Brian Brademeyer's Page

The Forest Service proposes renewing the SD National Guard's Special Use Permit on the Black Hills for another five year period, using a Categorical Exclusion to avoid doing an environmental assessment.

There is no Forest Service webpage for this project.

Appeals due by May 13,…

USFS Reforestation Project Decision Memo, w/o maps, 12-19-12, 675 kb

USFS…

The mountain pine beetle (MPB) outbreak in the Central Black Hills has slowed considerably within the Norbeck Preserve in the past year, with green once again becoming the dominant color in the Preserve.  Some of the best regeneration is shown in the photo below.

With…

On Easter Sunday, 2012, I hiked from Willow Creek Trailhead to Harney Peak, going past Elkhorn Mountain and along the Elkhorn-Harney ridge.  I hadn't taken this particular hike into the Black Elk Wilderness in probably 50 years, and I was eager to see the progress of the recent mountain pine beetle outbreak.  A slideshow of photos taken on this hike can be found…

Friends of the Norbeck has commissioned a new analysis of the relationship between environmental factors and pine beetle infestation in the Black Hills.  Several factors seem to have influence, but by far the most important variable is last year's beetle tree-kill level.  Then come strong…