Redente, Edward F. 1993. Restoration Management Plans for National Park Service Prairie Sites in Colorado, South Dakota, North Dakota, and Wyoming. Final Draft. Colorado State University.

Abstract

A site visit was made to Wind Cave National Park on June 15 and 16, 1992 to address issues associated with restoration activities on grassland sites within the Park. The specific issues that werw discussed during my visit included the restoration of the Boland Ridge Road that is severely eroded, the establishment of permanent plots to monitor the invasion of exotic species and determine use by native ungulates, the use of fire as a management tool for grassland sites, the status of vegetation mapping in the Park, and the potential for seed collection in the Park for future restoration projects.

The following report addresses the issues listed above and provides specific recommendations for each item. It is important to note that the implementation of the recommendations contained in this report will require a long-term commitment of resources. In addition, the evaluation of any restorative activity should be judged in light of existing abiotic and biotic conditions that exist at the time that management strategies are implemented. The success of any strategy will be controlled by weather conditions, soil factors, and animal interactions.