County appoints timber committee to review United States Forest Service Black Hills Resilient Landscapes Project

By Jaci Conrad Pearson
Black Hills Pioneer
October 5, 2017
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

DEADWOOD — The county’s timber committee is back in action, following appointments made at the Sept. 26 meeting of the Lawrence County Commission. Their mission? Black Hills National Forest officials recently issued a 245-page Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Black Hills Resilient Landscapes project, and a 45-day comment period, which began Sept. 15, is currently in effect. …The purpose of the proposed project is to move landscape-level vegetation conditions in the project area toward objectives set by the amended Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan, in order to increase ecosystem resilience to insect infestation and other natural disturbances, provide diverse wildlife habitats, contribute to public safety and the local economy, and reduce risk of wildfire to landscapes and communities. The project focuses on increasing ecosystem resilience to disturbances such as severe wildfire and mountain pine beetle infestation.

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