Deep in the Black Hills, the oldest tree in the forest stands unprotected. During a nearby forestry 101-style event, everything from prescribed burns to tree thinning was covered. It was a chance for members of the environmentalist group to learn about the general health, and the philosophy of a forest.
Climbing to the top of the mountains not far from Hill City, the group stops and surveys the land before them. An early dusting of snow has made the already picturesque Black Hills approach whimsical.
But something’s not quite right. Out here, while green, there’s a lack of the big, tall, and ancient trees that have come to define forests like the Black Hills.
Leading the group of about a dozen is David Mertz, retired National Forest natural resource staff officer. He said fire risk is a real concern but feels much of the worry is misplaced – be it along which trees to thin or prescribed burns. Many of the largest, oldest trees in the Black Hills have already been cut down.
“One of the things you hear on the Black Hills is ‘oh my gosh, we’ve gotta thin these trees.’ They’re talking about the big trees," Mertz said. "The saw log trees, 9-inch diameter or bigger, and one of the things I want to impress on you today is – are those really the fire risk? Because there’s not really that many dense stands of big trees anymore. A lot of them have already been thinned.”
On this particularly windy trek, we’re not far from the oldest known tree in the forest. In fact, I was placed under an oath not to reveal the exact location of this tree, a 750-year-old ponderosa pine, for fear of its safety.
The pine, dating to the late thirteenth century, might simply look like a particularly tall tree, but considering its age is a gateway to human history. This pine is 200 years older than Henry the 8th, was a mature 100 years old when the Bubonic Plague was spreading through Europe and was a sapling when the Mongols twice failed to invade Japan.
In the interim, this tree has stood, reaching its branches to the sky ever so slowly. Today, it stands unprotected off a nondescript rural road going up a mountain.
“Right now, where we’re at on the forest is that a lot of the big trees have been thinned," Mertz said. "There’s very few dense stands of big trees left anymore, and that’s what the timber industry needs, but they just don’t exist anymore.”
It’s an inherent consequence of an extractive-based business model like logging. Members of the group estimated it takes a ponderosa pine well over 100 years before reaching “saw log” value. Before that, these trees likely are worth more alive than dead.
With the rise of eco-tourism, a healthy green forest could mean major draws of people—and, in turn, could help the local economy ween off extractive practices. Additionally, most of the most famous rides at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, and places like Spearfish Canyon and the Mickelson Trail are known largely because of the natural beauty found within.
As much as the natural beauty is a draw, though, it needs to be meaningfully managed.
“Over time that density is going to limit the growth," Mertz said. "It’s just like when you thin your carrots in your garden.”
While Mertz said he understands the concerns orbiting things like prescribed burning, something needs to be done to keep the forest under control.
“If we don’t do that kind of thing, I think we’re just setting ourselves up for a really bad situation," Mertz said. "In my mind, we have to thin these young, dense stands of trees out there and increase the prescribed burning.”
One of the stops during the Norbeck Society tour was a prescribed burn site not far from the gulch. While dramatic visually, the practice of planned fires also eliminates dead and downed fuels, thins the overall fuel load, and can contribute vital nutrients to the soil at the burn site.
Coming down from the mountain, I stop in a Hill City cafe. Kicking the snow off my cowboy boots, I order and take a seat by the window. Behind me, a group of tourists are making their plans. Custer State Park, Black Elk Peak when the weather gets warmer, the works.
This group of eco-tourists are here for that beauty. Beauty that only comes with proper management and care for these forests.