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U.S. Forest Service - News Release
Emergency Closure Ordered
Custer, SD – Officials of the Black Hills National Forest are closing about 327 acres near Piedmont and Stagebarn Canyon to cross country motorized travel.
“This is a highly sensitive area with shallow, thin soils in steep terrain that are very easily damaged by cross country motorized travel,” said Northern Hills District Ranger Rhonda O’Byrne. “We try to keep public lands open to the public,” she said. “It is also our mission to protect natural resources, and we cannot do this under current conditions where we are seeing rutting, erosion and other impacts.” The closure area is near the far eastern flank of the Ricco fire. “People can still access the area on Forest Road 546.1, they just won’t be able to leave the road,” O’Byrne said. “This limited closure addresses impacts we are seeing right now and the actions we need to take to protect this sensitive area,” said Craig Bobzien, Forest Supervisor. Bobzien said the closure does not affect the anticipated forest-wide Travel Plan decision regarding what routes will or will not appear in the final travel plan for the 1.2 million acre Black Hills National Forest. “I will make a decision on the Travel Plan later this year,” Bobzien said. Forest Road 546.1 will remain open May 15 through December 15 each year. It is closed December 15 through May 15 to protect big game winter range.“We have taken these emergency actions in the past in places like the Ricco Fire Area for similar reasons,” O’Byrne said.
Rapid City Journal Article 04.06.09
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