April 30, 2025:
The United States government announced Tuesday (April 29, 2025) that criminal charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude had been dropped.
In March 2024 (March 29, 2024), the Maudes were notified that the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service had received a complaint claiming a fence between their property and the adjacent Buffalo Gap National Grasslands blocked access to the Grasslands. The Maudes and the Forest Service agreed to a survey of the property lines, after which the Maudes say they were not given a copy of the survey results. Then, in June 2024 (June 20, 2024), a federal grand jury indicted the couple alleging they had knowingly stolen the land for their personal use.
During a news conference Wednesday (April 30, 2025) in Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins gave a very brief summary of what the Maude family has gone through.
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Heather Maude said both her family and Charles’ family have diligently cared for land in South Dakota for over a century.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden, who is also a West River rancher, said the resolution of the Maude family situation is a reminder to the federal government to stay out of places it doesn’t belong.
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and former South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem said she’s been working to find a solution for the Maude family since the situation began.
South Dakota U.S. Senator and former Governor Mike Rounds said he wants to find out how the situation escalated to where it did.
South Dakota U.S. Senator and Republican Majority Leader John Thune issued the following in response to the charges against Charles and Heather Maude being dropped. “I’m glad this case has been resolved and the Maude family can finally put this behind them. I appreciate Secretary Rollins’ leadership, and I welcome her work to review the land dispute process to ensure situations like this can be avoided moving forward.”
The Maude family ranch is located approximately 20 miles southeast of Rapid City, near Caputa in Pennington County.
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***The audio from the entire news conference is below.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins speaking with Maude family and their attorney in the background.
April 30, 2025.
Heather Maude speaking.
April 30, 2025.
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden speaking with Maude family and their attorney in the background.
April 30, 2025.
April 29, 2025:
The United States government has dropped criminal charges against a western South Dakota ranch couple caught up in a dispute with the U.S. Forest Service.
The Charles and Heather Maude family are the current operators of land approximately 20 miles southeast of Rapid City, near Caputa in Pennington County, that’s been in the Maude family since the early 1900’s. In March 2024 (March 29, 2024), the Maudes were notified that the U.S. Department of Agriculture had received a complaint claiming a fence between their property and the adjacent Buffalo Gap National Grasslands blocked access to the Grasslands.
The Maudes and the Forest Service agreed to a survey of the property lines, after which the Maudes say they were not provided with a copy of the survey results. In June 2024 (June 20, 2024), a federal grand jury issued an indictment against the Maudes alleging that the couple “did knowingly steal, purloin, and convert to their own use National Grasslands managed by the United States Department of Agriculture, approximately 50 acres.” The Maudes were charged separately and each faced penalties of up to 10 years in federal prison and fines up to $250,000.
In July 2024, South Dakota U.S. Senator Mike Rounds wrote to then-U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack saying the Maude family has held permit agreements with the Forest Service for nearly 60 years. He said the USFS “has repeatedly acknowledged the fence placement every single time the lease was renewed.”
South Dakota Governor Larry Rhoden says he’s been working closely behind the scenes with U.S. Secretary of Ag Brooke Rollins “to achieve this result and deliver fairness for the Maude family.” The Maudes, Rhoden and Rollins will hold a joint news conference Wednesday (April 30, 2025) in Washington, D.C., to provide their perspective about the situation.
Reactions to the announcement:
South Dakota Cattlemen’s Association President Warren Symens is glad to see the charges dropped. He said, “The SDCA will continue working to preserve good relations between landowners and government agencies. This situation is an important reminder of why industry organizations exist – working together to be a voice for ranchers and defend their interests.”
The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and the Public Lands Council are also happy to see the charges dropped. They said, “This announcement is a fitting culmination to the last year of work NCBA and PLC have done in Washington to find a reasonable end to this unnecessary situation. The support of grassroots cattle industry leaders from around the country was also crucial to achieving this victory.”
R-CALF USA commends the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Justice for dropping all criminal charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude. R-CALF USA Property Rights Chair Shad Sullivan said, “The charges raised grave concerns about property rights, government accountability, and the weaponization of federal authority. With the help of Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., a win came to the American people and American agriculture in the pursuit of liberty!”
R-CALF USA CEO Bill Bullard said, “We’re pleased the Trump administration saw this for what it was – an unreasonable and unnecessary enforcement action against upstanding ranchers. We hope the Maudes are able to recover from this costly and demeaning episode and that their perseverance marks a turning point after which our government becomes more respectful and responsive to the rights of U.S. ranchers everywhere.”
April 7, 2025:
R-CALF USA has called (April 4, 2025) on Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins to immediately dismiss criminal charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude.
The Maudes, ranchers from Caputa, South Dakota, were indicted in June 2024 on charges of theft of government property. They are accused of unlawfully modifying a U.S. Forest Service (USFS) grazing allotment consisting of 25 acres. Their family has responsibly managed this allotment for more than a century without violation. Indicted separately, each faces up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 if convicted. Their trial is set for April 29, 2025.
Following the indictments, R-CALF USA initially urged the Biden administration’s Agriculture Department, USFS and Justice Department on Aug. 12, 2024, to drop all charges and pursue a common-sense resolution. With no government response, a new administration in office and a trial date approaching, R-CALF USA is renewing its call for the immediate dismissal of the charges.
In a letter sent on April 1, the organization argues that the disputed boundary issue stems from an imperfect survey conducted over a century ago, not intentional theft. It states that the Maudes had cooperated with USFS’s efforts to resolve the matter but, instead of communication, they faced individual indictments and unexpected visits from armed agents. The letter also criticizes the USFS’s handling of the case, citing a lack of transparency, disregard for historical survey imperfections and heavy-handed enforcement.
The letter concluded by calling on the USDA, the USFS and the DOJ to engage in direct, transparent communication with the Maudes to reach a fair and common-sense resolution.
“The Maude family are long-standing community members dedicated to land stewardship and food production,” said R-CALF USA Property Rights Committee Chair Shad Sullivan. “It is imperative that federal agencies act with fairness and avoid government overreach. We call on the USDA, USFS and DOJ to drop all charges immediately and work toward a reasonable solution.”
AUGUST 14, 2024:
Following the indictments of South Dakota cattle ranchers Charles and Heather Maude, R-CALF USA has urged the Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Justice to immediately drop all charges against the couple, encouraging a common-sense solution.
In June 2024, the Maude’s of Caputa, South Dakota, were individually indicted on charges of theft of government property. The couple are accused of stealing and modifying a USFS Grazing Allotment of about 25 acres, owned and managed by the Maude family, free of infraction or rule violation, for over 100 years. Having been charged separately, the couple must retain two attorneys and are each facing up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000.
“The abuse of power exerted by the USFS in their sealed indictments for theft of government property against Charles and Heather Maude, is not only erroneous but retaliatory in nature. These actions must be reined in immediately,” said R-CALF USA Property Rights Chair Shad Sullivan.
In a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, R-CALF USA outlined the events and concerns with the USFS actions including a “lack of common-sense knowledge by USFS regarding the fact that dated and primitive survey boundaries are often imperfect,” the lack of communication by USFS employees, and the incredibly nefarious manner in which each indictment was received.
The letter concludes, “The Maude family are generational community members and upstanding citizens focused on land stewardship and food production. We encourage the USDA, USFS and the DOJ to effectively communicate with the Maude family to find a common-sense solution to what has become a nation-wide issue. We urge your agencies to restrain from overreach and from exercising abusive power in their duties.”
AUGUST 8, 2024:
Leaders of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association and Public Lands Council are speaking out against action taken by federal authorities that has resulted in charges being brought against family ranchers in western South Dakota.
Charles and Heather Maude operate a diversified ranch, raising cattle, hogs and crops. In June (June 20, 2024), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota indicted the Maudes on charges of theft of government property related to a piece of U.S. Forest Service land surrounded by land owned by the Maudes for five generations.
NCBA President and Wyoming rancher Mark Eisele says the Maudes have spent their lives protecting natural resources, investing in their land and raising their children. He says the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Attorney’s Office have “maliciously targeted and prosecuted these family ranchers, and it’s clear that if this can happen in South Dakota, government overreach can happen anywhere.”
PLC Executive Director Kaitlynn Glover says as partners with federal agencies, public lands ranchers rely on open, transparent communication with the government. In this case, she says the U.S. Forest Service threatened “their family, their ranch, and their land.” She says this kind of behavior by law enforcement “should never have been allowed to result in criminal charges.”
The NCBA and PLC say the Forest Service law enforcement officer who targeted the Maudes and the U.S. Attorney’s Office have both acted far beyond their authority in pursuing the Maudes.
“The Maude family are public lands permittees in good standing, and they have always been the first to step forward as constructive partners in federal land management,” said PLC President Mark Roeber, a public lands grazing permittee. “This case is a prime example of what can happen when federal agencies view ranchers as enemies, rather than partners. I urge the U.S. Forest Service to rethink their plan to slap handcuffs on these hardworking ranchers and instead pursue an alternative resolution to this issue.”
“The Forest Service’s actions in this case—especially the deference they’ve given to a heavy-handed special agent with a long history of abusing permittees—is absolutely unconscionable,” said NCBA Vice President of Government Affairs Ethan Lane. “NCBA is actively engaged with Congress to address this situation and find an outcome that protects this family. The Forest Service has a long, shameful history of creating confrontation with ranchers in South Dakota, and their escalation to imprisonment over a century-old fence line has shaken the confidence of permittees nationwide. Secretary Vilsack and the White House must engage now to get control of the Forest Service and the Department of Justice.”
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