FOCUS SPECIES NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE BLACK HILLS NATIONAL FOREST May 2007 Randall Griebel Wildlife Biologist Hell Canyon Ranger District Black Hills National Forest Custer, South Dakota Kerry Burns Forest Wildlife Biologist Black Hills National Forest Custer, South Dakota Shelly Deisch Wildlife Biologist South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks Division of Wildlife Rapid City, South Dakota FOCUS SPECIES - NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE Table of Contents INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................................................................... 1 Continuing Education in Ecosystem Management (CEEM) ...................................................................... 3 PURPOSE AND NEED OF THIS DOCUMENT.......................................................................................... 3 HISTORY....................................................................................................................................................... 4 Yesterday and Today.................................................................................................................................. 4 DEFINITIONS ............................................................................................................................................... 7 Protection.................................................................................................................................................... 7 Game Animals............................................................................................................................................ 8 Birds ......................................................................................................................................................... 11 Definition of and Criteria for Focus Species Selection ............................................................................ 11 NORBECK MAIN PORTION ..................................................................................................................... 12 Mountain Goat.......................................................................................................................................... 15 Bighorn Sheep .......................................................................................................................................... 17 Rocky Mountain Elk................................................................................................................................. 18 White-tailed Deer ..................................................................................................................................... 20 Merriam’s Turkey..................................................................................................................................... 21 Mountain Bluebird.................................................................................................................................... 23 Golden-crowned Kinglet .......................................................................................................................... 24 Brown Creeper ......................................................................................................................................... 25 Ruffed Grouse .......................................................................................................................................... 26 Song Sparrow ........................................................................................................................................... 27 Northern Goshawk.................................................................................................................................... 28 Black-Backed Woodpecker ...................................................................................................................... 29 NORBECK-SECTION 2.............................................................................................................................. 31 Mule Deer................................................................................................................................................. 32 Black-tailed Prairie Dog........................................................................................................................... 33 Grasshopper Sparrow ............................................................................................................................... 34 LITERATURE REVIEW............................................................................................................................. 35 APPENDIX A: South Dakota Game Mammals and Birds.......................................................................... 46 DEFINITION OF TERMS, LICENSE REQUIREMENT: ...................................................................... 48 APPENDIX B: Rationale for Species Not Selected ..................................................................................... 50 APPENDIX C: Region 2 Habitat Structural Stages for Ponderosa Pine ..................................................... 54 ii FOCUS SPECIES - NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE INTRODUCTION In 1905, a vision of the Nation’s largest state park was born after Peter Norbeck paid a visit to the southern Black Hills. Peter Norbeck, a State Senator, Governor and eventually a US Senator, was obsessed with the idea of a park and worked for decades to manifest his ambitious goal to set aside beautiful landscapes as a game preserve (Fite 2005). First step was the establishment of Custer State Forest (now known as Custer State Park) in 1912. Norbeck was concerned about dwindling game species such as bison and antelope. He estimated that only 15-50 deer were in the general area but that the grasslands and mountain country could support at least 4000 deer, 1000 buffalo, 1000 elk, 500 antelope and 150 mountain goats (Fite 2005). In June of 1920, a Congressional act authorized the President to create the Custer State Park Game Sanctuary by setting aside 30,000 acres of Harney National Forest (now known as Black Hills National Forest) to adjoin the existing Custer State Forest “for the protection of game animals and birds and to be recognized as a breeding place therefor.” (Public Law 258. 1920). Throughout time, boundaries were adjusted and acreages were added and in 1949, Congress renamed the federal portion of the Sanctuary to the Norbeck Wildlife Preserve (NWP) after Peter Norbeck, who had passed away in 1936. Although the Custer State Park Game Sanctuary legislation and the Norbeck Organic Act (NOA) did not prohibit other uses, the law left little doubt: Norbeck is to be managed for the benefit of certain wildlife. The Congressional Records do not lend much insight into the vague law, except that it was clear that in order to achieve protection for game animals and birds, cooperation between the federal government and South Dakota would occur. That cooperation continues today with this unified document and an interagency Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) described herein. Today, the NWP is a testament to its success to rebound game populations and is home to a variety of wildlife, including elk (Cervus elaphus), white-tailed deer, (Odocoileus virginianus), mountain goat (Oreamnos americanus), small mammals and birds. It contains rugged granite formations and small streams. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) is the predominant vegetation, but there are also stands of Black Hills spruce (Picea glauca) and hardwoods, and small open meadows. The NWP covers about 35,000 acres. Approximately 28,000 acres are within the Black Hills National Forest (BHNF). The remaining land is privately owned or under the jurisdiction of Custer State Park (CSP). The Black Elk Wilderness and Peter Norbeck Scenic Byway are contained within NWP. The Scenic Byway is managed to emphasize visually appealing landscapes in roaded settings, while meeting the overall wildlife objectives for the NWP (USDA, Forest Service 2006). The enabling legislation for the Black Elk Wilderness states that provisions for the Norbeck also apply to the Wilderness, to the extent that they are not inconsistent with the Wilderness Act (Public Law 96-560. 1980). There are two small detached portions of the NWP. The Stockade portion is located east of Custer along Highway 16A at the entrance to CSP. Section 2 portion is located approximately 10 miles farther south and borders the northwest corner of Wind Cave National Park and the southwest corner of CSP (Figure 1). 1 FOCUS SPECIES - NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE Figure 1. Location of Norbeck Wildlife Preserve in the Black Hills National Forest. Main portion of Norbeck Wildlife Preserve to include the Black Elk Wilderness. Norbeck Wildlife Preserve - Stockade Portion Norbeck Wildlife Preserve - Section 2 Legend Interstate Highway ± National Park Service Norbeck Wildlife Preserve Black Elk Wilderness Black Hills NF Boundary 2 FOCUS SPECIES - NORBECK WILDLIFE PRESERVE Continuing Education in Ecosystem Management (CEEM) The Hell Canyon Ranger District of the BHNF is in the early planning stages to conduct wildlife habitat improvement projects within NWP. The NWP is held in special regard by many parties within and outside the Black Hills. Opinions on how to manage the area vary from one end of the spectrum to the other in regards to vegetation treatments (i.e., logging, thinning, prescribed fire or “hands-off”), its current condition and a desired condition. In order to get an unbiased analysis