Rep. Noem is fighting to save the Black Hills from the pine beetle devastation. Here is a quick summary of items she is working on:

Have you ever experienced the beauty and wonder of the Black Hills?  Do you want your children to have the same experiences? Rep. Noem is calling on concerned citizens to write in to President Obama and Nancy Sutley, his top environment advisor, in support of our efforts to stop the pine beetle from further destroying the Black Hills.

Specifically, those interested in writing should ask the President and Sutley to reconsider their previous rejection of Rep. Noem's request for an expedited regulatory review process.  This expedited process is something that the White House has the authority to implement in extreme circumstances.  What is more extreme than a forest being overtaken by pine beetles with the impact of destroying a tourism industry and increasing the risk of deadly fire? 

Here are the addresses for your letter:

Suggested Points To Make In Your Letter:

• It is obvious that the current method of forest management in the Black Hills is NOT working- we cannot wait around while the beetles infect healthy trees. We need immediate action.

• We already have effective ways to prevent further spread of pine beetles by thinning, spraying legacy trees or creating buffer zones around infected areas. The problem is that our hands are tied before we can act by a lengthy federal process called the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

• The NEPA process can take 12 to 18 months before we can get boots on the ground, leaving beetles to spread to new areas never allowing us to get ahead of the problem.

• The Administration has the authority to allow the Black Hills National Forest to get in and do the job immediately by allowing for “alternative arrangements”, which is used in the case of emergencies.

• According to the Office of the President’s website, “Alternative Arrangements can be issued when action is:

  • Necessary to protect human health or safety - or - to protect natural resources - or - both; and

  • Likely to result in significant environmental impacts.”

http://ceq.hss.doe.gov/nepa_information/alternative_arrangements.html

• This situation IS an emergency:

  • The threat of wildfire from dead and dying trees is a threat to public health and safety to the communities surrounding the Black Hills national Forests.

  • Nearly 1/3rd of the Black Hills National Forest has already been destroyed as the beetle continues to spread. We need to act to before this important natural resource is gone.

  • The Black Hills National Forest is a source of a reliable water supply, tourism, energy generation, and recreation for the region. Losing our forest would be devastating to South Dakota’s economy.

• The Black Hills National Forest is a national treasure and source of pride for South Dakotans.  We believe it fits the criteria for alternative arrangements and urge the President to grant our request.