Sioux National Forest was a National Forest (NF) established by Executive Order 908 (President Theodore Roosevelt) on July 1, 1908. The order called for the consolidation of the following national forests and forest units into a single entity:
- Ekalaka National Forest, Carter County, Montana 45°49′30″N 104°27′35″W / 45.82500°N 104.45972°W / 45.82500; -104.45972 (Ekalaka Hills), 33,808 acres (136.82 km)
- Long Pine National Forest, Carter County, Montana 45°41′20″N 104°13′42″W / 45.68889°N 104.22833°W / 45.68889; -104.22833 (Long Pines), 111,445 acres (451.00 km)
- Cave Hills National Forest, Harding County, South Dakota, 23,360 acres (94.5 km)
- Short Pine National Forest, Harding County, South Dakota, (19,040 acres (77.1 km)
- East Short Pine Hills, Harding County, South Dakota 45°22′23″N 103°41′54″W / 45.37306°N 103.69833°W / 45.37306; -103.69833 (East Short Pine Hills)
- West Short Pine Hills, Harding County, South Dakota 45°23′01″N 103°53′25″W / 45.38361°N 103.89028°W / 45.38361; -103.89028 (West Short Pine Hills)
- Slim Buttes National Forest, Harding County, South Dakota 45°29′21″N 103°11′25″W / 45.48917°N 103.19028°W / 45.48917; -103.19028 (Slim Buttes), 58,160 acres (235.4 km)
In addition to these national forests and forest units, a parcel of land completely surrounding the Chalk Buttes mountain range in Carter County, Montana was also included:
- Chalk Buttes, Carter County, Montana 45°44′03″N 104°41′11″W / 45.73417°N 104.68639°W / 45.73417; -104.68639 (Chalk Buttes), 3,840 acres (15.5 km)
With these eight land units, the Sioux National Forest comprised 249,653 acres (1,010.31 km).
Upon its inception in 1908, Seth Bullock, the first sheriff of Deadwood, South Dakota, was appointed supervisor of Sioux NF by President Theodore Roosevelt. (In 1900, during the McKinley administration, then-Vice President Roosevelt had appointed Bullock supervisor of the Black Hills Forest Reserve, which later became Black Hills National Forest.]
On January 13, 1920, Sioux NF was absorbed by Custer National Forest. Although the name Sioux was discontinued as a national forest designation, Custer NF created the Sioux District, which comprised the eight land units of the Sioux NF.
In 2014, Custer National Forest merged with Gallatin National Forest to form Custer Gallatin NF. Within this new entity, Custer NF’s Sioux District was replaced by the Custer Gallatin NF Sioux Ranger District, which encompasses the Chalk Buttes, Ekalaka Hills, Long Pines, North Cave Hills, South Cave Hills, East Short Pine Hills, West Short Pine Hills, and Slim Buttes land units.
References
- ^ Forest History Society. Appendix I, Vol. II. Encyclopedia of American Forest and Conservation History, ed. Richard C. Davis, New York: Macmillan, 1983, pp. 743-88. “The National Forests of the United States” 29 September 2005. WebCite. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- "Ekalaka Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "Long Pines". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "North Cave Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "South Cave Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "East Short Pine Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "East Short Pine Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "West Short Pine Hills". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- "Slim Buttes". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ Sevling, L.W. “Quotes from the Custer Forest Files.” Early Days in the Forest Service. Vol. 3. United States Forest Service 15 October 2010. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
- "Chalk Buttes". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- Lundquist, Laura. “Custer and Gallatin Forests Finalize Merger.” Bozeman Chronicle 14 November 2014. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- "Sioux Ranger District". Custer Gallatin National Forest. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
- "Forest Visitor Maps". Custer Gallatin National Forest. Retrieved 16 December 2020.
Notes
- All values for acreage (km2) given on this page reflect the size of the various land units at the time of consolidation, July 1, 1908.
See also