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: 6/27/15
Town Hall
Meeting Addresses Citizens Questions
Custer, SD– Approximately 70 people attended a public
information meeting in Hill City Friday evening sponsored by the U.S. Forest
Service regarding the Rainbow Family Gathering. Craig Bobzien, Forest
Supervisor for the Black Hills National Forest and Ruth Esperance, District
Ranger for the Mystic District provided updates on Incident Management Team
goals and efforts on the ground to provide for public safety and protection of
cultural and natural resources.
“We continue to
focus on efforts to protect cultural and natural resources within the Rainbow
Family gathering vicinity,” said Craig Bobzien Forest Supervisor for the Black
Hills National Forest. “The Forest Service has implemented some temporary and localized
special orders to protect public health and safety and protect sensitive resources in
the gathering site vicinity."
At the meeting,
Hill City residents asked questions about open fires, water quality and impacts
on local businesses. The Forest Service developed an operating plan for the
gathering that addresses the localized impacts associated with a gathering of
up to 5,000 people in the national forest. This operating plan includes
measures that address public health and safety, protect cultural and natural
resources and rehabilitation standards after the gathering. Additionally, the Forest Service is working
with local and state agencies, to provide current information about the
gathering. Since the Rainbow Family selected their gathering site, the Forest
Service has been making daily contacts with local businesses and responding to
information from those contacts with the appropriate local and state agencies
and law enforcement.
The Rainbow Family
selects a site generally two weeks prior to the height of the event where
smaller groups will begin to arrive to set up their infrastructure. Others will
slowly begin to move in the week before the main event. Generally, the
gathering dates are from July 1 to 7 with July 4 considered as the peak in
terms of gatherers on sight.
The Forest Service
is updating two information boards in Hill City to provide current information
related to the 2015 National Rainbow Family Gathering. One information board is
located at Krull’s Market at 531 E. Main Street and the other board is near
Integrity Realty at 296 Main Street.
