20 years or so. 4700 acres is part of an easement, the remaining 938 acres are owned by the feds
*Madison WMD Established 1962 Covers 129 700 acres
One of the larger WMDs in the state, Madison conserves a large portion of the prairie pothole region. around 40000 acres is owned by the feds, the rest are easements.
* Sand Lake Established 1935 Covers 21 498 acres
Created to protect habitat for migrating birds, Sand Lake was designated a Ramsar Wetland in 1998 and is one of two sites in the states designated as a Globally Important Bird area, with Fort Pierre Grassland being the other. 260 bird species , including the worlds largest nesting colony of Franklin’s gulls, call the refuge home. 750000 people visit the refuge every year.
* Sand Lake WMD Established 1961 Covers 595000 acres
the largest WMD in the country, with 700000 acres in conservation easements, Sand Lake conserves most of the Prairie pothole region in the state. Established in 1961, with 45000 acres of easements, the refuge has grown in size to its current size of 750000 acres, with 50000 acres being owned by the feds.
* Waubay Established 1935 Covers 4650 acres
Home to over 100 species of birds, as well as Pygmy shrews, coyotes and white-tail deer, the efuge is a combination of wetlands, tallgrass prairie, and bur oak forest.
* Waubay WMD Established 1935 Covers 40000 acres
Contains over 300 waterfowl production areas, including the first established in the state, McCarlson WPA, which was established in 1959. Located in the Coteau des Praries region, which extends into Minnesota, the districts covers parts of 6 counties in the northeastern part of the state.
HISTORIC SITES AND OTHER NPS UNITS-7
* Buffalo Gap NG Established 1960 Covers 595 715 acres
the second-largest of the states 4 grasslands, Buffalo Gap is split into two separate areas and is considered part of Nebraska NF and is managed along with Fort Pierre and Oglala Grasslands.
* Dakota Prairie NG Established 1998 Covers 1,265,217 acres (in ND and SD)
created in 1998 out of lands formerly in Custer National Forest, Dakota consists of three grasslands in North Dakota (Cedar River, Little Missouri and Sheyenne) and one in South Dakota(Grand River). the combined grasslands are managed from Bismarck, North Dakota
* Fort Pierre NG Established 1960 Covers 115 890 acres
The smallest grassland in the state, Fort Pierre is made up of short grass prairie and is spread over 3 counties- Jones, Lyman and Stanley. It is managed by the Forest Service alongside Oglala and Buffalo Gap Grasslands
* Grand River NG Established 1960 Covers 154 783 acres
Managed as part of the Dakota Prarie Grassland, Grand River covers portions of 3 counties, and two Indian reservations- Standing Rock and Cheyenne River. It is named after Grand River which is a tributary of the Missouri, and flows past parts of the grassland.
* Minuteman Missile NHS Established 1999 Covers 15 acres
Preserves sites connected to the Cold War, as well as the last Minuteman II Intercontinental Ballistic Missile system in the country. The site consists of a main office, a missile launch silo called Delta 9 or D -09, and a launch control Facility known as D-01. in 2013, Congress expanded the site by 29 acres and provided for a visitors center as well as additional parking. Nearly 60000 people visited the site in 2011
* Missouri WSR Established 1978 Covers 33800 acres (in NE and SD)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/...
a map of the Scenic River is shown above
Consists of portions of the Missouri River along the border of Nebraska and South Dakota, the Wild and Scenic River designation ensures that these sections of the river are un-dammed and can flow naturally. the first portion of the river was set aside in 1978, additional areas were set aside in 1991.Most of the area designated lies in South Dakota.
* Mount Rushmore National Memorial Established 1925 Covers 1278 acres
One of the most iconic locations in the US that is not designated as a national monument or park, Mount Rushmore depicts 4 of Americas greatest presidents- George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt. Originally the carvings were going to show each president from head to waist, and the order was going to be different ( Washington, Jefferson , Lincoln, Roosevelt). But budget constraints forced the project to end in 1941, the project took 14 years and cost just under $1 million dollars , today it would cost over $11 billion. Mount Rushmore was chosen as the national park quarter for South Dakota, it was the fifth and last quarter released in 2013. Nearly 2.2 million people visited the park in 2012.
This concludes my virtual visit to South Dakota. Next time I’m be in Tennessee , hiking the Appalachian Trail. As always, comments and feedback are welcome. See you in the comments!
Prior Diaries
1.Alabama www.dailykos.com/...
2 Alaska www.dailykos.com/...
3 Arizona www.dailykos.com/...
4 Arkansas www.dailykos.com/...
5 California www.dailykos.com/...
6 Colorado www.dailykos.com/...
7 Connecticut www.dailykos.com/...
8 Delaware www.dailykos.com/...
9 Florida www.dailykos.com/...
10 Georgia www.dailykos.com/...
11 Hawaii www.dailykos.com/...
12 Idaho www.dailykos.com/...
13 Illinois www.dailykos.com/...
14 Indiana www.dailykos.com/...
15 Iowa www.dailykos.com/...
16 Kansas www.dailykos.com/...
17 Kentucky www.dailykos.com/...
18 Louisiana www.dailykos.com/...
19 Maine www.dailykos.com/...
20 Maryland www.dailykos.com/...
21 Massachusetts www.dailykos.com/...
22 Michigan www.dailykos.com/...
23 Minnesota www.dailykos.com/...
24 Mississippi www.dailykos.com/...
25 Missouri www.dailykos.com/...
26 Montana www.dailykos.com/...
27 Nebraska www.dailykos.com/...
28 Nevada www.dailykos.com/...
29 New Hampshire www.dailykos.com/...
30 New Jersey www.dailykos.com/...
31 New Mexico www.dailykos.com/...
32 New York www.dailykos.com/...
33 North Carolina www.dailykos.com/...
34 North Dakota www.dailykos.com/...
35 Ohio www.dailykos.com/...
36 Oklahoma www.dailykos.com/...
37 Oregon www.dailykos.com/...
38 Pennsylvania www.dailykos.com/…
39 Rhode Island www.dailykos.com/…
40 South Carolina www.dailykos.com/...
