[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 129 (Wednesday, September 9, 2015)]
[Senate]
[Page S6527]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           CUSTER STATE PARK BUFFALO ROUNDUP 50TH ANNIVERSARY

 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I wish to recognize the Custer State 
Park Buffalo Roundup. The Buffalo Roundup will be celebrating its 50th 
anniversary on September 25, 2015. The exciting and historical event is 
accompanied by an arts festival, a buffalo wallow chili cook-off, 
concerts, and more.
  Taking place in the beautiful Custer State Park, located in the Black 
Hills, the Buffalo Roundup is a spectacular event. Each year, thousands 
of visitors watch as a herd of approximately 1,300 bison is driven into 
corrals by cowboys on horses, all-terrain vehicles, and pickup trucks. 
Following the roundup, the bison are sorted for sale and medical 
evaluations.
  Millions of bison roamed the Great Plains hundreds of years ago, but 
in the 1800s the bison population dwindled to less than 1,000. Custer 
State Park purchased 36 bison in 1914 as part of an effort to conserve 
the bison population, and the herd was often gathered for culling and 
inspection. It was not until 1965 that the roundup became an annual 
event.
  The Buffalo Roundup is integral to maintaining a healthy bison herd 
in Custer State Park. At its largest, the herd included 2,500 bison. 
Once the bison are in the corrals, they are vaccinated, branded, and 
sorted for sale. Several hundred bison are sold each year in order to 
prevent overgrazing and preserve the grasslands.
  I offer my congratulations to the Custer State Park Buffalo Roundup 
on its 50th anniversary and wish them prosperity in the years to 
come.

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