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

News Release

USDA Forest Service

Black Hills National Forest

Contact: Tom Willems (605) 673-9200, or email us at r2 blackhills webinfo@fs.fed.us

BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST PUBLIC MEETINGS ON TRAVEL MANAGEMENT PROPOSED ACTION TO START SEPTEMBER 10

CUSTER, SD: SEPTEMBER 4, 2007

After over three years of public involvement and input on a new travel management rule for the Black Hills National Forest, officials are ready to present the proposed system of travel routes.

Interested people are invited to attend one or more meetings scheduled in September to review maps of the proposed action for the transportation system on public lands administered by the Forest Service in the Black Hills.

The meetings are scheduled from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the following locations:

Sundance, WY – September 10, 2007 (Monday)
Crook County Courthouse, 309 Cleveland Street

Rapid City, SD – September 11, 2007 (Tuesday)
Best Western Ramkota Hotel (Rushmore Room)
2111 North LaCrosse Street

Spearfish, SD – September 12, 2007 (Wednesday)
Wilbur S. Tretheway Pavilion, 115 South Canyon Street

Custer, SD – September 13, 2007 (Thursday)
Crazy Horse Memorial (Mountain View Room)
Avenue of the Chiefs

A slide presentation on the proposal will begin at 7:00 p.m. each evening after an opening statement by Forest Supervisor Craig Bobzien. The public will then hear from local rangers about the proposed action maps and have an opportunity to review the maps in small groups between 7:30 - 8:30 p.m.

At 8:30 there will be a question and answer period, and the meetings will end at 9 PM.

Comments concerning significant issues with the proposed action must be received 60 days after the Notice of Intent (proposal) is published in the Federal Register, anticipated to be September 10. The draft environmental impact statement (EIS) is expected to be released in the Spring of 2008, at which time there will be another public comment period, with a final EIS and decision later in 2008.

Public feedback during this formal public scoping period will help the Forest Service refine important travel issues and develop alternatives to the transportation system that will be further evaluated in an environmental impact statement using the process prescribed under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and subsequent rules and regulations.

The final travel plan will designate which roads, trails, and areas on National Forest System lands within the Black Hills National Forest are open to motorized travel. The final travel plan will be published as a Motorized Vehicle Use Map (MVUM) that will depict routes and areas open to motorized travel.

The MVUM will be available to the public and will be the primary tool used to determine compliance and enforcement with motorized vehicle use designations on the ground. Those existing routes, other user-created routes, and areas not designated open on the MVUM will be legally closed to motorized travel. The decisions on motorized travel do not include non-motorized and over-snow travel.

MVUMs will change each year as forest managers adapt to conditions. There will be an opportunity for public involvement each year as well.

Persons with disabilities who need special arrangements to attend the meetings should contact Tom Willems at 605.673.9217.

Draft maps and other information concerning Black Hills National Forest travel plan will be available in early September at: www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/recreation/travel_management/ohv.shtml. If you would like to be on the Black Hills National Forest Travel Management mailing list please email: r2_blackhills_webinfo@fs.fed.us or call (605) 673-9200 with your mailing address.

For more information visit our website at www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills.