The Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) was formed in 1998. It consists of four
U.S. Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency in ...
Ranger District offices that manage four National Grasslands:
* North Dakota
**
Cedar River National Grassland
Cedar River National Grassland is a National Grassland located in Sioux County and Grant County in southern North Dakota, United States. It has a land area of . The portion in Sioux County lies within the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. Withi ...
**
Little Missouri National Grassland
**
Sheyenne National Grassland
Sheyenne National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern North Dakota in the United States, comprising of public land amid of privately owned land in a region of sandy soils in the vicinity of the Sheyenne River in Ransom and ...
* South Dakota
**
Grand River National Grassland
Grand River National Grassland is a National Grassland in northwestern South Dakota, United States. It is named for the Grand River. The North and South forks of the rivers meet in the grassland. It has a land area of . In descending order of a ...
History
All of these ranger districts were formerly part of the
Custer National Forest
Custer National Forest is located primarily in the south central part of the U.S. state of Montana but also has separate sections in northwestern South Dakota. With a total area of , the forest comprises over 10 separate sections. While in the wes ...
based in
Billings, Montana
Billings is the largest city in the U.S. state of Montana, with a population of 117,116 as of the 2020 census. Located in the south-central portion of the state, it is the seat of Yellowstone County and the principal city of the Billings Metrop ...
. The Chief of the Forest Service created the DPG as a separate unit to help focus and better manage the issues and resources of the National Grasslands.
The four National Grasslands now have a total area of .
Table 6 - NFS Acreage by State, Congressional District and County
- United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The Forest Service manages of land. Major divisions of the agency inc ...
- September 30, 2007
Administration
The Supervisor's office is located in Bismarck, North Dakota
Bismarck () is the capital of the U.S. state of North Dakota and the county seat of Burleigh County. It is the state's second-most populous city, after Fargo. The city's population was 73,622 in the 2020 census, while its metropolitan popula ...
. The Little Missouri National Grassland is administered from offices in Dickinson and Watford City
Watford City (Hidatsa: abaʔaruʔush), founded in 1914, is a city in and the county seat of McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States. The population was 6,207 at the 2020 census, making it the thirteenth largest city in North Dakota. Becaus ...
. The Sheyenne National Grassland is administered from the office in Lisbon
Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Grande Lisboa, Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administr ...
. The Grand River and Cedar River National Grasslands are administered from the office located in Lemmon, South Dakota
Lemmon is a town in Perkins County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2020 census.
Lemmon is named after George Ed Lemmon, a cattleman, who founded the town in 1906.
The City of Lemmon received the South Dakota Commu ...
.
See also
*Shortgrass prairie
The shortgrass prairie is an ecosystem located in the Great Plains of North America. The two most dominant grasses in the shortgrass prairie are blue grama (''Bouteloua gracilis'') and buffalograss (''Bouteloua dactyloides''), the two less domina ...
* Tallgrass prairie
References
External links
Dakota Prairie Grasslands
- U.S. Forest Service
List of plant species
on the Grand and Cedar River National Grasslands.
List of bird species
on the Grand and Cedar River National Grasslands.
National Grasslands of the United States
Grasslands of the North American Great Plains
Protected areas of North Dakota
Protected areas of South Dakota
2000 establishments in the United States
Grasslands of North Dakota
Grasslands of South Dakota
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