Comments sought on withdrawal of forest system land near Pactola Reservoir

Public comments are now being sought for a proposal put forth by the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw a portion of the Black Hills National Forest System near Pactola Reservoir in South Dakota.

The proposal would see 20,574 acres of land in the Rapid Creek Watershed in Pennington County withdrawn from consideration for potential sale or mining for up to 20 years, subject to valid existing rights.

According to a press release from USFS, the purpose is to protect cultural and natural resources in the watershed, including drinking water for Rapid City...