Story perspectives

Ranchers Battle 'Green Glacier' with Controlled Burns

12/10/2025

Summary

Story summary

In 2016, Sara Grim and her husband conducted a prescribed burn on their Bonesteel, South Dakota ranch to control invasive Eastern red cedar overgrowth that disrupted cattle management.
The spread of Eastern red cedar, nicknamed the "green glacier," threatens native grasslands and reduces land available for livestock.
Grim described fearing the fire and noted it is often viewed negatively, a sentiment shaped by her family's three-generation farming of the land.

1 of 1

Story summary

In 2016, Sara Grim and her husband conducted a prescribed burn on their Bonesteel, South Dakota ranch to control invasive Eastern red cedar overgrowth that disrupted cattle management.
The spread of Eastern red cedar, nicknamed the "green glacier," threatens native grasslands and reduces land available for livestock.
Grim described fearing the fire and noted it is often viewed negatively, a sentiment shaped by her family's three-generation farming of the land.