ConserveOnline - South Dakota

South Dakota

By Web Admin on 8/3/2005 | Keyword(s): States

Message from Stewardship Program:

South Dakota has 1.6 million acres of forest land, representing only 3.2 percent of its land area of 49.3 million acres. The state's forests are dominated by western ponderosa pine timberland that occupies 1.1 million acres, or 69 percent of the forested area. The pine forest occurs in the Black Hills, the Short Pines and the Slim Buttes areas, and on or near the Pine Ridge and Rosebud Indian Reservations.

The remaining forest lands are found in the plains portion of the state and are primarily associated with lakes and waterways. Plains forests consist primarily of tree species associated with eastern hardwoods such as ash, basswood (linden), hack-berry, honeylocust, elm, cottonwood, willow and eastern red cedar. South Dakota also has 1.3 million acres of non-forest land with trees. Non-forest land with trees include narrow wooded strips and windbreaks, wooded pasture, urban forests, and other land with trees.

The Resource Conservation and Forestry Division encourages landowners to consider the benefits provided by their forests and windbreaks. Forests provide habitat for wildlife, natural beauty, solitude, clean water, and income from timber. Windbreaks and wooded strips protect crops, livestock, farmsteads, and access routes from wind and snow; they filter dust and noise; protect water quality; provide wildlife habitat; and conserve soil, water, and energy. Tree growth, succession, competition, storms, insect epidemics, and wildfire are natural events that change the forest complexion. Sometimes the changes are imperceptibly small and occur over a long time, and sometimes the forest is completely changed in a matter of minutes - such as during a disastrous wildfire. Landowner activities also impact the forest and its ability to provide benefits.

The division encourages landowners to seek out information and opportunities to protect and enhance forest and windbreak benefits. Professional foresters and other natural resource professionals are the best source of information and technical knowledge available to forest landowners. Professionally assisted activity planning helps the landowner implement practices that will keep the forest healthy and protect it from fire, while protecting and improving other forest benefits such as clean water and wildlife habitat. Professionals can also help with comprehensive stewardship planning that provides a systematic approach to accomplishing landowner objectives resulting in a healthy, sustainable forest condition for the future.