Again, I welcome all of you. 



Now our first panel consists of Frank Davis, a representative of 

 the Governor, Walter Dale Miller; Stanley Sylva, a representative 

 of the Department of Agriculture, and who is a Resource Staff Offi- 

 cer with the Black Hills National Forest; and Drue Vitter, mayor 

 of Hill City. 



Now this morning I want to move right along. In inviting wit- 

 nesses, we ask them to summarize their statements to 5 minutes. 

 We ask them to do that orally. We will place their entire state- 

 ments in the record. One Committee chairman in Washington says 

 a brilliant man can condense it down to 3 minutes. I don't know — 

 not very many Senators are able to do that. But the point is the 

 entire statement will be in the record, if you can summarize, so we 

 can move right along and have time for questions. I would appreci- 

 ate that very much. I have summarized my opening statement. 



So I will first call on Frank Davis for a summary of his state- 

 ment. 



STATEMENT OF FRANK DAVIS, DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION OF 

 FORESTRY. SOUTH DAKOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE; 

 REPRESENTING GOVERNOR WALTER DALE MILLER 



Mr. Davis. Thank you very much. Senator. 



Senator Pressler. And you're speaking on behalf of the Gover- 

 nor? 



Mr. Davis. Yes. It's a pleasure to be here representing the Gover- 

 nor. He's tied up at the State Fair and cannot attend. I'm pleased 

 to discuss the Black Hills forest management situation, the 10-year 

 plan, and the Sierra wilderness proposal. 



Let me give you a short quote. "Throughout the Hills the 

 number of trees which bear the marks of the thunderbolt is very 

 remarkable. The woods are frequently set on fire and vast damage 

 is done. There are many broad belts of country covered with tall 

 straight trunks of what was only a short time before a splendid 

 forest of trees, now charred, dead and useless." 



Another brief quote, "The very large mass of these pine forests, 

 dark and rich and beautiful as they are, are yet composed of trees 

 the very large majority of which are less than 8 inches in diameter. 

 There is scarcely to be found in the Black Hills a forest of old 

 trees." 



Now these lines were written by Colonel Dodge in 1875, after his 

 expedition to the Black Hills, which lasted 3 months in 1875, before 

 any settling. He described the natural condition of the Black Hills 

 as they looked then. He also tells us how they would look today 

 had they been left to the natural forces of fire, windstorm, and 

 bark beetles. 



My purpose here in bringing this up is to illustrate that today 

 we're dealing with a forest in an unnatural condition, a forest no 

 longer being regulated by natural forces, a forest which now rnust 

 be managed by the overt acts of man if it is to remain beautiful, 

 healthy, and productive, because we can no longer allow fire its 

 free reign in the forest. 



Today I am representing Governor Miller, and he is, in effect, 

 representing our late Governor George Mickelson, who only a 



