Final Environmental Impact Statement

Vestal Final Environmental Impact Statement Summary
SUMMARY
The Hell Canyon Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest proposes to
implement multiple resource management actions within the Vestal project area as
guided by the Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan and
Phase II Amendment (Forest Plan). Due to the existing epidemic of mountain pine
beetles (MPB) in the project area (see Appendix H), the Vestal project was developed
under the authorities of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA). The proposed action
includes commercial and non-commercial vegetation treatments and prescribed burning
to reduce mountain pine beetle risk and fire hazard on National Forest lands surrounding
the City of Custer, SD. Proposed resource management actions apply only to National
Forest lands.
The Vestal project area surrounds the city of Custer, South Dakota within Custer County
(see Map 1 in Appendix A). The project area includes approximately 43,516 acres;
25,823 (60%) of which are National Forest System lands and 17,693 (40%) which are
private lands (including City or County properties). Given the project location around the
City of Custer, there are extensive private dwellings, businesses, and government offices
in this project area. The Hell Canyon Ranger District office and shop, as well as the
Black Hills National Forest Supervisor’s Office, are also located within the project area.
High use developed recreation sites occur on private, State and Federal lands within or
adjacent to the project area. Sites within the project boundary include; approximately
eight miles of the Mickelson trail, Bismarck Lake campground, Crazy Horse Mountain,
and numerous private campgrounds. Other recreation areas adjacent to the project area
include Custer State Park.
All state and county roads which access the City of Custer are within the project area for
at least a portion of their length. Therefore, all visitors to Custer will travel through the
project area.
The focus of the proposed action is to treat vegetation on a broad landscape scale to
reduce the threat to ecosystem components from the existing MPB epidemic. The
proposed action would also reduce fire hazard and consequently, the potential for highintensity,
large-scale wildfire. Implications of continued spread of this MPB epidemic
include increased tree mortality across the landscape, on both National Forest and private
lands. Consequently, the further accumulation of hazardous fuels would increase the
potential for severe large-scale wildfires threatening forest resources and other values
within the area including major changes in scenery and alteration of wildlife habitat.
Schmid et al. 2007, states “the most important aspect of managing mature ponderosa pine
stands on the Black Hills National Forest is minimizing MPB-caused mortality.”
This action is needed because the Vestal project area is within an expanding mountain
pine beetle epidemic. The Black Hills National Forest, Forest Supervisor, Craig Bobzien,
has determined that a MPB epidemic is occurring in the project area (Appendix H). Over
the past 3-4 years there has been a rapidly growing amount of MPB caused mortality in
the southern Black Hills around the City of Custer. All measures of MPB activity
indicate a rapidly growing MPB epidemic with a substantial increase in tree mortality
over the past 3 years. Approximately 61% of ponderosa pine stands on National Forest
lands in the project area are at high risk for MPB caused mortality.
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