Pine Beetle budget presented to Black Hills Advisory Board - KOTA Territory News

The 2013 budget for the Mountain Pine Beetle Response and Hazard Fuels Treatment was presented to the National Forest Advisory Board Wednesday.

For the Green Sale Program that is estimated to cut and sell more than 165,000 CCF, or 100 cubic feet, the Black Hills has $8 million. That is the same amount they had last year.

For the Hazardous Fuels Treatment the Black Hills Forest Service has $2.8 million for 2013, some of which will be used to fight the Pine Beetle as well.

But even if more money was available rangers say there're not enough employees to cut more trees, and not enough room at saw mills to buy and use those trees.

Northern Hills District Ranger Rhonda Obyrne says everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have. "Doing anything to me is better than sitting and doing nothing and so where we do prioritize that and we do go do those projects I think I have seen some successes there and that's very promising it's just that we can't be everywhere," said Obyrne.

Obyrne says help from local entities is adding to the success of battle with the Pine Beetles.