WASHINGTON, D.C.(DRGNews)- The United States government announced Tuesday that criminal charges against South Dakota ranchers Charles and Heather Maude had been dropped.

In March 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, a federal grand jury indicted the couple alleging they had knowingly stolen the land for their personal use.

During a news conference Wednesday in Washington, D.C., U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins gave a very brief summary of what the Maude family has gone through.

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.