The Jasper Fire burned more than 83,000 acres throughout South Dakota back in 2000. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) has been working since 2002 to replant trees to help the forest fill back in. However, federal forestry experts say the results of their two decades of hardwork won’t be fully realized for another six to eight decades.
It is estimated the USFS crews plant 150,000 seedlings across 400 acres each year. Scott Jacobson, a public affairs officer with the Black Hills National Forest shares the benefit from this in the future:
“So there [are] no trees, generally to speak of, in the vast area that was burned,” explained Jacobson. “And so, you know, [in]80 to 100 years, that area will be available for timber harvest kinds of operations and thinning. But we also put trees back in the landscape to keep the soils in place for water purposes — and just for recreation purposes and wildlife.”
Each Forest Service contract employee plants about 1,000 per day while on the job.
Here are the top agriculture news headlines from RFD-TV News today (Friday, March 7, 2025) and the top trending stories on RFD-TV News.
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Here are the top agriculture news headlines from RFD-TV News today (Friday, Feb. 28, 2025) and the top trending stories on RFD-TV News.
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RFD-TV Ag Law & Tax Expert Roger McEowen takes a look back at some of the biggest changes in ag and tax law from last year while looking ahead at what further developments could be in store for 2025.
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