Nebraska & Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests
Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre, & Oglala National Grasslands

Local News Releases 2007

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• Prairie Dog Decision Expected by February (December 20, 2007) -- Approximately a year ago, prairie dog management in the interior areas of the Buffalo Gap and Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota, and the Oglala National Grassland in Nebraska came to the forefront. A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) was released for public review and comment in May. After receiving over 68,000 comment letters responding to five alternatives outlined in the DEIS, Forest Supervisor, Don Bright is taking a slightly different approach in arriving at a decision.
• Forest Service to Begin Burning Slash Piles (December 12, 2007) -- Smoke columns will be visible in the Pine Ridge south of Chadron as Forest Service workers use the snow cover to prevent fire spread as they begin burning slash piles that are the result of recent forest thinning projects.
• Motorized Restrictions Lifted in Spotted Tail Fire Area (November 30, 2007)-- The Nebraska National Forest has announced that beginning November 30, 2007, restrictions that limited motorized travel to certain designated roads within the 2006 Spotted Tail and Roberts Fire areas, in Dawes County, Nebraska are rescinded.
• Christmas Tree Permits Available (November 14, 2007)-- Permits are available for cutting a Ponderosa Pine south of Chadron and east of Deadhorse Rd. They can be picked up for $10 from the Pine Ridge Ranger District at the corner of 16th Street and Highway 385, and from the Forest Supervisor's office at 125 North Main Street, both in Chadron.
• SO_PRRD_construction.doc (November 14, 2007)-- Efforts to lower operation costs involve creating more room at the Forest Supervisor's office on North Main Street. The Pine Ridge Ranger District office will then move from 16th and Highway 385 to that location.
• Fossil Resources Inventoried at PIT_Project (October 26, 2007)-- Volunteers spent October 21-29 working to inventory fossil resources in several areas of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland to establish baseline information for future comparison. The Passport in Time (PIT) website, www.passportintime.com outlines volunteer opportunities on national forests and grasslands across America.
• Fire Restrictions Lifted (October 19, 2007)-- Emergency fire restrictions originally placed in effect in late July for the Buffalo Gap and Fort Pierre National Grasslands in South Dakota and the Nebraska and Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests and Oglala National Grassland in Nebraska have been lifted.
• Soldier Creek Complex Fire (August 16, 2007)--Lightening sparked multiple fires which combined to create the Soldier Creek Complex fire. Over 3,100 acres were burned before the fire was finally contained.
• Basic Wildland Firefighter Training Offered (April 6, 2007)—Wildland firefighting became a stark reality for Nebraskans in the northern panhandle last summer, and for nearly two weeks, yellow fire shirts were common sights in Chadron and Harrison. If that kind of experience is attractive, the first step is to complete the 32-hour basic fire fighter training course.
• McKelvie National Forest Hosts Field Day (April 6, 2007)—Ranchers, hunters, bird watchers, tourism officials, and others who are interested in the management of the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest in north-central Cherry County, Nebraska are invited to attend a Field Day on Wednesday, April 18, 2007. The purpose of the Field Day will be to discuss the range allotment management process and upcoming decision that will guide permitted livestock on the Forest for up to ten years.
• Scouts Plant 15,000 Trees at Ft. Rob (April 4, 2007)—Nearly 1200 Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, Venture Crew members, and their leaders braved sub-freezing temperatures and several inches of snow, Saturday, March 31 to plant 15,000 tree seedlings during the 18th annual Fort Robinson Fire Recovery tree-planting event.
• Forest Service to Conduct Planned Burns (March 14, 2007)—Nebraska National Forest, Bessey District Ranger Patti Barney, announced today that two prescribed burns will be conducted during the week of March 19-23 if weather conditions allow.
• Grassland Hosts Motorized Route Designation Open Houses (February 7, 2007)—The Fort Pierre National Grassland is beginning the route designation process and will host two open house meetings, on February 14th and 15th, 2007, at the Forest Service office in Fort Pierre, SD, to explain the process and to discuss the Grassland's future transportation system.
• Forest Service Limits Motorized Travel in Special Areas (February 5, 2007)—Beginning January 29, 2007, motorized travel restrictions directed by the 2002 Revised Management Plan, went into effect in several areas managed by the Nebraska National Forest in western Nebraska and South Dakota.
• Free Firewood Permits Available (January 16, 2007)—From January 16, 2007 until March 31, the Nebraska National Forest is offering free-use firewood permits to anyone wishing to harvest ponderosa pine burned in the Spotted Tail Fire. An area just off Kings Canyon road, approximately seven miles south and west of Chadron has been posted with signs to identify the area open for free-use firewood collection. Permits are available at the Forest Supervisor's Office at 125 North Main Street.

USDA Forest Service, Nebraska & Samuel R. McKelvie National Forests
Buffalo Gap, Fort Pierre, & Oglala National Grasslands
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Last modified December 20, 2007