State In Line For New Wildlife Management Area
August 29, 2007
Zoie Clift, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
A new wildlife preserve will soon be open in Arkansas. Slated to open in September, the Moro Big Pine Wildlife Management Area will protect native loblolly-shortleaf pine forests, one of the least-protected plant communities in the nation, and wildlife such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, which have been classified as endangered since 1970.
The new Wildlife Management Area was made possible by a conservation easement several state agencies and a non-profit purchased from Potlatch Forest Holdings, Inc., one of the state’s largest timber companies. Under the agreement with Potlatch, which will keep ownership of the land, timber operations and hunting will continue.
"It is certainly an ecologically significant area, and one that faces immediate threats," said Karen Smith, director of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. "Conserving this area means saving a part of Arkansas’s heritage."
Smith said the preserve, located in south Arkansas between Hampton and El Dorado, stands out because it offers a chance for large landscape-scale conservation. The new WMA will be less than five miles from Moro Bay State Park and the 65,000-acre Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.
"At almost 16,000 acres, this will be the largest site in the System of Natural Areas," she added. "It will also be the largest conservation easement ever established in the state."
Visitors to the area will be able to hunt as well as bird watch and enjoy nature. Camping will also be available at designated locations. "This WMA fills a major void geographically in the southeast part of the state where outdoor opportunities have been largely limited to timber company properties and expensive leases," said Loren Hitchcock, deputy director at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
As a condition of the easement, project partners developed a forest management plan that includes a wildlife section and guidelines for harvesting timber. The project ensures the land will remain forested, provide habitat for wildlife and be open to the public. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will manage public access and activities, including hunting, at the new WMA.
A dedication ceremony has been set for Sept. 13. For more details and updates on the project, e-mail lmhitchcock@agfc.state.ar.us or visit www.agfc.com.
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Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Zoie Clift, travel writer
Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism
A new wildlife preserve will soon be open in Arkansas. Slated to open in September, the Moro Big Pine Wildlife Management Area will protect native loblolly-shortleaf pine forests, one of the least-protected plant communities in the nation, and wildlife such as the red-cockaded woodpecker, which have been classified as endangered since 1970.
The new Wildlife Management Area was made possible by a conservation easement several state agencies and a non-profit purchased from Potlatch Forest Holdings, Inc., one of the state’s largest timber companies. Under the agreement with Potlatch, which will keep ownership of the land, timber operations and hunting will continue.
"It is certainly an ecologically significant area, and one that faces immediate threats," said Karen Smith, director of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission. "Conserving this area means saving a part of Arkansas’s heritage."
Smith said the preserve, located in south Arkansas between Hampton and El Dorado, stands out because it offers a chance for large landscape-scale conservation. The new WMA will be less than five miles from Moro Bay State Park and the 65,000-acre Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuge.
"At almost 16,000 acres, this will be the largest site in the System of Natural Areas," she added. "It will also be the largest conservation easement ever established in the state."
Visitors to the area will be able to hunt as well as bird watch and enjoy nature. Camping will also be available at designated locations. "This WMA fills a major void geographically in the southeast part of the state where outdoor opportunities have been largely limited to timber company properties and expensive leases," said Loren Hitchcock, deputy director at the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
As a condition of the easement, project partners developed a forest management plan that includes a wildlife section and guidelines for harvesting timber. The project ensures the land will remain forested, provide habitat for wildlife and be open to the public. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will manage public access and activities, including hunting, at the new WMA.
A dedication ceremony has been set for Sept. 13. For more details and updates on the project, e-mail lmhitchcock@agfc.state.ar.us or visit www.agfc.com.
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, (501) 682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"
Submitted by the Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism
One Capitol Mall, Little Rock, AR 72201, 501-682-7606
E-mail: info@arkansas.com
May be used without permission. Credit line is appreciated:
"Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism"