SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills National Forest has issued a Decision Notice (DN), and Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI), for the Chimera Fuels Reduction Project. The project area is located east of Lead/Deadwood, SD and south of Sturgis, SD, encompassing the Boulder Canyon, Galena, and Vanocker Canyon areas.
The project area encompasses a total of 55,159 acres (includes 15,942 acres of private land) in the northeastern corner of the Northern Hills Ranger District, east of the communities of Lead and Deadwood, and south and west of the Interstate 90 corridor, which includes the communities of Whitewood, Sturgis and Tilford.
Vegetation treatments in the project area will focus on thinning of small diameter trees in the understory to reduce ladder fuels, thin dense pine stands, and promote the expansion of hardwood stands and meadows while working toward management area objectives within the project area. This will allow for an effective and safe response to wildfires when they occur. Contracts for timber sales are being developed and may be offered within the next couple of months.
The Chimera project has been approved for implementation under the provisions of the Western Firesheds Emergency Action Determination (EAD) under Section 40807 of the 2022 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL). EAD authorities can be applied to projects that pre-emptively address the potential impacts of natural disturbances, such as wildfire, to nearby communities and National Forest System lands. The Chimera project will achieve relief from hazards threatening human health and safety and mitigate threats to natural resources on National Forest System land and adjacent lands.
The Chimera Fuels Reduction Project area is located in one of the 250 high-risk firesheds located in the western United States. The area is also in one of the top 10 firesheds in the Rocky Mountain Region as identified in the Chief’s 10-year wildland fire strategy. This project is one of the first projects in the country to utilize the provisions of the EAD.
Implementation under the EAD requires approval from the Chief’s Office of the Forest Service. The Chimera project was reviewed by the Chief’s Office and approved on April 18, 2023. Therefore, the Chimera project is not subject to the pre-decisional objection process, and the responsible official’s decision is final.
