Forest Service Working with Lawrence County to Tackle Pine Beetles

On the long-standing pine beetle problem in the Black Hills, Rep. Kristi Noem has sounded a lot like Newt Gingrich's assessment of the Occupy activists who've been harassing him in Iowa: "All noise, no thought."

The U.S. Forest Service and Lawrence County officials aren't waiting for Rep. Noem to take real action. On Tuesday, the Lawrence County Commission approved an unprecedented agreement under which the Forest Service will allow the county to thin trees for pine beetle control:

Under the agreement, the county will identify green-hit infested trees, then hire subcontractors to treat them with the "cut and chunk" method, where a tree is cut down, de-limbed and cut into two-foot lengths that quickly dry out, killing the beetles under the bark.

Treated trees will not be allowed to leave Forest Service land, and both the county and the Forest Service will regulate where trees are cut, how many and what sizes.

Commissioners stressed the gravity of the agreement at the commissioner's regular meeting Tuesday. The Forest Service has never made such an agreement with any other county in the nation — meaning that Lawrence County has an unprecedented opportunity to stem the rapidly flowing tide of the beetles, which threatens many aspects of the area's economy in terms of tourism, housing and the timber industry [Mark VanGerpen, "Unprecedented Pine Beetle Agreement Signed," Black Hills Pioneer, 2011.12.28].

Local industry and residents are chomping at the bit to participate. Nieman Timber is ready to spend $50K; the Spearfish Canyon Foundation has pledged $125,000 and is taking more donations.