Rally for Rangers connects motorcycle enthusiasts passionate about discovering and protecting the world’s special places with park rangers dedicated to preserving natural and cultural heritage. With the support of a $10,000 grant from the Overland Expo Foundation RfR hosted an adventure motorcycle rally based in Custer, SD, to support indigenous conservation efforts of the Northern Cheyenne and Oglala-Sioux tribal parks as well as the Black Hills National Forest Motorized Trails Program.
In addition to the grant provided by the OXF, participants were able to raise more than $20,000 to purchase and donate a new motorcycle, night vision optics, tactical binoculars, and sturdy flashlights. Participants also spent a half-day volunteering for the USDA National Forest Service to install new fencing which blocks access to illegal riding areas, and conducted a clean up of the same area removing tires, trash, shooting range brass, and more.
Oglala-Sioux Parks has four rangers to cover the entire Pine Ridge Reservation’s conserved lands including portions of Badlands National Park and Buffalo National Grasslands. This year’s donation combined with last year means each of the rangers now has their own night vision helmet and scope for dangerous night time patrols in rugged and remote terrain.
"You have no idea the improvement in safety you’ve given us on night patrols."
Park Rangers are constantly combating theft of fossils and precious stones along with poaching of deer, bighorn sheep, elk, bison, and pronghorn, tactical night vision and binoculars allow them to be more effective while also protecting themselves from the dangers of their work.
Northern Cheyenne Fish & Game is a new division in the tribal government and is just getting started in their efforts to combat poaching on the reservation. They have just two conservation officers to cover 444,000 acres. By providing the rangers with a dual sport motorcycle they will be able to reach areas of the reservation where pick up trucks and even side-by-sides have trouble reaching.
Positive Impact
The Rally for Rangers volunteer project erected new fencing alongside Black Hills National Forest motorized trails staff to delineate legal UTV areas and protect access for overland travel on the national forest. These fences will help ensure proper use of designated trails which will result in continued access to these important trails for adventure and overland travel. They also did a clean-up project to help ensure overland travelers experienced a proper natural environment and may also be inspired to keep overland routes clean.
Rally for Rangers’ travel to tribal areas and donation of gear to tribal rangers helps protect critical species like bison, elk, pronghorn, deer and more for the benefit and enjoyment of overland travelers in the greater Black Hills region.
Because of trust built with the Oglala-Sioux tribal park rangers Rally for Rangers has been invited to ride their motorcycles through the patrol area in the Badlands which is otherwise closed to non-tribal members. They were the first such group granted access to ride this incredible terrain to see first-hand the challenges of patrolling and protecting marquee resources. This challenging day of riding – with crashes, breakdowns, excessive heat, and exhilarating terrain – the Badlands moonscape will be THE highlight of the trip for everyone. Pine Ridge Reservation is remote and rugged and hunting access is offered to both tribal and nontribal members, so nontribal overlanders can get permits to hunt the grasslands and badlands for a variety of species. Rally for Ranger’s support of park rangers ensures this access will continue for years to come as well as protecting the wildlife and other resources in the Badlands.
Get Involved
If you’re interested in supporting or riding with rally for rangers learn more at www.rallyforrangers.org and give them a follow on Instagram and Facebook.
*All photos courtesy of Eric Daft – Free Range Film