Scoping deadline for beaver dam analog project BHNF – Silver Creek

Scoping deadline for beaver dam analog project BHNF – Silver Creek is June 10th (or 12th).

PHAS supports this project – beaver dam analogs, mimic beaver dams and help to retain surface and ground water, store carbon, clean water and provide for aquatic and terrestrial  habitat for other species, especially birds.  They can result in recovery of beaver, as beaver may move into the improved habitat that the analogs create.

Quote from the FS:

“The stream channels and associated riparian areas of Silver Creek and its tributary Green’s Gulch have become degraded over time, leading to channel cutting of the stream course, drying of the riparian area, and proliferation of non-native grass species such as bluegrass and timothy. The purpose of this project is to create a more complex and dynamic aquatic and riparian ecosystem on Silver Creek and Green’s Gulch and to restore stream health to proper functioning condition, which would create habitat for native plants, such as sedges and willows, and wildlife, such as beavers.”

This project is proposed by the Northern Hills Ranger District – see Anne Dunckel, hydrologist, 605-443-3073

For more information and commenting instructions: – https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/blackhills/?project=64119

WHAT IS THE COMMENT DEADLINE?

Please note the on-line commenting page says the comment deadline is the 9th of June.  The scoping notice says the deadline is 30 days from the date of the letter, which was May 11th, 2023. That makes the deadline Saturday June 10th. Normal Forest Service day-counting rules allow you to move weekend deadlines to next working day (Monday, June 12th). We forgot to call the Forest Service to straighten contradictions out. We believe the real deadline is likely Monday & we suspect  the FS is not all that finicky about scoping deadlines over a weekend.