Custer State Park Clears Scorched Pines Post-Wildfire

Custer State Park, S.D., has sold more than 6,000 acres of damaged trees to logging companies. The forest is being thinned to clear charred trees after the Legion Lake Fire that devastated 85 sq miles of land in the state park. Park officials hope clearing the damaged Ponderosa pines will help protect the soil and prevent erosion during the coming months.

The park has contracted with 15 logging companies to clear approximately 6,200 acres of land. Forest staff have set guidelines for the logging companies to only clear the trees that have no chance of recovering. Trees with no needles that are completely black and trees scorched red and yellow between 70-100% will be removed, reported the Rapid City Journal. However, trees with 30% greenery or greater still have an estimated 50% chance of survival and should remain in the park.

Park officials predict that the logging will limit the dangers of debris, prevent erosion and renew the soil’s health. They anticipate high springtime grass and shrubbery growth in the wake of the fire.