LET’S PACK THE ROOM!

WHAT: US FOREST SERVICE PUBLIC MEETING ON PROPOSED MINERAL CLAIMS WITHDRAWAL IN PACTOLA AREA

WHO: EVERYONE! BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY! MORE PEOPLE MEANS MORE IMPACT!

WHEN: Wednesday, April 26, 2023, from 4:00 – 8:00 pm (MST)

WHERE: RUSHMORE ROOM (South side/adjacent to I-90), Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 2111 N. LaCrosse St., Rapid City

THE SCENE:

• The Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will be there.
• Information on the proposed mineral withdrawal will be available. (What is a mineral withdrawal? See below*)(Hint: It’s a good idea.)
• This is not a public hearing that takes testimony. It is an open house style public meeting that offers an opportunity for discussion.
• There will be maps of where the proposed mineral withdrawal is located (It is the 10% of the upper Rapid Creek watershed that is around Pactola Reservoir).

THE PROCESS:

• Go around the room and ask Forest Service and BLM staff questions about mineral withdrawals and specifically about the mineral withdrawal proposed for the Pactola Reservoir area.
• This is an opportunity for dialogue with Forest Service and BLM staff, but talking to them at the public meeting does NOT count as an official public comment. You need to send your comment in one of three ways for it to be considered as part of the official process (see below).

COMMENTING:

• It is important to give your official public comment on the proposed mineral withdrawal so that the Forest Service will accept it.
  There are three ways to do this:
  • Type it into the computers that the Forest Service provides at the public meeting.
  • Submit them through the link the Forest Service provided (see below).
  • Mail them to the Forest Service in Custer (see below).
• Talking to the Forest Service or BLM staff at the public meeting does NOT count as an official public comment. It will not be considered by the Forest Service in its decision-making process.
• In your public comment, tell the Forest Service and BLM what you want to see happen – SUPPORT the proposed mineral withdrawal AND what else? More acres? More of the Rapid Creek watershed? More of the Black Hills?

WHETHER OR NOT YOU CAN BE AT THE PUBLIC MEETING:

• SUBMIT COMMENTS BY JUNE 20, 2023.
• Submit comments online at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=NP-3479
• Submit comments by mail at Bryan Karchut, BH National Forest, 1019 N. 5th St., Custer, SD 57730
• Email comments will not be accepted.
• Say you SUPPORT the proposed mineral withdrawal, AND ask for an extension of the mineral withdrawal to additional areas.

*WHAT IS A MINERAL WITHDRAWAL?

• A “withdrawal” is an action by the US Secretary of the Interior that limits mining activity in a specific area of public lands in order to maintain other public values, or for reserving the area for a particular public purpose. These values and purposes may include protecting scientific, scenic, historical, ecological, environmental, air, water, or archeological resources, or for other special purposes.
• In this case, the US Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) are proposing to withdraw an area around Pactola Reservoir and upper Rapid Creek, totaling 20,574 acres. This is about 10% of the upper Rapid Creek watershed. If the proposal is finalized by the Secretary of the Interior, the withdrawal will prevent new mining claims and exploration, and will limit mine development in the protected area for 20 years.

Written comments may be submitted [via USPS mail] to:

Bryan Karchut, Acting Forest Supervisor
Black Hills National Forest 
1019 N. 5th Street 
Custer, SD 57730

Comments sent by email will not be accepted.

This comment period will serve as the scoping period for the environmental analysis process. Say you support the proposed mineral withdrawal at Pactola, AND ask for an extension of the mineral withdrawal to additional areas. Talk about water quality and cultural values.