Help the Maude Family Preserve Their Legacy

A grand jury indicted Charles and Heather Maude Hog and Cattle of Caputa, South Dakota on June 24th, 2024 for the theft of government property. The indictment stated that "Charles Maude and Heather Maude did knowingly steal, purloin, and convert to their own use of National Grasslands managed by the United States Department of Agriculture.....approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for cultivation and approximately 25 acres of National Grasslands for grazing cattle."

This carries a fine of not more than $250,000 or imprisonment of not more than 10 years, or both, if found guilty.

The Maude family has owned the US Forest Service allotment in question since the Forest Service came into existence and has managed that same land since 1913. The family has never been advised it was violating any rules and to this day the family maintains its grazing agreement in good standing. When the US Forest Service presented concerns to Charles and Heather, the couple immediately sought resolution- presenting options including a special use permit to be put into place until a permanent solution was found, or a land trade. After just two meetings, the US Forest Service stopped discussing amicable resolution options and within a couple of weeks, Charles and Heather were indicted.

The fact that the two are indicted separately means they must each retain their own legal counsel-doubling their attorney fees.

The indictment hearing was on July 8th, 2024. Now, they wait to learn the evidence the US Forest Service used to indict them.

Charles and Heather rely on this land including the acres in question for their feed base and are facing a feed shortage. They have been unable to utilize it in that manner this growing season.

Heather's stories and photography have appeared on the pages of TSLN for many years. Her writing slowed down as her two children arrived and her direct sales meat business grew exponentially. She now contributes a bi-weekly column, Day writing.

Please consider donating to this hard-working family as they face the unknown. Please help them continue to farm, ranch, and grow their family in western South Dakota as they have for 5 generations.