Spearfish, SD, May 10, 2024 – The Black Hills National Forest, Northern Hills Ranger District (NHRD), is announcing the availability of the Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Zeppelin Project.
The project area encompasses a total of 11,131 acres, of which 794 acres are private land and 10,337 are National Forest System (NFS) land. The project area is bounded by Vanocker Canyon Road on the west, Elk Creek on the north, the Forest boundary on the east, and Dalton Lake Road and Little Elk Creek on the south.
The project area is identified as wildland urban interface and has been identified as a high-risk fireshed in the agency’s 2022 Wildfire Crisis Strategy. The project will create a resilient landscape by reducing hazardous fuels to mitigate wildland fire exposure and impacts to communities and infrastructure.
A Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for the Zeppelin Project is available upon request at the Northern Hills Ranger District office, 2014 North Main Street, Spearfish, SD 57783. This document is also available on the Black Hills National Forest website at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/blackhills/?project=63845.
Comments should be submitted within 30 days after publication of the legal notice of opportunity to comment in the Rapid City Journal. The notice will be published on or about May 10, 2024. Comments can be made using the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/blackhills/?project=63845 or through the U.S. Mail: Attn: Zeppelin Project, Northern Hills Ranger District office, 2014 North Main Street, Spearfish, SD 57783.
For questions and additional information regarding this proposed action, please contact Chris Stores, Natural Resources Planner, at (605) 443-3081 or by e-mail at chris.stores@usda.gov, Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., mountain daylight time.
For more information on the Black Hills National Forest, visit http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills.