Grazing Rights End

During the early years, the park and preserve issued grazing permits. In 1939, the practice was discontinued "to prevent erosion and in order that the range may regain its normal condition."

Seeding the range with native grasses to rehabilitate the land became a common practice in the 1940’s and 50’s. Native prairie plants were better adapted to this environment and could withstand the pressures from grazing.

Park Boundaries Expand

During the depression in the 1930’s, marginal lands were purchased by the federal government to help farmers move to better areas and to attempt to rehabilitate lands that had been subjected to drought and erosion. The idea was that, eventually, these places would be used as parks and recreation areas.

The lands adjoining Wind Cave National Park were called the Custer Recreational Demonstration Area. In 1946, Wind Cave National Park acquired a large section of this land increasing the size of the park to 28,059 acres.