Forest Service, Great Sioux Nation sign co-stewardship agreement for Black Elk Wilderness

The U.S. Forest Service and representatives of the Great Sioux Nation have signed a memorandum of understanding for co-stewardship of the Black Elk Wilderness in the Black Hills National Forest, according to a press release from the U.S. Forest Service. The agreement, signed March 19, outlines collaboration on wilderness management, including recreation, habitat improvement, wildlife benefit and invasive species mitigation.

The agreement provides for increased tribal consultation and guidance on resource protection, cultural interpretation and access to sacred sites, according to the statement. Tribal leaders said in the press release that the partnership supports cultural preservation and opportunities for future generations to engage with ancestral lands. Tribes represented include the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, Crow Creek Sioux Tribe, Lower Brule Sioux Tribe, Oglala Sioux Tribe, Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Spirit Lake Sioux Tribe, Standing Rock Sioux Tribe and others. The Black Elk Wilderness spans 13,534 acres and was designated by Congress in 1980, according to the statement.