Black Hills National Forest
Open space is at the mercy of development and tax policy in the Black Hills
We’re all lucky to live in the Black Hills for its outdoor beauty. Those who enjoy driving through the Hills may not realize that in many cases the idyllic meadows, timber stands, and meandering streams on either side of the road are private land, very often designated as agricultural. Tree farms, or family owned and […]
Federal agencies seek to protect Pactola Reservoir and Rapid Creek from mining
Two federal agencies have announced a proposal to protect 32 square miles of the Black Hills National Forest from mining. The Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service made the announcement in a Friday news release. The proposal covers the Pactola Reservoir and Rapid Creek Watershed, which are popular recreation destinations that also serve […]
Black Hills National Forest adds 239 acres through deal with elk group and landowners
The Black Hills National Forest is growing by about one-third of a square mile. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation acquired 239 acres of land from two landowners for a total of $1.1 million and conveyed it to the national forest. The land is high in the remote western area of the forest in South Dakota, […]
In search of a Christmas tree, we found a tradition
My wife and I didn’t realize how much we didn’t know about trees until we moved next door to the Black Hills National Forest eight years ago. That was natural for a pair of small-town, eastern South Dakota flatlanders. I grew up in Kimball and my wife grew up in Armour. Single acres of Black […]
Forest Service fixing decades-old blunder in Black Hills
When foresters replanted trees decades ago after a devastating wildfire in the Black Hills, they made a mistake. They planted a species of ponderosa pine that was not native to the area. Today, the U.S. Forest Service knows better, but effects linger from the agency’s earlier actions. Thousands of acres in the Black Hills National […]
South Dakota, Wyoming governors call for re-do of Black Hills forest data
Gov. Kristi Noem has joined her counterpart in Wyoming to ask the U.S. Forest Service to redo forest condition reports that the governors call inadequate, as part of a long-running feud over current and future logging levels in the Black Hills. Noem and Wyoming Gov. Mark Gordon made the request in a letter to Forest […]
Review spurs updates to Black Hills sustainable harvest report
An independent review of a federal document that helps guide timber sales in the Black Hills National Forest has led to a refinement of the statistics on forest inventory loss. One of that 2020 document’s main conclusions, however – that a reduction in logging is likely necessary to sustain the long-term health of the forest […]
White House signs $50 million deal to conserve Western forests, grasslands
The White House announced Friday that the U.S. Forest Service and the National Wild Turkey Federation have signed a 20-year agreement to address Western wildfires and promote healthy forests and grasslands across the U.S. Grassland makes up approximately 50% of all private and public lands in South Dakota, and the state is home to multiple […]
Black Hills timber sales fall 20 percent
RAPID CITY — Timber sales in the Black Hills National Forest have declined sharply, prompting praise and condemnation. The national forest’s advisory board met recently in Rapid City, where Forest Supervisor Jeff Tomac shared figures from the 2022 fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Timber sales in the forest totaled 112,874 CCF, Tomac said – […]