Audubon News July 2020

We will have our July meeting by Zoom. Hope all are safe.
Topic: Structural Stages and Species Viability, BHNF
Time: Friday July, 31st, 2020, 6:30 PM MT
Speaker: Kristopher Hennings, Forest Wildlife
Program Manager, Black Hills National Forest
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85815344021?pwd=azc0
S0loeXNjZWNkQ1FHZW8rRGZmUT09
Meeting ID: 858 1534 4021
Passcode: 130343
You can join in by phone for audio only:
+1 253 215 8782 US
+1 301 715 8592 US
For help with Zoom, contact Nancy Hilding, 605-787-6466
(h) 605-787-2806 (cell) or nhilding@rapidnet.com. You may
wish to download zoom software in advance (it’s free & a useful
tool) http://zoom.us.
The instructions and Zoom links will also be on our web-
site’s home page and Facebook pages. Also on our web page is
more information on BHNF’s overcutting of trees.
Black Hills National Forest (BHNF) Update - Structural stages
are any of several developmental stages of tree stands described
in terms of tree size and the extent of canopy closure they create.
Stands are inventoried and assigned to one of 9 structural stages.
The BHNF has admitted it is cutting the pine trees at a faster
rate than the trees can replace themselves. They have very little
old growth (structural stage 5) left - less than1 percent (.6 per-
cent) and an inadequate supply of one of their other structural
stages for adult pine stands. If cutting continues at the current
rate, they will run out of saw timber in about 30 years.
When we have members meetings they are normally
towards the end of the month & by Zoom. Notice will at least be
posted to our web, Facebook pages & e-mailed to members we
have e-mails for. We anticipate meetings at the end of August &
September.
We also have Zoom working meetings to talk about cam-
paigns on various issues we follow. We anticipate having such
Zoom meetings in the next few months, at least on the topics of
SD river otters, SD’s mountain lions/bob cats & Forest Service
over cutting of trees. These are not announced by newsletter or
posted to website, but e-mails are sent to folks who have
expressed interest in the campaigns or who follow the issues.
We have been fighting against the delisting of SD river
otters from “threatened” & the establishment of a statewide otter
trapping season. We are trying to get reintroduction of otters
West River. We lost on the delisting but got SD Game, Fish and
Parks to reduce the area of the trapping season. We will continue
to fight the season at the next Interim Rules Review Committee
meeting on August 18th (they have a vote also). The delisting
was illegally done as GFP provided inadequate public notice.

To reduce mailing expenses & use of volunteer time, PHAS is trying to send as many announcements by e-mail as possible. Please help us keep
you informed by giving us your phone number and e-mail address. PHAS is run by volunteers. We are recruiting new Board members.

Prairie Hills Audubon Society (PHAS) is a Chapter of the National Audubon Society. Our territory is much of West River SD. Nancy Hilding -
President, nhilding@rapidnet.com, 605-787-6466 or 6779; Helen McGinnis - Treasurer, hissyhelen38@gmail.com, Doris Respects Nothing -
Secretary, drn.6501@gmail.com, MaryJo Farrington - Board member, 605- 716-2151; Jim Petersen - Board member, nfearndesire@gmail.com,
PHAS web site : http://phas-wsd.org/, PHAS Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/phas.wsd/

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Pygmy Nuthatches & Brown Creepers

John James Audubon