Buffalo Gap National Grassland is a
National Grassland located primarily in southwestern
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state, state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Dakota people, Dakota Sioux ...
, United States. It is also the second largest National Grassland, after
Little Missouri National Grassland in North Dakota. Characteristics of the grasslands include mixed
prairie
Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...
and chalky
badlands. The grassland is managed by the
U.S. Forest Service and is a division of
Nebraska National Forest. In descending order of land area it is located in parts of
Fall River,
Pennington,
Jackson, and
Custer counties.
Buffalo Gap National Grassland is managed by the Forest Service together with the
Nebraska
Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
and
Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests and the
Fort Pierre and
Oglala National Grasslands from common offices in
Chadron, Nebraska. There are local ranger district offices located in
Hot Springs
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow ...
and
Wall. It also surrounds
Badlands National Park and
Minuteman Missile National Historic Site.
In what is known as the Conata Basin region of the grassland, the most successful
Black-footed ferret reintroduction program undertaken by the
federal government
A federation (also called a federal state) is an entity characterized by a political union, union of partially federated state, self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a #Federal governments, federal government (federalism) ...
, has established a small but sustainable population of these previously extirpated mammals.
In 2010, South Dakota Senator
Tim Johnson introduced the Tony Dean Cheyenne River Valley Conservation Act of 2010, a bill that would designate over of the National Grassland as protected wilderness. The act would allow the continuation of grazing and hunting on the land and would create the first national grassland wilderness in the country.
In Jan. 2013,
Charmaine White Face raised concerns about
radiation exposure of
South Dakota Army National Guard soldiers in the Buffalo Gap National Grassland.
National Grasslands Visitor Center
The National Grasslands Visitor Center in
Wall, South Dakota is part of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland – Wall Ranger District. The center features exhibits about grassland wildlife and plants, grazing management and the history of the
Great Plains
The Great Plains is a broad expanse of plain, flatland in North America. The region stretches east of the Rocky Mountains, much of it covered in prairie, steppe, and grassland. They are the western part of the Interior Plains, which include th ...
. There is also a theater with a video about the grasslands, restrooms and a gift shop.
References
External links
*
Buffalo Gap National Grassland– Nebraska National Forests and Grasslands
National Grasslands Visitor Center
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Grasslands of the North American Great Plains
National grasslands of the United States
Protected areas of Fall River County, South Dakota
Protected areas of Pennington County, South Dakota
Protected areas of Jackson County, South Dakota
Protected areas of Custer County, South Dakota
Grasslands of South Dakota
Protected areas established in 1960
1960 establishments in South Dakota