The Natural Resources Conservation Service and United States Forest Service recently announced a multi-year partnership to improve the health of forests across the nation.
In Arkansas, the Western Arkansas Woodland Restoration project aims to double the conservation activity on private lands in 29 counties and the Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita national forests over the next three years.
"Both agencies have the same goal. That is to improve the health of our forest lands," said Mike Sullivan with the conservation service. "The project has two components that will restore and improve forest land. The conservation service portion will provide voluntary, incentive-based assistance to private landowners, while the Forest Service portion will focus on Forest Service lands."
Patricia Kowalewycz, Ozark-St. Francis National Forests acting forest supervisor, said the the cooperation to improve the health of forests is indicative of the commitment both agencies have to achieve the highest benefits for Arkansas residents through conservation and restoration.
"Working hand in hand with the resource conseration service, the restoration work of both agencies compliments each other and will be much more effective on a larger scale," Kowalewycz explained.
The conservation service will receive $2.18 million in 2014 for the voluntary installation of forest land conservation practices to help restore, maintain and enhance more open woodland. Key conservation practices include forest stand thinning, prescribed burning, firebreaks, tree and shrub planting and forage and biomass planting. All trees, shrubs and grass planted through the program must be native.
David Long, Arkansas Game & Fish Commission private lands supervisor, said that restoring the forest health goes hand-in-hand with restoring wildlife habitat.
"It will be an additional benefit from this initiative which includes cost-share assistance on high priority forest management practices benefiting many wildlife species that depend on this habitat," Long said.
Outdoors on 03/20/2014