The U.S. Forest Service proposes to use a combination of commercial logging, thinning and prescribed burning to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and mountain pine beetle infestation on about 43,000 acres of the Black Hills National Forest south of Spearfish.

Northern Hills District Ranger Rhonda O'Byrne recently announced the release of the draft environment impact statement (DEIS) for the West Rim Project. The project area includes Spearfish Canyon, Spearfish Creek, Terry Peak, Iron Creek Lake and Bridal Veil Falls.

Chris Stores, assistant natural resources planner for the district, said there is no serious outbreak of mountain pine beetles in the area now. But, he added, "A lot of the stands are at moderate or high risk."

Of the 53,157 acres encompassed in the project area, 10,000 acres are interspersed private land where no actions are proposed.

The Forest Service has not determined its preference among three alternatives, Stores said.

Under Alternative A, no action would be taken.

Under Alternative B, a total of 17,363 acres would be treated. Commercial harvest would be done on 13,379 acres. Thinning would be done on 13,713 acres, and prescribed burning would be conducted on 13,226 acres. The treatments, in many cases, will overlap, Stores said.

Under Alternative C, a total of 18,291 acres would be treated, including 13,379 acres of commercial logging, 14,641 acres of thinning and 14,154 acres of prescribed burning.

Alternative C was developed from public comments on the original proposal released last September, Stores said.

Forest Service officials hope to have the final environmental impact statement finished in August or September. O'Byrne will make a decision in September, Stores said. Allowing time for appeals and the contracting process, the work probably will not begin until the middle of 2009 at the earliest, Stores said.

The Forest Service is taking public comment on the plan until July 21. Mailed comments must be postmarked by July 21.

Comments also may be e-mailed to: comments-rocky-mountain-black-hills-northern-hills@fs.fed.us. People commenting are asked to include "West Rim Project" in the subject line.

The proposal and associated documents can be found on the following Forest Service Web site:

www.fs.fed.us/r2/blackhills/projects/nepa/public_docs/West_Rim/index.shtml

For more information about the project or to obtain a copy of the DEIS, contact Stores at the Northern Hills Ranger District at 642-4622 or by e-mail at cstores@fs.fed.us.

Contact Steve Miller at 394-8417 or steve.miller@rapidcityjournal.com