30-Day Comment Period begins for Draft Environmental Assessment on Drilling Project

SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District (NHRD), is announcing the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Golden Crest Exploration Drilling Project.

This project includes up to 25 core drilling sites for gold mineralization, access road maintenance (as needed), and reclamation activities. One staging area would be used to store equipment and supplies. Drill sites are primarily located in previously disturbed sites along existing roads and trails.  No new road or trail construction is proposed. No mining, milling, or processing is proposed as part of the project. The project would entail approximately 27 months of active drilling not including inactive periods, over a total of 5 calendar years.

The Draft EA is available upon request and on-line at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=62590. The easiest and most efficient way to submit comments is by going to the project webpage and clicking on the “Comment/Object on Project” link on the right side of the page. Comments may also be submitted by mail at: USDA Forest Service, ATTN: Steve Kozel, 2014 N. Main St., Spearfish, SD  57783; telephone at: 605-642-4622; fax at: 605-642-4156, or comments can be hand delivered to the Northern Hills Ranger District office, Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM Mountain time, excluding federal holidays.

The 30-day comment period for this project started with the publication of the legal notice in the Rapid City Journal on May 9, 2023. The comment period will end on June 8, 2023.