Appendix C Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project Past and Present Activities 

APPENDIX C 

PAST AND PRESENT 

and 

FORESEEABLE ACTIVITIES

Appendix C Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project Past and Present Activities C - 1 

APPENDIX C – PAST, PRESENT, and FORESEEABLE ACTIVITIES in the 

MOUNTAIN PINE BEETLE RESPONSE PROJECT 

Records indicate that harvesting within the National Forest (project area) has occurred as far back 

as the 1880s. Prior to settlement of the Black Hills traditionally thought of as the 1870s, the forest 

structure was influenced by American Indian use of fire and natural disturbances such as lightning 

creating wildfires, windthrow and insects. 

Forest activities for the recent past (1997-2011) are summarized in the following table: 

Activity Description Units 

Natural Fuels - Burn Piles 112,196 Ac 

Natural Fuels - Prescribed Burning 28,649 Ac 

 

Wildlife - Habitat Planting 1,255 Ac 

Wildlife - Planting Shrubs 16 Ac 

Wildlife - Prescribed Burn 3,850 Ac 

Wildlife - Release Cutting 9,231 Ac 

Wildlife - Harvest Trees 16,587 Ac 

Regenerate Aspen 5,485 Ac 

Wildlife - Tree Encroachment Control 8,918 Ac 

 

Range Seeding 957 Ac 

Noxious Weed Treatment 127,333 Ac 

Tree Encroachment Control 4,126 Ac 

Watershed Improvement 791 Ac 

 

Establishment Cut 82,542 Ac 

Shelterwood Removal Cut 59,246 Ac 

Individual Tree Selection 11,760 Ac 

Commercial Thinning 111,144 Ac 

Special Harvest 7062 Ac 

Sanitation/Salvage 6,427 Ac 

SUBTOTAL of Harvest Activity 278,181 Ac 

 

Regen Surveys 236,914 Ac 

Natural Regen Certification 165,455 Ac 

TSI - Precommercial Thin 119,774 Ac 

Silviculture Stand Exam (multiple surveys) 963,702 Ac 

Post Treatment Exam 14,987 Ac 

 

Sensitive Species Surveys 14,422 Ac 

TE&S Plant Surveys 25,640 Ac 

Present / Foreseeable Actions 

None of the potential treatment areas associated with the MPBRP would occur within current 

and/or foreseeable NEPA projects, such as: 

Briggs 28,916 Acres 

Cold Springs 13,969 Acres 

Steamboat 24,596 Acres 

Herman 21,572 Acres 

Pactola 26,017 Acres 

Buttes 11,441 Acres 

Calumet 31,781 Acres 

Vestal 43,516 Acres
Appendix C Mountain Pine Beetle Response Project Past and Present Activities C - 1 

The project area contains overhead and underground distribution and transmission power utility 

lines under special use permits: Black Hills Electric Cooperative, Black Hills Power, West River 

Cooperative, Quest (Century Link), Golden West Telephone, etc. Maintenance is ongoing for 

these facilities. 

Firewood gathering and Christmas tree cutting by permit will continue to occur within the area. 

Road / Utility right-of-way clearing – Road construction and maintenance and right-of-way 

brushing can be expected to continue on non-National Forest System lands. 

Subdivision development - Given current trends, it is likely that additional private lands may be 

subdivided and new residences constructed. Special use permits such as utility, water line, 

rights-of-way, and access/easements may be requested. 

Private landowners may harvest timber on their own lands to reduce mountain pine beetle and 

fire hazard and for lumber. 

Participating Agreements with Lawrence and Pennington Counties to reduce MPB on private and 

NFS lands adjacent to private. 

Range developments and livestock grazing - Includes fencing, dugouts, wells, spring developments, 

etc. Cattle grazing would continue. 

Wildfires - The frequency, size and intensity of possible wildfires depend upon various factors, 

including weather, ignition means, and fuels loadings. 

Mining activity – It is likely that there would be some additional mining claims reviewed within 

the project area, as well as mine shaft closures due to safety and/or bat/wildlife concerns. 

Recreation – Recreation activities will continue to increase on the Forest. General maintenance 

would continue to occur for all other developed recreation sites within the project area. Within 

developed campgrounds, some trees may be sprayed to protect trees against mountain pine beetle. 

Treatments to reduce or eliminate noxious weeds and invasive species would continue on NFS 

and private property. 

Black Hills Power (BHP) plans to construct a Teckla-Osage-Lange 230 Kv Transmission line from 

approximately Teckla Substation in Wyoming to Osage Substation in Wyoming to the Lange 

Substation in South Dakota (NW of Rapid City). 

In 2005, the Forest Service published a new rule for providing OHV access to national forests and 

grasslands. The rule itself does not designate roads or areas for OHV’s, but provides a framework for 

making those decisions at the local level. The Black Hills National Forest issued a FEIS/ROD (May 7, 

2010) designating routes for motorized use forest-wide. Implementation began on December 1, 2010 

with the Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) for the Black Hills National Forest.