Trail Work Begins on Wolf Pen Gap in Mena

Forest officials have begun working on a number of off-highway vehicle (OHV) trails at Wolf Pen Gap in Mena. Work is ongoing on four trails that are the focus of an emergency stabilization project. The trails have been pinpointed as a source of increased sedimentation in nearby streams and the Ouachita River. Other trails at Wolf Pen Gap remain open at
this time.

According to Acting District Ranger Jim McCoy the work is part of an Interim Management Plan to stop heavy sediment
movement off some trails.  A long-term strategy for the popular trail system is in the works. In the meantime forest employees, partners and volunteers have begun the interim work necessary to maintain and, in some places, reroute the trails.

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The following trail segments are part
of the project:

1. The east end of Trail 8, also known
as “Rattlesnake” (OHV traffic will be rerouted to Road 95)

2. Trail 836

3. Trail 4 from the intersection of
Trail 6 to the intersection of Trail 614

4. Trail 8 from the intersection of Trail 826 to Trail 836.

According to McCoy, the future of the trails being worked on will be determined through required environmental work. Public involvement is a key component of that work.  To date, the Forest Service has been working with partners including the Arkansas Trailblazers, Ouachita ATV Club,
The Nature Conservancy, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

On a side note,  a public meeting to discuss alternatives for the trail system is scheduled for Dec. 14 from 6-8 p.m. at the Rich Mountain Community College lecture hall. The meeting is a forum to discuss why and how alternatives for Wolf Pen Gap are being developed and to receive early
feedback from the public about the range of alternatives. Managers will consider public feedback as they start analyzing alternatives for the trail system. For more information on Wolf Pen Gap, contact the Mena Ranger District at 479- 394-2382.