Black Hills forest project approved despite logging concerns

RAPID CITY, S.D. – A new project has been approved to strengthen the Black Hills National Forest’s resilience to natural threats despite objections from conservation groups who say it’ll lead to over-logging.

The Rapid City Journal reports that the forest’s supervisor announced approval of the Black Hills Resilient Landscapes Project on Monday. The project intends to create conditions in the forest that’ll make it better able to withstand mountain pine beetle epidemics, such as the one that killed millions of trees between 1996 and 2016.

The project under review since 2016 will also protect the forest from wildfires.

The Norbeck Society views the project approval as “unfortunate.” The conservation non-profit says the initiative will result in unnecessary and even harmful harvesting of trees from areas that don’t pose a threat of insect infestation or wildfires.

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Information from: Rapid City Journal, http://www.rapidcityjournal.com