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• With the Big Sioux River winding its way through the park, Good Earth also contains beautiful native prairie, wooded river bottom land, and mixed oak forests.  Wildlife, including deer, red fox, and even the northern river otter, is abundant at Good Earth, and bird watchers can find bald eagles, migratory songbirds, and wild turkey.  Good Earth, complete with this new addition, ensures that our children can experience this wonderful place in the same way previous generations have experienced it. 
• Though I was a proud supporter of the creation of a park at Blood Run for decades, the project simply wouldn't have been possible without a great deal of teamwork.  Good Earth is a great example of what can be accomplished when we work together, and I congratulate the partners that made this land acquisition a reality.  Between federal funding from the Forest Service's Forest Legacy program, the generosity of the Conservation Fund, the commitment of the State of South Dakota, and the admirable private fundraising efforts of the South Dakota Parks and Wildlife Foundation and others, this park is a true success story.  
• These historical and natural treasures are within easy driving distance for folks living in the Sioux Falls area, or the many thousands of Americans that drive through South Dakota as tourists each summer.  So whether you live near the park or will just be passing through sometime soon, I encourage you to stop by Good Earth State Park at Blood Run.  Take a hike on the three miles of trails. At least for a couple hours, you may be able step back through time to see what the land looked like centuries ago.