Black Hills National Forest Preservation and Public Safety Act of 2002

H.R. 4766, the Black Hills National Forest Preservation and Public Safety Act of 2002, designates the deteriorating forest conditions in specific areas of South Dakota’s Black Hills National Forest as an emergency fire hazard. To address this risk, the bill directs the Secretary of Agriculture to bypass standard, lengthy administrative procedures in favor of expedited arrangements for forest management and fire prevention. For local residents and visitors, this legislation aims to reduce the immediate threat of catastrophic wildfires in the Beaver Park Roadless Area and the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve by accelerating thinning and brush removal projects.