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: 6/23/15
Rainbow Gathering Continues -
Black Hills National Forest
Custer, SD – The Rainbow
Family of Living Light continue to gather on the Black Hills National Forest,
Mystic Ranger District approximately three air miles southwest of Deerfield
Lake. Typically participants come from across the country to the
gatherings which have historically attracted 7,000-20,000 people. Participants
will continue to arrive with the peak expected during the week of July 4.
“While Rainbow Gatherings have
been held on National Forests annually since 1972, these gatherings are not
Forest Service events,” said Craig Bobzien, Black Hills National Forest
Supervisor. “To ensure public and employee safety, and cultural and natural resource
protection, Forest Service personnel are on-site daily.”
Local Forest Service personnel
are working on an operating plan to manage the impacts to the gathering site.
The primary goals of the operating plan are: employee and public health and safety;
to minimize impacts to cultural and natural resources; to leave the site at or
near pre-gathering conditions; to minimize impacts and disruptions to the local
communities; and to maintain community and partner relationships.
To facilitate public access to information, the Incident
Management Team established a blog to post current information and updates at http://blackhillsnf2015rainbowgatheringinfo.blogspot.com/.
