Black Hills National Forest — Project Detail

This project would provide commercial timber products to local industry and would reduce fire hazard and the risk of insect infestation in the wildland urban interface. Non-commercial harvest to reduce fuels and maintain hardwood and meadows would also occur.

The proposed action is to decommission unused, abandoned, and unneeded water wells across the Mystic and Hell Canyon Ranger Districts of the Black Hills National Forest.

Forest management actions including commercial and non-commercial timber removal, hardwood and meadow enhancement, and prescribed fire.

Project to modernize USFS Comanche Campground facilities and grounds to improve visitor experience, meet recreational demands, and ensure a safe and sustainable operation.

The proposed action is to issue both a Forest FLPMA Road Use Permit and a Private FLPMA Road Use Permit authorizing access across NFS lands.

Rattlesnake Randy (John Randall Nelson) is requesting authorization to conduct small-scale placer mining activities on National Forest System (NFS) lands under a Plan of Operations. Proposed activities include excavation to bedrock. No milling, processing, structures, or permanent facilities.

The Roby Forest Management Project proposes timber harvest, fuel reduction, prescribed fire, road improvements, meadow restoration, and riparian restoration activities.

Project to primarily salvage harvest beetle infected and/or killed trees to reduce the extent of a rapidly spreading bark beetle infestation and recover value of beetle-hit trees; increase forest health resiliency and reduce risk of wildfire.

Road work activities for maintenance and safety that include removal of trees within 5 ft of the Pennington County's right of way along Palmer Creek Road; decommissioning approximately 760' of the westernmost part of the road the southern wye segment; proposed chip sealing; and culvert replacement.

Rare Element Resources Inc. has submitted a Mine Plan of Operations to the Black Hills National Forest. The project proposes to develop an open-pit mine with associated infrastructure and support facilities. The project also includes reclamation, monitoring, mitigation, and closing.

F3 Gold, LLC of Minneapolis, MN USA proposing an exploratory drilling project to be completed within one year and on less than 5 acres of National Forest System land.

Authorization to Clean Nuclear Energy Corps for short term (1 year or less) exploratory drilling in search of uranium mineralization and aquifer testing on NFS lands located approximately 7.5 miles north of Edgemont, SD.

Collaborative prescribed burn with Mount Rushmore to promote forest health and improve wildfire resilience. Additionally, protect recreational residences through thinning activities.

The recreation staff on the Northern Hills Ranger District are proposing to officially designate the user‑created Harlan Ridge Trail and adopt it into the nonmotorized trail system.

The Forest Service is proposes to issue a special use permit to construct and use a short, single land access road across National Forest System lands, providing reasonable access to a landlocked private parcel from an existing Forest road.

Pete Lien and Sons has submitted a plan of operations to conduct exploratory drilling southwest of Rochford, SD. Up to 18 holes would be drilled in search of graphite materials. Each hole would be 3 inches in diameter and up to 1,000ft. deep.

Solitario Resources has submitted a plan of operations to conduct exploratory drilling at up to 49 sites in the Long Draw and Limestone Plateau areas, approximately 13 mile south of Spearfish, SD. No mining would occur under this proposal.

We are proposing conifer thinning, timber stand improvement, prescribed fire, planting efforts, as well as enhancements to watersheds, riparian areas, and wildlife habitats.

South Dakota Game Fish and Parks has proposed to reroute Snowmobile Trail 5 and Snowmobile Trail 5A further to the west due to safety concerns raised from the public.

Project to reduce hazardous fuels, primarily along public roads and/or adjacent to private lands, in Custer County, SD.

Installation of a new bridge to replace a prior bridge destroyed in the 2022 Palmer Gulch Fire.

Thinning, prescribed fire, watershed improvements, oak management, and wildlife habitat improvement

The purpose and need of this project is to improve forest health and increase resiliency within the project area to wildfire and insect and disease using a variety of commercial and non-commercial treatments.

Forest management to encourage ecological diversity and increasing vigor of ponderosa pine, aspen, and meadows.

Thinning and timber harvest to reduce hazardous fuels on isolated National Forest parcels.

Thinning, prescribed fire, and oak management

The purpose of the Zeppelin Project is to increase the resiliency of forest landscapes to mountain pine beetle outbreaks and the potential for high severity wildfires by implementing vegetation treatments that would thin dense pine stands.

The USFS requested 20,574 acres of NFS lands be withdrawn (closed) to all forms of entry, appropriation, and disposal under the mining laws, mineral and geothermal leasing laws, and public land laws, subject to valid existing rights

Prescribed broadcast burning of south-facing slopes in winter.

The Black Hills National Forest is considering authorizing a 20 year FLPMA Special Use Permit for Lead-Deadwood Sanitation District to access proposed roads that lead to the LDSD Pipeline system.

The project is proposing to modify the original decision pertaining to the waterflow intake and water source as documented in the Decision Notice signed in 2012. The proposed action would allow for increased waterflow through the existing pipeline.

Over the snow grooming of fat bike trails across the Northern Hills Ranger District for use during the 2018/2019 winter season (December 15 through March 31, depending on snow conditions).

The Days of 76 Wagon Train occurs every other year. The wagon train follows Forest roads that are open to the public. This year's route begins in Wyoming and travels east and north to Deadwood. Overnight camp sites are located on private land.

Reissuance of a sign permit for the Custer County Conservation District.

The BHSU rock climbing club (CRUX) has requested a one year temporary permit to conduct a rock climbing competition in Spearfish Canyon on established climbing routes near Savoy, SD.

Several existing trails across the NHRD have been proposed for winter use by fat bike riders. These trails would be groomed for fat bike use from December 1 through March 31, as snow conditions allow.

Reroute/maintenance of three snowmobile trails to address safety and resource concerns.

The proponent has requested a one-year special use permit to conduct a marathon that would begin at Cement Ridge in WY and follow National Forest System roads and US Hwy 14 to the finish in Spearfish, SD.

Step Outdoors has requested a special use permit to guide up to 5 hikers on a hike of the entire length of the Centennial Trail, excluding the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve and Black Elk Wilderness. The hike would occur in early June.

Reroutes of snowmobile trails 1, 2A and 7 to alleviate safety concerns and to mitigate impacts to some trails from planned logging activities.

Maintenance of the Little Spearfish and Old Baldy trails, including installation of lead-off ditches to divert water from the trails and repair of the section of Little Spearfish trail through Ranger Draw, which was used for a recent timber sale.

Off Road Riders has requested special use permits for a series of ATV events to be held on authorized motorized trails on the Northern Hills and Mystic Ranger Districts during the summer of 2016. These permits would be valid for one year.

Replacement of a concrete bridge deck located on FSR 140 across Boxelder Creek. The existing deck would be removed by crane and a new pre-fabricated concrete deck would be installed by crane. No work would occur in the creek.

The BHSU rockclimbing club has requested a 1 year permit to conduct a rockclimbing competition on established routes on the Sunshine Wall near Cheyenne Crossing, SD.

Would allow for tent camping at Strawberry Hill Picnic Ground, which was historically a campground. Fire rings and picnic tables would be installed at tent sites.

Installation of ground fire rings at Steamboat Rock Picnic Ground to allow tent campers to build campfires.