SUNDANCE, WYO. — The Bearlodge Ranger District of the Black Hills National Forest is working closely with the Wyoming State Forestry Division to treat trees infected by disease or insects and reduce potential fire fuels. In addition, work is being done to restore or improve forest, watershed, and rangeland conditions, along with wildlife habitat.
The Bearlodge District totals around 200,000 acres in the northern part of the Black Hills within the State of Wyoming, including Devil’s Tower National Monument, 27 miles northwest of Sundance.
The Good Neighbor Authority (GNA), authorized in the 2018 Farm Bill, allows the USDA Forest Service to enter into agreements with state forestry agencies to do the critical management work necessary to keep forests healthy and productive. The GNA, along with collaboration from both teams, allowed the Wonder 1 Timber Sale to be completed.
“The Good Neighbor Authority is an excellent tool that strengthens partnerships with the State and the USFS as we continue to work together to treat the forest. It’s really a win-win for the State of Wyoming and the USFS,” said Dick Terry, Wyoming District Forester.
The Wonder 1 Timber Sale will treat almost 900 acres of public land and provide roughly 500,000 cubic feet of saw timber volume. It is located in the “addition country” of the Bearlodge District, about 15 miles west of Sundance.
The US Forest Service wrote the prescriptions for the sale, while the State of Wyoming completed the layout, cruise, and sale of the timber.
Bearlodge District Ranger, Mike Gosse, said, “Working collaboratively with the State of Wyoming on these GNA timber sales greatly enhances our capacity to get timber harvested, and reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfires, insect, and disease outbreaks. It has been a valuable experience to work closely with the state so these isolated parcels of federal land may be treated.”
The Wonder 1 Timber Sale is the second GNA timber sale completed in the Bearlodge Ranger District after the Ribs Sale back in 2018.
The Bearlodge Ranger District and the State of Wyoming Forestry Division will continue to look for other isolated parcels for future Good Neighbor Authority timber sales.
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