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Mount Rushmore and July 3rd Fireworks Display

Fireworks displays from atop Mount Rushmore began in 1998 and ended in 2009, with one year cancelled due to drought. The NPS halted the shows due to the higher fuel loads in the Ponderosa pine forest as a result of a pine beetle infestation that killed many trees. Note the burning vegetation below Roosevelt and Lincoln.

In 2020, the South Dakota Governor asked the President to resume the annual July 3rd fireworks displays. The South Dakota tourism officials pointed to the value of the July 3rd fireworks display promoting the number one destination in the state as a boost to the summer tourist season.

The National Park Service (NPS) was tasked with developing

Mount Rushmore (MORU) Fireworks & Pyrotechnics Code & Best Practices Evaluation