Black Hills National Forest

US Forest Service
Black Hills National Forest
1019 N. 5th Street
Custer, SD 57730
605-673-9200

Telephone for the
Hearing Impaired
605-673-9227

In the News

What’s new in the Forest Service? To hear the latest news and get a weekly review of people, places, and activities taking place across the country...visit the FS Today at http://www.fs.fed.us/fstoday/.

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• November 18, 2009 - Bunkhouse at Hardy Guard Station The Northern Hills Ranger District is seeking to dispose of a structure located at the Hardy Guard Station Forest Service. This notice is to inform the public of the District’s intention to dispose of the historic bunkhouse and to solicit comment.

• November 12, 2009 - National Forest Christmas Tree Permits Available Cut your own fresh Christmas tree this year from the Black Hills National Forest. Beginning November 16, 2009, you can buy tree tags at most Black Hills Forest Service offices in western South Dakota and northeast Wyoming.

• November 10, 2009 - Boxelder Job Corps Center Helps Build Important Life Skills Situated in the Middle of the Hills by Nemo, SD, the Boxelder Job Corps Center has been serving and teaching young people important life skills through career technical and academic training.

• November 4, 2009 - Hell Canyon District Gears up for Prescribed Fire The Hell Canyon Ranger district is planning several prescribed burns in the southern hills area.

• November 2, 2009 - Piedmont Fire Trail Road Undergoing Construction The Piedmont Fire Trail road is undergoing construction and the Forest Service is asking the public to refrain from using the road until construction has ended.

• October 30, 2009 - Public Scoping for the Bearlodge 2010 Range Project The Bearlodge Ranger District has initiated planning to evaluate four livestock grazing allotments.

• October 29, 2009 - Forest Service Teaches Kids about Beavers and Nature The Black Hills National Forest recently took the Custer Elementary on a hike to learn about beavers.

• October 13, 2009 - Project Learning Tree Teaches Kids about Nature South Dakota Project Learning Tree (PLT) recently hosted a kindergarten day for Sturgis school.

• October 13, 2009 - Mountain Lions at Large and Watersheds in Trouble Mountain lions with satellite collars around their necks are behaving in very surprising ways, and our forests, the water towers of the West, are losing their ability to store and filter water.

• October 9, 2009 - Opportunity to Comment Rattlesnake Forest Management Project Bearlodge Ranger District is proposing timber harvest, prescribed burning, and other forest management actions in the 46,106-acre Rattlesnake Project Area.

• September 30, 2009 - Public Scoping Initiated for the Hell Canyon 2010 Range Project The Hell Canyon Ranger District has initiated planning to evaluate six livestock grazing allotments.

• September 26, 2009 - Black Hills National Forest Teams Up With Norbeck Society to Build Deerfield Trail Bridges The Black Hills National Forest recently teamed up with the Norbeck Society to construct bridges for the Deerfield hiking and cycling.

• September 23, 2009 - A Day in the Life of a Forest Service Wildland Fire Crew (When They're Not Fighting Fire) Firefighters fight fire, but what do they do when there is no fire.

• September 17, 2009 - Experience the Outdoors The Black Hills National Forest and its campground concessionaire, Forest Recreation Management, Inc. (FRM), held its fifth annual Experience the Outdoors (ETO) day at the Horsethief Lake campground on Wednesday, September 16, 2009.

• September 15, 2009 - Picnic Prescribed Burn Continues Near Nemo The Picnic/Cavern/Kine prescribed fuels reduction plan may be ignited tomorrow, September 16, weather dependent.

• September 14, 2009 - Tornado Firewood Available Bearlodge Ranger District has opened Commercial and “Free” Personal Use Firewood Cutting Area, within the tornado damage boundary.

• September 9, 2009 - Nemo Residents to See and Smell Smoke Nemo residents will see and smell smoke over the days ahead as the North Zone fire crews begin a prescribed burn.

• September 1, 2009 - Prescribed Burn Planned for September 2-4 The Black Hills National Forest is planning the first 2009 fall prescribed burn near Sundance, WY September 2-4.

• August 31, 2009 - 2009 Fall Prescribed Fire Season Begins As fall approaches Black Hills National Forest fire managers begin to look at weather and fuel conditions for prescribed burning.

• August 28, 2009 - Johnson Gulch Fire Update Firefighters continue mop-up operations on the Johnson Gulch Fire.

• August 28, 2009 - 5-acre Johnson Gulch Fire Reported Near Barretta Road A 5.5-acre fire called the Johnson Gulch Fire was reported at 7:10 a.m. Friday morning off Barretta Road, a mile southeast of Sheridan Lake on the Black Hills National Forest.

• August 25, 2009 - Bald Eagle Management Featured at Forest Moon Walk Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, September 5 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk at Deerfield Reservoir.

• August 20, 2009 - Norbeck Trails and Road Work Hell Canyon Ranger District will be conducting road and trail work in September that could affect recreation activities.

• August 11, 2009 - Advisory Board to Consider New Day in Norbeck “It’s a new day for the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve,” said Lynn Kolund, Hell Canyon District Ranger.

• August 8, 2009 - Limestone & Lightning Creek Roads to be Closed Intermittently for Public Safety The Custer Limestone Road, County Road 284, will be closed starting Wednesday August 12, 2009 from mile post 5.7 to 7.5 (Limestone Hill).

• July 29, 2009 - Two Fires Reported on Black Hills National Forest Two fires were reported yesterday on the Black Hills National Forest.

• July 29, 2009 - Meeker Ranch Homestead Featured at Forest Moon Walk Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, August 8 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk at Meeker Ranch homestead.

• July 27, 2009 - Dewey Conveyor Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement The Dewey Conveyor Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement is now available for public review and comment at: http://www.blm.gov/mt/st/en/fo/south_dakota_field.html

• July 21, 2009 - Black Hills Helicopter Crew Celebrates 50 Years of Service The 2009 crew is holding an open house to celebrate 50 years of service on the Black Hills National Forest this coming Saturday.

• July 15, 2009 - Forest Service Cautions Public in Tornado Hit Area: Please Do Not Cut Firewood Forest Service officials cautioned the public to be extra cautious traveling in the Cook Lake, WY, area, recently hit by a tornado, and to not cut firewood from the broken trees.

• July 9, 2009 - Foresters Plan to Reduce Wildfire and Pine Beetle Hazards near Custer Peak Black Hills National Forest officials announced today a plan to reduce the risk of wildfire and mountain pine beetles by treating nearly 63,000 acres near Custer Peak in the north central Black Hills.

• July 6, 2009 - North End Wildlife Habitat Enhancement and Fuels Reduction Project Bearlodge Ranger District is planning to improve forage conditions and habitat for wildlife and reduce hazardous fuels by conducting controlled burns in the 1,488 acre North End Project Area.

• July 1, 2009 - Tribal Youth work with Federal Agencies on Natural Resource Projects Several tribal youth are working with the Black Hills National Forest and National Park Service on a wide variety of natural resource projects this summer.

• June 29, 2009 - Caves Featured at Forest Moon Walk Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, July 11 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk examining caves and cave formations in the Black Hills.

• June 16, 2009 - Fire Report A small fire was spotted today at 12:20 p.m. south of Rapid City near Falling Rock and Buzzards Roost off of Hwy 44. The 0.5 acre fire was started by lightning.

• June 16, 2009 - Fifty Forest Protection Officers Complete Training Fifty employees from the U.S. Forest Service recently completed an intensive training to become forest protection officers (FPO).

• June 12, 2009 - Forest to Review Rangeland Practices The Forest Service has initiated planning to evaluate eight grazing allotments on the Black Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District.

• June 3, 2009 - Emergency Closure Order Officials of the Black Hills National Forest are closing about 327 acres near Piedmont and Stagebarn Canyon to cross country motorized travel.

• June 3, 2009 - Forest Service Trains Future Firefighters Despite several days of rain, the Black Hills National Forest is training future firefighters this week.

• June 1, 2009 - Flume Trail Featured at Forest Moonwalk Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, June 6 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk on the history of the Rockerville Flume.

• May 18, 2009 - Prescribed Burning Continues The Hell Canyon Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest is planning a prescribed burn, possibly starting Wednesday May 20th four miles North of Custer near the Needles.

• May 15, 2009 - Prescribed Burning Continues The Black Hills National Forest will continue a prescribed burn May 18 - May 22.

• May 12, 2009 - Forest Service to hold Travel Management Plan Public Meeting Forest Service officials will hold a public meeting on Friday, May 15, to familiarize the public with new draft plans for motorized travel management on the Black Hills National Forest.

• May 8, 2009 - Prescribed Burn Planned for May 11 – May 15 The Black Hills National Forest is planning a prescribed burn starting Monday, May 11 – May 15.

• May 5, 2009 - Forest Completes Pre-Fire Season Media Training 24 employees of the Black Hills National Forest completed two days of rigorous media training to prepare for the coming fire and recreation season.

• April 29, 2009 - Civilian Conservation Corps Featured at Forest Moon Walk Join the Black Hills National Forest on Saturday, May 9 at 7:00 p.m. for an educational walk at Bismarck Lake and the Bob Marshall Camp in the southern Black Hills.

• April 27, 2009 - Comment Deadline Extended for Draft Travel Management Plan DEIS The comment period for public comments on the Black Hills National Forest draft travel management plan has been extended two weeks to May 18.

• April 23, 2009 - Caution: Hiking Trails Can Have Unforeseen Dangers Hiking on trails in the Harney Peak area could present extra dangers this year officials warn.

• April 22, 2009 - Black Hills Fire Teams Preparing for Fire Season Firefighting leaders from across the Black Hills are meeting this week to make plans for the coming fire season.

• April 17, 2009 - Roads and Trails Receive Heavy Rain Off Road Riders Cautioned An inch of rain at Custer and like amounts across the Black Hills has left roads and trails soft and easily damaged, officials say.

• April 16, 2009 - Forest Service Partners with Custer State Park and Department Of Transportation to Save Turtles The Black Hills National Forest will team up with Custer State Park and the Department of Transportation in a conservation project to save turtles.

• April 10, 2009 - Black Hills National Forest Plans to Reduce Damage From Pine Beetles The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to help protect communities and natural resources by reducing the threat to our forests from the existing mountain pine beetle (MPB) epidemic and by reducing hazardous fuels that feed large wildfires.

• April 3, 2009 - Mystic District to Burn Slash Piles Weather permitting, the Black Hills National Forest is planning to light several large slash piles through the weekend. Smoke will be visible on Hwy 44 near Forest Rd.

• March 27, 2009 Moon Walk Schedule The Black Hills National Forest will offer five Moon Walks in 2009. Moon Walks will start at 7:00 pm beginning in May - with the final walk ending in September. For questions regarding the Moon Walks, contact Amy Ballard (605) 343-1567.

• March 23, 2009 - Black Hills National Forest Firefighters Honored for Saving a Life When Black Hills National Forest firefighter Jeremy Dalman and his crew saw an auto speed out of the parking area and go careening down the side of the mountain, their initial action was to report the incident.

• March 11, 2009 - Custer County Advisory Committee Looking for Project Ideas Have you got an idea of something you’d like to see happen on National Forest ground near you?

• March 11, 2009 - Resource Advisory Committee – Call for Committee Members The Custer County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) needs your help.

• March 9, 2009 - Sundance Public Meeting Cancelled Due to Snow Rescheduled to March 16. Other Meetings Scheduled this Week Still a Go. Forest Service to Release Draft Motorized Travel Plans

• February 27, 2009 - Wanted: Community Project Ideas If you have an idea for community improvement that would help keep air and water clean, protect forest health, or just about anything else, the Forest Service wants to hear from you by April 1.

• February 27, 2009 - Citizens Sought for Black Hills National Forest Pennington County Resource Advisory Committee The Forest Service is seeking citizens, locally elected officials or special interest group representatives as nominees for the Black Hills National Forest Pennington County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC). Application forms must be received at the Mystic Ranger District office in Rapid City by March 27, 2009.

• February 24, 2009 - Forest Service to Release Draft Motorized Travel Plans Forest Service officials will hold public meetings in March to familiarize the public with new draft plans for motorized travel management on the Black Hills National Forest.

• February 20, 2009 - Ice Fishing Removal at Deerfield Reservior The Black Hills National Forest will plow open the Deerfield Reservoir ice ramp access off Highway 17 to Lakeshore Picnic Area on Friday, February 27 to allow ice fishermen to remove their ice fishing houses by the March 5 deadline.

• February 20, 2009 - Plan Would Improve Forest Conditions The Forest Service is proposing to improve forest conditions in the Telegraph project area on the Northern Hills Ranger District.

• February 19, 2009 - Forest Service Gives Back to Seniors Thirty eight guests from the Custer Senior Center joined Forest Service employees for a lunch to remember at the Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office.

• February 13, 2009 - Forest Service Roads Closed Due to safety concerns, National Forest System Road (FSR) 214, locally known as Higgins Gulch outside of Spearfish, and FSR 639 have been closed to all public traffic.

• February 9, 2009 - Count Birds, Win Valuable Prizes Thousands of people will be counting birds this weekend, in their own backyards.

• January 21, 2009 - Slash Pile Burning January 22 The Black Hills National Forest is planning a prescribed burn tomorrow beginning at 8:30 a.m.