The first study focused on the history of the Black Hills National Forest, its centrality to life in the region, and its preeminence within the National Forest System, Black Hills Forestry is a cultural history of the most commercialized national forest in the nation. One of the first forests actively managed by the federal government and the site of the first sale of federally owned timber to a private party, the Black Hills National Forest has served as a management model for all national forests. Its many uses, activities, and issues—recreation, timber, mining, grazing, tourism, First American cultural usage, and the intermingling of public and private lands—expose the ongoing tensions between private landowners and public land managers. Freeman shows how forest management in the Black Hills encapsulates the Forest Service's failures to keep up with changes in the public's view of forest values until compelled to do so by federal legislation and the courts. In addition, he explores how more recent events in the region like catastrophic wildfires and mountain pine beetle epidemics have provided forest managers with the chance to realign their efforts to create and maintain a biologically diverse forest that can better resist natural and human disturbances. This study of the Black Hills offers an excellent prism through which to view the history of the US Forest Service's land management policies. Foresters, land managers, and regional historians will find Black Hills Forestry a valuable resource.

Discover the beauty of the Black Hills Country, stretching from western South Dakota to eastern Wyoming. Concise descriptions and detailed maps for fifty-eight trails allow hikers of all levels to reach splendid and solitary fishing holes, get fit in the outdoors, and learn about the region's history. Hiking the Black Hills Country provides the latest information to plan a customized trip: - Popular landmarks, common hikes, and hidden gems. - Detailed maps and trail descriptions, complete with GPS coordinates. - Insightful hike overviews, details on distance, difficulty, canine compatibility, and more. From Mount Rushmore to French Creek, and the peak of Black Elk to the Red Valley, the 6,000 square miles of the Black Hills are as wild and free as the Great Plains can be. - Find hikes suited to every ability. - Experience the thrill of hiking through human and geological history. - Discover epic cave formations, spectacular views, and more. With short hikes and overnight adventures, Hiking the Black Hills Country has everything you need to explore one of America's most gorgeous landscapes.