U.S.
Forest Service – News Release
Black
Hills National Forest ● Public Affairs Office ● 1019 N. Fifth Street
Custer,
SD 57730 ● Voice (605) 673-9216 ● Web: http://www.fs.usda.gov/blackhills
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Public Information (605) 340-0573
Date: 6/22/15
National Rainbow Gathering To Be Held On
Black Hills National Forest
Custer, SD – The Rainbow Family of
Living Light have chosen to hold their 2015 National Rainbow Gathering on the Black
Hills National Forest, Mystic Ranger District.
The gathering site is located approximately three air miles southwest of
Deerfield Lake. Participants come from all walks of
life drawing anywhere from 7,000-20,000 people.
Participants will continue to arrive for the next couple of weeks with
the peak population during week of July 4.
- The Rainbow Family is a self-described loose knit
group of people without leadership or organization who participate in a
national gathering once a year. They come from all across the country. Since 1972, the event has taken place on
a different national forest annually during a two-week period surrounding
the Fourth of July holiday and has grown in size, attracting up to 20,000+
people.
- Any event of this size can
have significant impacts on traffic, communities, local resources,
residents and visitors. Local
businesses can expect to see large numbers of Rainbow Family participants
visiting stores, buying food and supplies along routes to the gathering site. Areas are expected to be very congested
during that time.
- Because of the magnitude
of this event, the Forest Service utilizes an agency National Incident
Management Team (NIMT) in coordination with local Forest Service personnel
to manage the impacts of this event.
The Forest Service NIMT has arrived on the Black Hills National
Forest and is working with various local agencies to provide first
and foremost for employee and public health and safety, followed by
managing and minimizing adverse impacts to cultural and natural resources.
