North and South Dakota

Thanks to the Fund’s dynamic partnerships, nearly 10,000 acres across the Dakotas—including lands significant to the historic journey of Lewis and Clark—are now permanently protected, shielding the region's natural resources and preserving its unique cultural heritage.

Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota

At the Fund, we work to protect America’s favorite places and in 2011 we protected more than 5,500 acres at Wind Cave National Park in South Dakota. Considered a sacred place by the Lakota, Wind Cave is one of the world's longest and most complex caves and is home to one of America’s most ecologically-significant bison herds. The park now features more than 30,000 acres of mixed-grass prairie and ponderosa pine forest that provides important habitat and an amazing outdoor experience for visitors. Learn more >>

Neu Wildlife Management Area

In 2004 the Fund brought together a diverse group of conservation partners to acquire and protect more than 950 acres at the confluence of the Missouri and Yellowstone rivers. Explored during the historic journey of Lewis and Clark, the Neu Wildlife Management Area supports one of the most important U.S. populations of paddlefish, named for the distinctive shape of their snouts. Project partners included the American Foundation for Wildlife, North Dakota Game and Fish Department, North Dakota Natural Resources Trust, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.