Safe and sane...

Pine bark beetle damage.

The Black Hills are at risk! Sound like some doomsday prediction?

I’m going to post this as an “extra” blog because I figure some will accuse me of nagging… but I can’t stress how critical this issue has become.

The current year “2012” poses some intimidating scenarios in the Black Hills. There’s a lot negative going on with pine bark beetle infestation growing at an ever-increasing rate. The far-reaching consequences of tourism and timber, therefore the economy, are devastating to contemplate.

We want to stress the importance of safe thinking in the forest. Man-made fire of any sort is a risk. Our worst August weather under normal conditions cannot compare to the risks we see building as spring breaks here in the Hills.

Red tops of the last season, stark black silhouettes of a former Ponderosa Pine… the fire danger is already extremely high. We’re usually cautioning everyone about spring flooding. This season it is a double-edged sword. If you go into the woods, don’t put yourself at risk by being in a remote location that has no alternative escape route. If it floods, you’re stuck… if a timber fire starts, you’re burned out!

As children, Bob and I learned that you don’t have much of a horizon or “window to the weather” in the woods. You might not hear thunder or see lightning until the storm is almost on you, then look out! The same can be said for flood or fire, whether man- or nature-made.

But the bigger picture needs to be considered. When trees die, erosion increases.

The plus side of that for a miner is that increased erosion deposits gold in the creeks. It also exposes bedrock and rock outcrops. We try to find something positive in everything and that’s about the only positive note to the beetle story!

The minus side of erosion means increased flooding of trails and roads, culverts and bridges. It means that all that soil held in place for the age of the forest might move, and move big! This year we will begin to see consequences. Out of necessity, areas are being more or less clear cut to try and stay ahead of the bugs.

Please be cautious. Logging trucks are everywhere. I don’t know if you’ve ever been around a logging operation, but these guys get paid by the ton. Needless to say, they don’t anticipate meeting much traffic on a logging trail. They’re thinking about how much time is left in the day, not how many cars they might meet!

If you’re going into the woods where “bug trees” exist, carry a saw to be sure you can go out. It doesn’t take much wind to bring a dead tree down!

Avoid parking in tall grass, especially since we didn’t have enough snow to “lay down” last summer’s undergrowth.

Any spark… from a campfire to heavy equipment, can start a fire.

Cell phones don’t get a signal in many parts of the Hills, so don’t rely on being able to call for help. It might mean a hike to the highest peak in sight before you get a signal.

If you do see a lightning strike, try to assess the fire potential, then get out and report it! Fire lookouts in the Black Hills are, I believe, usually staffed primarily in the summer. They will spot fires and report them, but outside of the season the watch may not be as active. Irregardless, I’m thinking as early as a potential fire can be reported, the better!