RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WELCOME Rushmore Connector Trail Environmental Impact Statement Scoping Meeting June 14, Hill City June 16, Rapid City

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WELCOME! The Purpose of Today’s Meeting is to: Provide you with information about the Proposed Action Gather your input on the elements that will be considered throughout the Environmental Impact Statement process Answer your questions

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL Project Team Federal Lead Agency - US Forest Service, Black Hills National Forest (Forest Service) Federal Cooperating Agency- National Park Service (NPS) Federal Cooperating Agency – Federal Highway Administration Applicant- SD Game Fish and Parks (SDGFP) Prime Consultant- HDR

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL Agenda Project Overview What are the phases needed to consider the proposed action? What decisions need to be made? What is scoping? What is the purpose and need? What is being proposed? What else is being proposed? What are the potential environmental considerations? How do I submit a comment? Open House

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT PHASES ARE NEEDED TO CONSIDER THIS PROPOSED ACTION?

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT DECISIONS NEED TO BE MADE?

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT IS SCOPING? Scoping: An open process involving the public, tribes, and federal, state, and local agencies. Identifies the major and important issues for considerations in the EIS. With YOUR help, we will: Take your input to help on considerations such as identifying significant issues, potential mitigation measures, and potentially develop alternatives. Public Input Agency Input EIS

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT IS THE PURPOSE & NEED? Forest Service (Lead Federal Agency) Purpose of the project: To respond to the application submitted by SDGFP. Need for the project: Evaluate the application from SDGFP to construct, operate, and maintain a non- motorized recreational trail and associated corridor across National Forest System lands managed by the Black Hills National Forest Determine effects of the trail Determine the trail’s consistency with law, regulation, policy, and guidance of the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan for the Black Hills National Forest, as Amended (Forest Plan). National Park Service (Cooperating Agency) Purpose of the project: To respond to the application submitted by SDGFP. Need for the project: Determine whether the SDGFP’s proposal is in accordance with the previous strategic planning guidance including the Memorial’s 1980 General Management Plan. Federal Highway Administration (Cooperating Agency) FHWA is included as a Cooperating Agency to allow this agency to adopt the NEPA document at a later date if FHWA funding is requested for construction.

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED? HWY 244 Underpass Norbeck Wildlife Preserve Black Elk Wilderness Norbeck Wildlife Preserve Micke lson Trail Potential New Campground Centennia l Trail NPS Blackberry Centenn ial Trail KOA Campground Sec. 4 T2S R5E Relocate Big PineTrailhead South of HWY 244 Mount Rushmore National Memorial Sec. 27 T1S R5E Sec. 31 T1S R5E Sec. 33 T1S R5E Sec. 28 T1S R5E Sec. 29 T1S R5E Sec. 30 T1S R5E Sec. 25 T1S R4E Sec. 35 T1S R5E Sec. 36 T1S R5E Sec. 13 T2S R5E Sec. 15 T2S R5E Sec. 2 T2S R5E Sec. 3 T2S R5E Sec. 5 T2S R5E Sec. 18 T2S R6E Sec. 12 T2S R4E Sec. 1 T2S R5E Sec. 10 T2S R5E Sec. 11 T2S R5E Sec. 23 T2S R5E Sec. 24 T2S R5E Sec. 6 T2S R5E Sec. 7 T2S R5E Sec. 8 T2S R5E Sec. 9 T2S R5E Sec. 6 T2S R6E Sec. 7 T2S R6E Sec. 36 T1S R4E Sec. 32 T1S R5E Sec. 34 T1S R5E £ ¤ 16 Sec. 1 T2S R4E Sec. 12 T2S R5E Sec. 14 T2S R5E Sec. 22 T2S R5E Sec. 19 T2S R6E Sec. 31 T1S R6E Sec. 21 T2S R5E Sec. 13 T2S R4E Sec. 16 T2S R5E Sec. 17 T2S R5E Sec. 18 T2S R5E Sec. 19 T2S R5E Sec. 24 T2S R4E £¤£¤ 1616 £¤16£¤16 £¤16£¤16 £¤16£¤16 ¬«¬« 8787 ¬ « 244 OLD HILL CITY RD OLD HILL CITY RD OLD HILL CITY RD PALMER GULCH RD RENO GULCH RD PALMER CREEK RD WILLOW CREEK HORSETHIEF LAKE CG Horsethief Lake HORSETHIEF BIG PINE BREEZY POINT PG WRINKLED ROCK WRINKLED ROCK CG PALMER CREEK BLACKBERRY WILLOW CREEK CG N9N 9N9N Hill City Keystone LEGEND Proposed Route US Highways State Highways ! Local Roads National Forest System Trail State Trail ● FS Motorized Vehicle Trails FS Motorized Vehicle Roads Mount Rushmore National Memorial Recreation Sites Forest Plan Management Areas Black Elk Wilderness General National Forest Private / Other Norbeck Wildlife Preserve Boundary Q Campground 5 Picnic Site B Trailhead RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL 01,200 Feet 2,400 O DATA SOURCE: (USFS, NPS, Pennington County, SDDOT) The trail would include: Approx. 15 to 17 miles of total non- motorized use SDGFP proposes to connect the existing George S. Mickelson Trail near Hill City to the Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL A potential new campground Reconstructing SD Highway 244 underpass near Willow Creek/ Palmer Gulch Campgrounds Up to three trail crossings of SD Highway 244 Acquiring approximately 0.1 miles across private land Reconstructing portions of the Centennial Trail The potential for additional trailhead facilities The potential to hold special recreation events The potential for additional Outfitter-Guide requests The potential for implementing user fees WHAT ELSE IS BEING PROPOSED?

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT IS THE PROPOSED TRAIL DESIGN?

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS?

RUSHMORE CONNECTOR TRAIL HOW DO I SUBMIT A COMMENT? How to Stay Informed and Give Us Your Input: Please fill out a comment form and leave it with a member of the Project Team or in the comment box Comments on the project may be sent to: fs.fed.us, with “Rushmore Connector Trail” in the subject line or through the project website Visit our Project Website at: Please provide written comments to the Forest Service. While we greatly appreciate speaking with you at the meeting, only written comments will be considered as part of the project record. Your input will help us identify significant issues that need to be considered as part of the EIS process.