Bearcat Hollow Phase II Project IMPORTANT!

I'm just now finding out more about the Bearcat Hollow Phase II project recently proposed by the Forest Service. I can tell you that the Richland Creek area is now a target for more development, including prescribed burns on 13,792 acres, thinning of 8,889 acres, and cutting down 740 acres. The plans also call for the construction of 41 miles of horse trails and the development of a system of motorized trails that address the needs of OHV (four wheeler) enthusiasts. All of this adjacent to the Richland Creek Wilderness Area! The proposed area includes 25 miles of the Ozark Highlands Trail, four miles of which we adopted a couple of years ago. There are approximately 81 miles of primary streams within the project area, which falls within the analysis area that contains approximately 190 miles of secondary streams. The primary streams found in the project area include Big Devils Fork, Long Devils Fork, Richland Creek, Long Branch, Bobtail Creek, and Little Bobtail Creek plus several unnamed tributaries to these streams. One of the most scenic waterfalls in the state, Twin Falls, is at the confluence of Big Devil's Fork and Long Devil's Fork. If you're interested in reading more, here's the link to the FS Environmental Assessment: http://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5342314.pdf.

Unfortunately, the deadline for public comment is Tuesday. Comments should be addressed to: comments-southern-ozark-stfrancis-bayou@fs.fed.us. I'm also going to email Arkansas' governor Beebe, as well as my legislators.

Thanks for the information Bill. I would hate to see this happen.

Rod

Hope your efforts can pay off with a good action plan from the Forest Service.

They have a difficult task balancing the needs of often competing groups and no matter what they decide will make some people unhappy.