Fighting the Pine Beetles
An estimated 384,000 acres – one third – of the 1.2 million acres of National Forest System lands in the Black Hills has been destroyed by the epidemic since 1998. The infestation is growing rapidly, doubling from 22,000 new acres affected in 2008 to 44,000 new acres affected in 2009. The beetle infestation has also killed essentially all of the trees in the 13,426 acres of the Black Elk Wilderness.
Rep. Kristi Noem is dedicated to reclaiming our beautiful Black Hills forest from the scourge of pine beetles that not only diminish the natural beauty of the area but also impact tourism and increase the risk of catastrophic fire.
On this page you will find the latest information on what Rep. Noem is doing to fight the pine beetles and how you can help.
Progress So Far
Rep. Noem is fighting to save the Black Hills from the pine beetle devastation. Here is a quick summary of items she is working on:
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Requested Unspent Funds
Rep. Noem requested that unspent U.S. Forest Service funds be directed toward fighting the pine beetle epidemic.
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Held a Hearing in the Black Hills
Rep. Noem, through her position on the Natural Resources Committee, hosted a hearing on the pine beetle epidemic in the Black Hills.
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Requested Expedited Regulatory Process
Rep. Noem requested that the White House treat this as the emergency it is, and use its authority to expedite the normal regulatory process to save trees. -
Noem Calls For Grassroots Pine Beetle Letter Writing Campaign
Rep. Noem called on concerned citizens to write President Obama and Nancy Sutley, his top environment advisor, in support of efforts to stop the pine beetle from further destroying the Black Hills. -
Rep. Noem Sends Letter to USDA Secretary Vilsack Requesting Additional Funds to Fight Beetle
Rep. Noem was joined by Senators Thune and Johnson in sending a letter to USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting additional funds to fight the pine beetle. -
Noem Announces $1 Million in Funding to Fight Black Hills Pine Beetle Epidemic
Rep. Noem announced an additional $1 million has been provided to the Black Hills to combat the pine beetle epedemic. -
Noem, Thune Announce Pine Beetle Legislation
Rep. Kristi Noem and Senator John Thune announced the introduction of legislation to help fight the pine beetle infestation. -
Rep. Noem, Sens. Johnson and Thune Announces Additional Pine Beetle Funding
In November of last year, Rep. Noem and Senators Johnson and Thune wrote to U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack requesting additional funding for the fight against the mountain pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills. Today, the delegation has learned that the U.S. Forest Service has allocated an additional $1 million to continue thinning and logging efforts to fight the devastation caused by the mountain pine beetle.
Get Active
Have you ever experienced the beauty and wonder of the Black Hills? Do you want your children to have the same experiences? Rep. Noem is calling on concerned citizens to write in to President Obama and Nancy Sutley, his top environment advisor, in support of our efforts to stop the pine beetle from further destroying the Black Hills.
Specifically, those interested in writing should ask the President and Sutley to reconsider their previous rejection of Rep. Noem's request for an expedited regulatory review process. This expedited process is something that the White House has the authority to implement in extreme circumstances. What is more extreme than a forest being overtaken by pine beetles with the impact of destroying a tourism industry and increasing the risk of deadly fire?
Here are the addresses for your letter:
President Barack ObamaThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20500 The Honorable Nancy SutleyChairwomanCouncil on Environmental Quality730 Jackson Place, NWWashington, DC 20503Suggested Points To Make In Your Letter:
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It is obvious that the current method of forest management in the Black Hills is NOT working- we cannot wait around while the beetles infect healthy trees. We need immediate action.
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We already have effective ways to prevent further spread of pine beetles by thinning, spraying legacy trees or creating buffer zones around infected areas. The problem is that our hands are tied before we can act by a lengthy federal process called the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
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The NEPA process can take 12 to 18 months before we can get boots on the ground, leaving beetles to spread to new areas never allowing us to get ahead of the problem.
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The Administration has the authority to allow the Black Hills National Forest to get in and do the job immediately by allowing for “alternative arrangements”, which is used in the case of emergencies.
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According to the Office of the President’s website, “Alternative Arrangements can be issued when action is:
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Necessary to protect human health or safety - or - to protect natural resources - or - both; and
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Likely to result in significant environmental impacts.”
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http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa_information/alternative_arrangements.html
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This situation IS an emergency:
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The threat of wildfire from dead and dying trees is a threat to public health and safety to the communities surrounding the Black Hills national Forests.
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Nearly 1/3rd of the Black Hills National Forest has already been destroyed as the beetle continues to spread. We need to act to before this important natural resource is gone.
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The Black Hills National Forest is a source of a reliable water supply, tourism, energy generation, and recreation for the region. Losing our forest would be devastating to South Dakota’s economy.
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The Black Hills National Forest is a national treasure and source of pride for South Dakotans. We believe it fits the criteria for alternative arrangements and urge the President to grant our request.