Conservation Implementation Strategy (CIS) Project Resilient Forest Landscapes will soon be underway in Custer County, South Dakota (SD), serving the community and improving land quality.This three-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 thin trees, reduce fuels, remove trees encroaching into meadows and grasslands to reduce wildfire and insect hazard, improve forage production and habitat density, and mitigate invasive species spread. This project will be implemented by the Custer County Conservation District (CD) in collaboration with farmers, ranchers, and landowners within the project area that are eligible to apply for financial assistance. While applications are accepted year-round, the application date for FY2022 implementation is March 10, 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 impressive returns. Collaborative funding and support from other agencies and groups create a coordinated community effort and focus on mutual issues.The Resilient Forest Landscapes Project partners with NRCS, South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR), DANR Wildland Fire Division, Custer County Weed and Pest Development, and the U.S. Forest Service to directly benefit forested lands in identified priority areas in Custer County. Project sponsors identified excessive biomass accumulation, inadequate plant structure and composition, plant pest pressure, feed and forage imbalance, and terrestrial habitat for wildlife and invertebrates as resource concerns and developed this CIS project to address the situation.
“Reducing wildfire risks and improving forest resiliency not only benefits the landowners involved in this project, but benefits all residents and visitors to Custer County,” says Mike Baldwin, Custer County CD Office Manager in Custer, 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 District Conservationist Joel Milos at joel.milos@usda.gov or (605) 673-5680. For more information on CIS in SD, 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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