Black Hills National Forest Timber Audit

Forestry management practices for the Black Hills National Forest currently is undergoing an external audit. This audit seeks to evaluate the effectiveness of current forest management policy as it relates to activities surrounding timber sales and harvesting procedures.
This audit is one of several which are occurring throughout the western United States

The timber audit of logging operations in the Black Hills National Forest involved Federal, State, and private landholdings and was completed in June 2001. Various logging techniques were utilized on these lands by several logging contractors. The following list illustrates the variation in techniques and timing of the harvest including:
conventional logging (lop and scatter)

mechanical logging (whole-tree logging, boom delimber plies)

salvage (storm damage, burn damage)

dry season harvest (summer and fall)

winter harvest
Best Management Practices (BMP's) are a list of guidelines established by the South Dakota Department of Agriculture, Resource Conservation, and Forestry Division. These BMPs have been approved by the US EPA and their use by the timber industry is voluntary in South Dakota. The timber industry has taken the lead on pursuing the BMP audit as a means of self-governance. The primary purpose of the BMP's are for water quality management and is driven by the U.S. EPA's Clean Water Act.

The South Dakota BMP manual consists of 5 primary headings:

1) Roads
Planning, design, location, construction, drainage from surfaces, maintenance, and road closures

2) Streamside Management
defining a SMZ (streamside management zone), benefits, design, harvesting in and around a SMZ, forest regeneration

3) Timber Harvest
Planning, design, harvest systems, skyline system, skidding system, waterbars, slash issues, burning, herbicide, winter harvest, and winter road drainage.

4) Hazardous Substances
Use and disposal

5) Stream Crossing
legal issues, design, installation

The audit was performed by an independent group of industry and scientific experts who evaluated the effectiveness of not only the BMP's but the impact to the land surface recently (months to two years) after the cessation of logging. During the audit, representative from the land owners, contractors, and operators were invited to participate, primarily to serve as a source of information about the planning, sale, harvest, and cleanup operations.

Results from the 2001 audit are expected to be published by the State of South Dakota in 2002.

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25-year flow from drainages receiving a culvert installation can be calculated by using the following document:

Sando, S.K. 1998. Techniques for estimating peak-flow magnitude and frequency relations for South Dakota streams. Water-Resources Investigations Report 98-4055, U.S.G.S. Denver, CO., 48p.
This report can be obtained by contacting the USGS office in Rapid City, SD or by writing to:
U.S. Geological Survey

Branch of Information Services

Box 25286

Denver, CO. 80225-0046

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Information on the Lame Johnny Sale is located here. The audit was conducted on June 25, 2001.


Information on the Crawford Sale can be found here. This audit was conducted on June 26, 2001.


Information on the McKee Sale is located here. The audit was conducted on June 26, 2001.


Information on the Pearco Sale can be found here. The audit was conducted on June 27, 2001.


Information on the Wasp Sale is located here. The audit was conducted on June 27, 2001.


Information on the Greenant Sale can be found here. The audit was conducted on June 28, 2001.

For more information contact...

Larry D. Stetler
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
Department of Geology & Geological Engineering
Rapid City, SD 57701

Contact: Larry Stetler

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Last Modified: 03/18/2002