USFWS seeks expansion of White River Refuge

Next year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service might add prime properties like Big Island into the White River National Wildlife Refuge.

At the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s monthly work meeting May 15, Keith Weaver, project leader for the USFWS Central Arkansas Wildlife Refuge Complex, briefed the commission on federal plans to expand the White River Refuge.

Currently, the White River NWR covers 160,756 acres bordering the lower White River roughly from Clarendon to the Arkansas Post Canal near Tichnor. The federal agency has proposed expanding the acquisition boundary for the refuge by 125,349 acres, which would nearly double its size to 297,000 acres, Weaver said. The expansion would include the floodplain for nine additional miles of the White River, about 26 river miles of the lower Arkansas River and34 river miles of the Mississippi River.

Targeted acquisition areas are in Arkansas, Desha, Monroe and Phillips counties, and Bolivar County in Mississippi. The eastern acquisition boundary extends almost to Rosedale, Miss., where the great bluesman Robert Johnson is said to have sold his soul to the devil.

Earlier this year, Weaver explained, the U.S. Department of the Interior named the White River watershed America’s second National Blueway. It was chosen because of its national significance, as well as its recreational, economic, cultural and ecological assets.

“Years ago, we presented information for expansion of the Cache River National Wildlife Refuge,” Weaver said. “That was approved in December 2012. The White River expansion is phase two. Coupled with the Cache [expansion], we’re looking at about 600,000 acres. We’re trying to connect and enhance the fish and wildlife corridor from the foothills of the Ozarks to the Mississippi River.”

About 90 percent of the targeted acreage is forested. Weaver said that is important to control erosion and sedimentation in the watershed and improve water quality in the White River.

For sportsmen, it means more public access to some of the best hunting and fishing in America. On the other hand, it also means that sportsmen who lease hunting land in the acquisition area will permanently lose exclusive use to those areas.

One targeted parcel is Big Island, a storied area with a deep hunting heritage. A similar situation occurred several years ago on a smaller scale when the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission bought a permanent conservation easement from Potlatch at the Moro Big Pine Natural Area near Hampton.

Weaver said the USFWS will purchase land from willing sellers only. He also said that any landowner with property within an acquisition boundary, including a refuge in holding, will retain all his rights, privileges and responsibilities without additional restrictions.

How can the federal government afford to do this?

Much of the money is already available in the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Migratory BirdConservation Fund. They are not derived from general tax revenues and are earmarked for projects like this. The Migratory Bird Fund is collected from the sale of federal duck stamps, entrance fees from some federal wildlife refuge and from import duties on guns and ammunition.

That’s just another example of how hunters pay all the freight on wildlife conservation in America.

Weaver said it would help if all duck hunters would buy two duck stamps. It’s a noble thought, I guess, but it seems to me like buying two driver’s licenses to improve roads.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is derived from the sale of offshore oil leases. Private entities like The Nature Conservancy also figure into the equation to varying degrees.

The USFWS began its public “scoping” process in May. It will continue in June and will include three public scoping meetings. The environmental assessment and the draft land protection plan will be developed in July, and the public comment period will be in August. The final land protection plan and environmental assessment will be developed in September and October. USFWS Director Dan Ashe will issue his decision on the matter next winter.

This appears to be on a fast track, and Weaver said the corporate landowners in that area are receptive to selling. Unless the FWS can dissuade them, they’ll quite likely cut all the marketable timber from their properties before selling, which will compromise water and soil quality, as well as wildlife and fish habitat for the near future.

The public may submit questions or comments by e-mail at [email protected].