Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
Continuing the Crook County News Since 1884
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The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard in the Moskee area. High fuel loading in this area poses a risk to surrounding lands and communities. The Forest Service is proposing to treat up to 1304 acres of ponderosa pine, grasslands and hardwoods. Pine forest varies from dense, mature stands to open-canopy woodlands with an understory of grass or dense regeneration. Detailed maps can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=66020. The project would be implemented partly via Good Neighbor Authority agreements...
With predictions of a bad grasshopper season ahead, Crook County Weed & Pest has launch a program for larger properties that it hopes will keep the hungry insects from causing too much damage. The district is also offering its assistance to landowners with smaller parcels who would like to tackle the potential influx. “They are an intrusive, invasive little insect,” says Alycia Conroy-Davis, District Supervisor. “They eat everything.” Hay, soy beans, alfalfa – it doesn’t make a difference, the grasshoppers are willing to eat it. In fact, a gra...
In summer 2023, a new noxious weed was identified in two locations in the Big Horn Basin: one was found in a Washakie County sugar beet field, and another under a bird feeder at the Park County Animal Shelter. Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) is an invasive annual weed native to the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. It was first identified as a problem noxious weed in the Southeastern United States, where it caused major problems in the region's cotton industry and has since sp...
Sometimes, it takes a fire to prevent a fire. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is proposing to target areas of the Bearlodge Ranger District in Crook County with planned burns, with the aim of improving the odds of managing future wildland fires safely and effectively. Hazardous fuels have built up within the estimated 8382 acres that have been identified, such as grass, brush and fallen trees. Clearing this accumulation through a planned fire helps to provide fire managers with areas in which to manage future fires. Though it may seem...
A hundred years from now, the forest south of Sundance may look just the way it used to. The Fish Fire burned through just under 6800 acres back in 2022, leaving blackened scars in its wake. Left to its own devices, the land would likely take multiples of that timespan to heal those wounds, but the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) was on site last week to offer a helping hand. Along with a contracted crew of planters, Forest stewards arrived with boxes of foot-high seedlings to take advantage of a two...
Keyhole State Park is partnering with Audubon Rockies again this summer to provide a series of birding events at the park from May through August. The first event will be a "Birding Walk" on May 4, beginning at 8 a.m. at the Rocky Point Trailhead. This will provide an opportunity to observe, identify and learn about the various bird species at the park. Some binoculars and birding guides will be provided, but please bring your own if possible. All other events will be bird banding events...
With tick season quickly approaching, the Wyoming Department of Health says simple steps can help state residents protect themselves and their family members from potentially serious tick-borne illnesses. Courtney Tillman, an epidemiologist with WDH, said past records show people typically start seeking medical help due to tick bites in May. Diseases sometimes spread by infected ticks in Wyoming include tularemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) and Colorado tick fever (CTF). Tularemia symptoms include fever, swollen and painful lymph...
Spring took a back seat at the weekend, interrupting the plans of the local wildlife, although the storm didn't amount to as much as was predicted. According to the National Weather Service, Aladdin saw seven inches of snow during the three-day event, while Sundance escaped with just 2.2 inches and Moorcroft only received a half-inch dusting....
Paying witness to the solar eclipse was not easy in Sundance, where cloud cover from the tail end of the weekend storm kept the sun out of view for most of the event. The skies visibly began to darken just after 11:30 a.m. on April 8, despite Wyoming not being in the path of totality and witnessing only a partial eclipse. In fact, maximum blockage in Sundance was just 63.1%. This was the last eclipse that will be visible from the contiguous United States until 2044, according to...
Site Name Elevation (ft) Current Snow Depth (in) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in) 30-yr Median SWE (in) Last Year’s SWE (in) Current Percent of 30 Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 2.6 0.4 1.1 4.8 36 Blind Park Snotel 6870 0.0 0.0 7.0 8.7 0 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 10.0 2.3 5.2 8.1 44 Ditch Creek 6880 1.5 0.4 3.6 6.0 11 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 2.5 5.2 0 Mallo 6420 0.0 0.0 5.9 9.5 0 Mount Tom 5560 0.0 0.0 2.9 5.8 0 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 4.9 6.6 7.6 74 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.8 0.1 7.0 10.1 1 Upper Spearfish 6500 5.0 1.2 5...
The U.S. Forest Service is planning a fuel management program for 8000 acres near Beulah and is seeking public comment. The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard, increase growing space for pine trees, restore openings and low-density forest on south-facing slopes and diversify species composition at the north end of the Wyoming Black Hills in Crook County. The Forest Service is proposing to treat National Forest land four miles south of Beulah, 13 miles east of Sundance and nine miles west of Spearfish through mechanic...
The Bureau of Land Management has followed in the county’s footsteps and placed stage one fire restrictions on its public lands in Crook, Weston and Niobrara counties. “Last summer’s moisture and cool weather brought an abundance of grass and other fine fuels to public lands within the district,” says High Plains District Fire Management Officer Craig Short. “This, in combination with the lack of moisture and warm, windy weather we’re experiencing, has created an environment susceptible to wildfires.” It is now prohibited to building, mai...
A gander displays his courtship skills at Sundance Pond on the first day of spring....
After the warmest winter on record for the United States, there are indications that Wyoming may still get its fair share of spring showers. Predictions for the next couple of weeks suggest above average precipitation and cooler-than-normal temperatures in this area, with the temperatures then rising but the possibility of extra moisture lasting through until at least the middle of April. This is a marked change from a winter that has now been reported as the warmest on record – an estimated 5.4 degrees above average for the United States as a...
Counties like Crook may get to have a say in the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) new rules for old-growth forests after all. Earlier this year, the commissioners called for a rethink of the USFS’s plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy. In a comment letter, the county criticized the one-size-fits-all approach and failure to include local governments in the process. The new rules are expected to affect all National Forests in Wyoming, including the Black Hills. Dru Palmer, consultant for...
The annual enrollment period is open for Wyoming Game and Fish’s Access Yes Program. The program facilitates public hunting and fishing access on private lands or land-locked public lands while building the relationship between hunters, anglers and private landowners. Growing the Access Yes program is especially important in the Sheridan Region, as the region is primarily composed of private land. Through the program, a participating landowner and department personnel develop the terms of an agreement to allow hunting or fishing access on t...
Wyoming is still fighting the good fight to keep invasive mussels from its waters. With boating season underway, Wyoming Game & Fish has opened its check stations for the season. “Wyoming is one of the few states left in the nation that hasn’t detected the invasive zebra or quagga mussels in our waters,” said Josh Leonard, AIS coordinator in a press release. “Game & Fish is dedicated to keeping these destructive invasive species out of our state’s waters. That’s why it’s crucial that out-of-state boaters and residents who have taken their b...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-year Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 0.5 0.1 2.1 4.8 5 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.8 6.6 7.5 42 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 7.0 1.9 4.7 7.4 40 Ditch Creek 6880 11.1 2.6 3.5 3.8 74 Little Bear Run 6240 0.0 0.0 3.6 4.0 0 Mallo 6420 9.4 2.0 6.5 6.1 31 Mount Tom 5560 4.5 1.0 4.3 4.9 23 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 16.0 4.5 5.8 6.5 78 Reuter Canyon 6280 0.0 0.0 8.2 9.1 0 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.2 2.3 6.2 8...
Crook County has once again slipped into drought conditions due to an ongoing “snow drought”. The latest data from the National Integrated Drought Information System shows that, during the last month, 95% of the county has entered a state of moderate drought. The western half of the nation is currently experiencing a snow drought, with snow water equivalent below normal at 78% of stations. Northern Wyoming is among the hardest hit areas. Though the southwest could see conditions continue to improve over the next few weeks, the northwest is lea...
The Black Hills National Forest is proposing to reduce fire hazard on seven isolated parcels of National Forest System (NFS) lands adjacent to the Bear Lodge Mountains in Crook County. High fuel loading on these lands poses a risk to surrounding lands and communities. The proposed project area consists of 403 acres accessible only from non-NFS lands at the north end of the Bear Lodge Mountains and adjacent isolated parcels. There is no legal public or Forest Service access to these parcels. For this reason, the project would be implemented...
WYOMING RANGE FOOTHILLS-From its mobile perch high in the sky, the infrared camera didn't detect so much as a jackrabbit. Jared Rogerson, a Wyoming Game and Fish Department wildlife disease biologist, wielded the controller of the DGI Matrice 300 drone from a flat, grassy field just outside of the Bench Corral Elk Feedground's fenced haystacks. He scanned one acre of sagebrush and grass after the next. This was the state agency's top-of-the-line drone, a roughly $12,000 machine, and he was...
Crook County is calling for the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to rethink its plans to amend every national forest land management in the nation to create one overall strategy for managing old-growth forests. In a comment letter signed by the county commissioners last week, the county criticizes the one-size-fits-all approach and the USFS’s failure to include local governments in the process. “Upon reading through it, it will affect all the National Forests in Wyoming, which includes the Black Hills; it will also include Thunder Basin National Gras...
The first significant fire of the year burned an area 42 acres in size on Monday afternoon. According to Fire Warden Charlie Harrison, a three-week-old burn pile on private land a mile to the west of Aladdin reignited at around 1 p.m. and took several hours to mop up. "It smoldered for a while and then got caught up in the wind yesterday," he says. Conditions are significantly dryer than usual at this time, he says, but the lack of moisture and winds can lead to dangerous situations....
Crook County Weed & Pest asks for members of the community who would be interested in a grasshopper program this year to attend a meeting later this month. To be held on February 19 at 6 p.m. and February 20 at 9 a.m. in the courthouse basement, the meetings will help Weed & Pest evaluate public interest in the program and construct a program for the year ahead. Discussions will include surveys, potential treatments, cost estimates, cost-share options and the next steps for the potential program. Contact Alycia or Sophie if you have any...
Site Name Elevation (ft.) Current Snow Depth (in.) Current Snow Water Equivalent (in.) 30-yr Median SWE Last Year’s SWE Current Percent of 30-Year Median SWE Bear Lodge Divide 4680 1.0 0.2 1.8 3.4 11 Blind Park Snotel 6870 11.0 2.1 4.7 5.3 45 Cole Canyon Snotel 5870 8.0 2.1 3.2 4.5 66 Ditch Creek 6880 8.5 1.5 2.4 2.9 63 Little Bear Run 6240 3.7 0.6 2.7 3.3 22 Mallo 6420 10.6 2.0 4.7 5.9 43 Mount Tom 5560 9.0 1.0 3.3 4.4 30 North Rapid Creek Snotel 6250 13.0 3.8 4.7 4.6 81 Reuter Canyon 6280 4.4 0.9 6.0 7.3 15 Upper Spearfish 6500 9.7 1.5 4.0 5...
