Grand River National Grassland

Grand River National Grassland
Location	Perkins, Corson and Ziebach counties, South Dakota, United States
Coordinates	45°44′10″N 102°21′40″W / 45.736°N 102.361°W / 45.736; -102.361[1]
Area	154,783 acres (626.38 km2)[2]
Established	1960
Governing body	U.S. Forest Service
Website	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 154,783 acres (62,638 ha).^[2] In descending order of acreage it lies in parts of Perkins, Corson, and Ziebach counties. The portion in Corson County also lies within the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The portion in Ziebach County also lies within the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation.

In the early 1900s, the area was settled by European immigrants under the Homestead Act. In the 1930s a severe drought along with high winds turned the area into a “Dust Bowl.” During the Great Depression, many of the settlers experienced great financial hardships. Under the Agricultural Adjustment Act, the government purchased failed homesteads in order to minimize the economic hardships. These purchased lands were consolidated and rehabilitated and the administration was transferred to the Forest Service and formally designated the Grand River National Grassland in 1960.

The grassland is administered by the USDA-Forest Service as part of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands (DPG) from offices in Bismarck, North Dakota. There is a local Ranger District office (shared with Cedar River National Grassland) in Lemmon, South Dakota. The DPG is part of Region One of the Forest Service. The Regional Headquarters is in Missoula, MT.^[3]