Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project Resilient Forests will soon be underway in Lawrence County, SD, serving the community and improving land quality. This 3-year project is one of 17 selected in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 and federally-funded through the NRCS conservation programs in the 2018 Farm Bill. The purpose of this project is to address overstocked stands of ponderosa pine and will be implemented by the SD Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), Lawrence Conservation District, and SD Family Forests Association in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and landowners. Individuals within the project areas are eligible to apply for financial assistance. The final day to apply for consideration for this FY is February 3, 2023.
The 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 the most impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues of concern. The Resilient Forests Project partners with SD DANR to directly benefit forest landowners and Lawrence County communities. Project sponsors identified ‘wildfire hazard from biomass accumulation’ and ‘plant structure and composition’ as resource concerns and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“Restoring the forest to a healthy stand density will work to keep disease in check and lower the severity of wildfires in Lawrence County. Private landowner involvement is vital to the success of this project in both remote and developing areas across the Northern Hills,” says Tyler Swan, Acting District Conservationist, Belle Fourche, SD.
To apply to be a part of this project, find and contact your local NRCS Service Center at www.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/find-a-service-center, or contact Tyler Swan, Acting District Conservationist, Belle Fourche, SD, at tyler.swan@usda.gov or (605) 892-3368, Ext. 3071. For more information on the 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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