Spearfish Chamber recognizes BHSU with Beautification Award

Black Hills State University was awarded the Business Beautification Award by the Spearfish Area Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, October 16, 2018.
 
The Spearfish Area Chamber of Commerce honors businesses and community members with several distinguished awards. The business beautification award recognizes a local business or organization for their overall beautification efforts, enhancing our community visually, and making it inviting for current and potential residents.

The BHSU campus, known as the most beautiful campus in the state and region, have made advancements through their landscaping, tree planting, bicycle friendly, and LED outdoor lighting initiatives.
 
Black Hills State University underwent an extensive landscaping project in 2017. A steep hill was regraded into a gentle slope to create visibility between the city and campus. This formed the opportunity for the addition of a walkway that is ADA accessible and more openly connected the campus with the Spearfish community.
 
The University has also embarked on an ambitious tree planting plan, which has added a total 1,003 trees in recent years. BHSU earned the coveted Tree Campus USA designation in 2017 and in 2018. A tree inventory is available online with Google maps. Individuals are able to find and identify over 1,000 campus trees.
 
Last year, the campus was awarded a bronze Bicycle Friendly University designation. The University supported safe bicycling across town and by improving bicycle infrastructure and access on campus, as well as, organizing Bike Spearfish, a partnership with the city, Hills Horizon, and community members.

The campus has also increased the number of benches and bike parking. BHSU uses energy efficient and dark-sky friendly LED outdoor lighting, which reduces light pollution.
 
“The fact that we are nestled in the gorgeous Black Hills – all that it means to be beautiful, to be supportive of the environment, to make a difference to this community – those are all very strong cultural attributes to this campus,” said BHSU President Tom Jackson.
 
The BHSU campus, which is known as the most beautiful campus in the state and region, has been significantly enhanced making it much more inviting, accessible, and connected to the community.