In the recently completed Black Hills National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan Revision, the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS) was used to analyze the economics and feasibility of alternative timber harvest methods and timing choices. FVS provided data to the Spectrum linear programming model and generated data for the GIS analysis. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) dominates the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota and Wyoming. Typically, ponderosa pine stands are not uniform in size, age, or density. This can cause special problems in the Spectrum model, which does not handle multi-aged or mixed strata well. However, FVS was able to simulate the full range of conditions on the Forest under a variety of management scenarios alleviating some of the limitations of the Spectrum model. The flexibility, speed, and convenience of FVS should result in a wide array of applications for other planning efforts.