NPS seeks Rushmore fireworks comments

By: 
Gray Hughes and Leslie Silverman

The National Park Service (NPS) has announced the next steps for the return of fireworks to Mount Rushmore National Memorial for the first time in 11 years.

A draft environmental assessment is available for public review, which explores the return of fireworks to the memorial in a way that protects the memorial, the environment and park visitors.

“I share in President (Donald Trump) and secretary (David Bernhardt’s) commitment to bringing back fireworks to this iconic American landmark,” said assistant secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks, Rob Wallace, in a release. “We’re excited to continue working with the community and its leaders as we plan this celebration of our nation’s birth.”

Public comment for the proposed fireworks celebration at Mount Rushmore are now being accepted on the NPS project website (parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?projectId=89009) and are open to March 30.

The sessions are described as an “open-house style meeting” and last for two hours each. There are sessions in Rapid City, Custer and Keystone.

“Informational session meeting locations were selected to spread out public access both north and south,” said Maureen McGee-Ballinger, chief for interpretation and education for Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

According to McGee-Ballinger, “the Environmental Assessment planning document will be open for public comment until March 30.  After the comment period closes all comments will be reviewed and a decision document will be produced.  We do not yet have a definite date for a release of the decision document.”

The draft environmental assessment lists two possible celebration-types at the memorial to celebrate the Independence Day holiday. The preferred celebration-type at the memorial would be to hold the fireworks. The second possibility would be a celebration similar to ones held from 2010-18 in which there would be military bands, presidential reenactments and a lightening ceremony of the sculpture.

No event was held in 2019 due to construction at the memorial.

No matter which celebration type is held, the celebration will be held July 3.

If fireworks are held the event would include 15 to 30 minutes of fireworks and proximate pyrotechnics displays that would illuminate the memorial’s carved faces of Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt and Lincoln, the environmental assessment reads.

“Other types of performances would occur before the fireworks, such as music, speeches and reenactments,” the draft environmental assessment reads. “A military flyover, depending on aircraft availability, may also occur. The event may be filmed for viewing audiences and distributed through live and/or delayed broadcasts.”

Proposed logistics listed in the draft environmental assessment for the event include:

• Primary seating area for the event would be the amphitheater (which can hold about 1,800 people). Additional seating could be used on the Grand View Terrace, at the Sculptor’s Studio or in other viewing plazas in the primary developed area of the memorial. Lot seven, which is located across South Dakota State Hwy. 244 to the south of the parking garage, could also be used for seating.

• Viewing screens could be placed in some locations to provide for greater viewing opportunities, as direct view of the amphitheater stage and the proximate fireworks would be limited in some seating areas.

• Portable bathrooms may be placed in some locations to supplement the capacity of the existing restrooms and wastewater system.

• A ticketing system may be used for the amphitheater seating and/or other areas within the interior of the memorial. Other areas would either be ticketed or accessible on a first-come, first-served basis.

• The memorial’s parking garage, which holds roughly 1,000 vehicles, could be used for the event. If capacity for parking in the garage is exceeded, roadside parking and/or a shuttle system options could be used to increase visitor capacity.

The pyrotechnics themselves could be set off from three different areas.

“NPS proposes to allow the discharge of certain sizes and types of fireworks, including proximate pyrotechnics, at three areas: the amphitheater area, the talus slope and Presidential Trail area, and the Hall of Records area,” the draft environmental assessment reads. The report also states that the “NPS is working with the United States Geological Survey to conduct water quality and soil monitoring at the memorial.” 

The draft environmental assessment does list the possible environmental risks that are posed from holding the fireworks, which includes fire danger in the event of either a pine beetle infestation or dry weather and water and soil contamination.

The assessment considers the potential impact the display would have on the existing forest surrounding the memorial.

“A significant wildfire has not occurred in the area within and surrounding the memorial in more than a century,” the draft environmental assessment reads. “Previous fireworks displays resulted in 21 wildfire ignitions, which were quickly suppressed for safety and structural protection purposes.”

The draft environmental assessment states that the “the overall wildfire risk at the memorial has not changed,” despite efforts to thin trees and remove trees destroyed by the pine beetle.  The assessment suggests that “ the chances of a major wildfire burning to Keystone or Horsethief Campground would be quite low.”

In the draft environmental assessment, the NPS lists what it has done to curve fire risk.

“Recent efforts at the memorial include thinning, chipping and tree removal,” the environmental assessment reads. “These efforts have greatly reduced the potential for passive and active crown fire by increasing crown base heights. The overall risk for wildfires remains high, though it has diminished from peak risk in previous years.”

The United States Forest Service (USFS), NPS, other Department of the Interior agencies, tribes and local and state agencies (including both Pennington and Custer counties and the South Dakota Department of Wildland Fire Suppression) participate in annual wildfire exercises, which involve the Black Elk Wilderness and Mount Rushmore National Memorial.

The exercises are held, the environmental assessment reads, due to the potential of “catastrophic” impacts of a wildfire, which has the possibility of and potential to escape control efforts and burn to the top of Black Elk Peak, burn Keystone or run across the basin to Hill City.

“Fire response services in the area are robust, highly trained, and skilled,” the environmental assessment reads. “Interagency partners train together, fight fire together and offer mutual aid and support through several memoranda of understanding and interagency agreements. These fire response resources are served by the Northern Great Plains Interagency Dispatch Center with the ability to shift resources, including people and equipment, to high-risk areas and active fires without regard to agency sponsorship. Additionally, dispatchers can call on fire response services in four states for response within 24 hours, and nationally within 72 hours. Other air assets, including heavy and very heavy air tankers, are available to respond based on priorities of resources threatened by a given fire. The memorial and surrounding area would be a high priority for local, regional and national fire control resources.”

The draft environmental assessment states that there is a direct impact to the memorial itself when a fireworks display takes place.

“Past fireworks events have left burn marks on top of the sculpture and embedded plastic debris,” the document reads. A January meeting with area tribal leaders shows a strong objection to the planned ceremony. “The tribes in attendance expressed an overall objection to the event and its impacts.”

The draft enivornmental assessment goes on to say, “Environmental contaminants associated with fireworks include perchlorate, thiocyanate and nitrate in addition to numerous other compounds that are released to the environment, partially due to the incomplete combustion of the fireworks. Additionally, fireworks that do not ignite when launched result in debris and unexploded ordnance (i.e., aerial shells). If this material is not retrieved it can break down over time and release contaminant loads to the environment.”

However, the assessment states that the “total amount of environmental contaminants released (by the display) is not quantifiable given its dependency on many different factors. These factors include the number of fireworks launched, the size and type of the fireworks used, the efficiency of combustion, and the composition and quality of the fireworks used.”

The report also states that the impact is “not expected to exceed that released in previous years.” 

The NPS, along with the USGS, would have a monitoring system in place to study  soil, surface water and groundwater around the memorial.

The NPS plans to have additional government-to-government consultation meetings prior to the summer months.

The NPS urges public comment on the proposed plans. NPS officials say the preferred manner for providing public comment is via an online form through the NPS planning environment and public comment.

From the project website (go.nps.gov/RushmoreFireworks), navigate the menu on the left-hand side of the page to “Open for Comment,” then open the “DO” folder. The green “Comment Now” button will take users to the online form.

Public comment may also be submitted in writing to:

Superintendent; Mount Rushmore National Memorial; 13000 Highway 244, Building 31, Suite 1; Keystone, SD, 57751. ATTN: Fireworks/A

Public information meetings will be held March 9 at the South Dakota Game, Fish and Parks Outdoor Campus on West 4130 Adventure Trail, Rapid City from 6-8 p.m.; March 10 at the Custer Courthouse Annex Pine Room 6-8 p.m. and March 11 at the Keystone Community Center 4-6 p.m.

“This is an important step in exploring the return of fireworks to Mount Rushmore National Memorial in a way that protects the memorial, the environment and park visitors,” said deputy eirector exercising the authority of the director, David Vela, in a release. “Public engagement will play a key role in the planning process for the National Park Service.”

The work to bring fireworks to the memorial comes out a memorandum of understanding signed by Bernhardt with Noem to work to explore returning fireworks to the memorial.

The memorandum of understanding states the South Dakota and the Department of the Interior have committed to an agreement to exercise their full authorities under state and federal law to work to return fireworks to the memorial in a safe and responsible manner.

The potential of fireworks has also lead to a promise from President Trump about attending the fireworks at the memorial.

During the signing of the United States-China trade deal on Jan. 15, President Trump addressed Noem, who was attending the signing with Sen. Mike Rounds.

“I said ‘why?’” Trump said, discussing a conversation he had regarding fireworks at the memorial and why they have not been held the past several years. “Environmental reason. I said ‘You mean you can’t have fireworks because of the environment?’ Yeah, environmental reasons. I said ‘What can burn? It’s stone, you know? It’s stone.’ So nobody knew why, they just said environmental reasons, so I called up our people, and within about 15 minutes we got it approved, and you are going to have your first big fireworks display at Mount Rushmore, and I’ll try to get out there, if I can. That will be great.”

The Trump family also has its invitation to attend the fireworks display July 3, if held.

In a South Dakota House of Representatives resolution with 18 house representatives — including District 30 Reps. Julie Frye-Mueller and Tim Goodwin — and two senators — including District 30 Sen. Lance Russell — signing on as sponsors, the legislature formally invited President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump to watch the fireworks at Mount Rushmore July 3.

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