Hot Springs Wildfire and Forest Pest Mitigation Project Announces Application Date
The purpose of this project is to thin trees, reduce fuels, remove trees encroaching into meadows and grasslands, reduce wildfire and insect hazard, improve forage production and habitat diversity, and mitigate the spread of invasive species.
HURON, S.D., June 5, 2023 – The Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) project Hot Springs Wildfire and Forest Pest Mitigation will begin its next round of applications in Hot Springs, South Dakota, serving the community and improving land quality. This three-year project was selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and federally-funded through the Natural Resources Conservation Service's (NRCS) conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill.
The purpose of this project is to thin trees, reduce fuels, remove trees encroaching into meadows and grasslands, reduce wildfire and insect hazard, improve forage production and habitat diversity, and mitigate the spread of invasive species. This project will be implemented by the NRCS in collaboration with farmers, ranchers and landowners within the project areas who are eligible to apply for financial assistance. While applications are accepted year-round, the application date to be considered for FY2023 funding is July 7, 2023.
NRCS' conservation specialists and partners are coordinating these projects throughout the state. Through collectively focusing expertise and resources on the highest priority resource concerns in the highest priority areas, CIS projects can yield impressive returns.
Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. The Hot Springs Wildfire and Forest Pest Mitigation CIS Project partners with the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and the Fall River County Conservation District to directly benefit the people of Fall River County. Project sponsors identified Wildfire Hazard, Excessive Biomass Accumulation and Plant Productivity and Health as resource concerns and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“Managing forests is critical to having healthy and safe ecosystems for nature and people,” says Bradley Humbracht, District Conservationist, in Hot Springs, South Dakota.
To participate in the project, find and contact your local NRCS Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center, or contact Bradley Humbracht, (605) 745-5716, Ext. 3. For more information on the use of CIS in South Dakota, or if you have ideas for a project, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/eqip-environmental-quality-incentives/south-dakota/south-dakota-conservation, or contact Jeff Vander Wilt, Assistant State Conservationist for Programs at jeffrey.vanderwilt@usda.gov or (605) 352-1226.
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