Rushmore Pine Beetle Plan

The final Mount Rushmore Pine Beetle Control Plan (signed by Gerard Baker on 4/24/10 btw) is much closer to what FotN comments reflected than the original RAAP "war on the bugs" proposal.

The Final Plan scales back the actions to be within the 1980 Master Plan for Mount Rushmore, cancels the special Beetle Plan Environmental Assessment, drops the thinning along the Scenic Byway Hwy 244 and the 300-foot "buffer" around the boundary with Black Elk Wilderness, and scales back much of the other expenditures.

Click here to see virtual hike through thinning and chipping activities along the western Rushmore boundary with Black Elk Wilderness Area, from November 20, 2010 (click View Slideshow for easiest viewing).

Total savings to the taxpayer of over $3 million resulted from our comments (we should get a 10% "finders fee"), since the Final Plan cost is less than half the original proposal, with main expenditure still being the thinning park-wide of all trees less than 10" diameter.

To see a comparison of the Draft and Final Actions and Costs, click the link below.

FotN Final Mt. Rushmore Pine Beetle Plan Action-Cost Matrix Compari...

On Tuesday February 23, 2010, a National Park Service Rapid Resource Assessment Team (RRAT) arrived at the Memorial to develop an action plan to evaluate the potential impacts of mountain pine beetle infestation on the ponderosa pine forests of the Memorial. The draft Resources Assessment and Action Plan (RAAP) is complete, and can be downloaded from the Mt. Rushmore Pine Beetle Plan website (5.7 MB pdf file).

We have pulled key sections out of the RAAP report, and posted them below for easier access.

Excerpts from Mt. Rushmore Pine Beetle Plan

RAAP Executive Summary, (pp. ii-v)

RAAP Cost Estimate, (pp. 2-3)

RAAP Forest Health (Pine Beetle) Assessment, (pp. 36-46)

RAAP Cultural Resources Assessment, (pp. 47-51)

RAAP Fire Risk Assessment, (pp. 52-55)

Other Relevant Documents

Draft Norbeck Pine Beetle Status Update, November 2009

FotN Summary of Proposed Actions, March 3, 2010

Beetle Hysteria Again, by G. Wuerthner, June 30, 2009

Dead Tree Hysteria, Missoulian Op-Ed by G. Wuerthner