Ozark-St. Francis National Forest — Project Detail

This proposal has been modified to only include authorization to maintain the current existing hiking and horse trails in addition to the mountain bike trails on FS land adjacent to Devils Den State Park. No new trails are planned at this time.

Repair or remove and replace existing aging and/or flood-damaged utilities and associated supporting infrastructure components in the Blanchard Springs Recreation Area.

Multi-resource project to help improve forest conditions; stands more resilient to stressors such as weather, insects, and disease. Improving habitat for game species as well as threatened, endangered, and sensitive species. Improving trails, roads.

The project area for the 2024 Big Piney Burning and Habitat Restoration Project proposes periodic prescribed burning on approxiamtely 245,690 acres of National Forest lands in Johnson, Newton, Madison, Searcy, Pope, Conway, and Van Buren Counties.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) would release Ozark pocket gophers, an extirpated species, in up to two vacant range allotment fields.

The database where projects are entered retires May 29. Since the project is on hold at this time it will be marked as cancelled. Once the project has a more detailed proposed action, it will be resubmitted in the new database for public review.

In coordination with FAA, the Forest proposes to inspect and either repair or upgrade five of its communication sites within their existing footprint.

The Big Piney Ranger District of the Ozark National Forest is proposing a project involving vegetation treatments on approximately 14,033 total acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands within Johnson and Pope Counties.

Multi-resource project to help improve forest conditions with trees that are more resilient to insects, diseases, weather events; improve habitat for threatened, endangered and sensitive species; improve watershed conditions.

252 acres pine and 434 acres hardwood thinning. Prescribed burning in total project area of 2603 acres.

To control non-native aquatic invasive plant infestations within Bear Creek Lake and Storm Creek Lake. Control methods could include aquatic labeled herbicide applications, manual removal, and/or mechanical removal.

Vegetation management activities including regeneration and thinning harvests, prescribed burning and control of non-native invasive plants to improve resilience against environmental stressors on 2906 acres of NFS land.

Install new culverts, clean plugged culverts, repair eroded roadway.

Renovation of the Blanchard Springs Caverns Visitor Information Center and cavern trail infrastructure within Blanchard Springs Caverns

Proposing management of 4 range allotments with conversion from exotic pasture grass to native grasses, forbs and herbaceous species on fields; proposal includes placing 2 allotments in closed status and removing them from the NFS range system.

The Forest Service, in cooperation with the Federal Highways Administration, is planning slide repair of two sites on two districts: White Rock Mountain Road and East Fly Gap Road.

Request to access private property and installation of powerline.

The Forest Service proposes to promote resiliency to insect and disease infestations through the implementation of Commercial Thinning, Regeneration activities, and Timber Stand Improvement with midstory reduction on 2,399 acres.

Mt. Magazine State Park submitted a request for a permit amendment to construct a chlorination building.

Increase of bat roosting opportunities by installing up to 9 artificial roosts and clearing vegetation around 3 adjacent ponds to improve flight paths and overall habitat conditions.

Forest management in the Carter Mountain area of the Mt. Magazine Ranger District.

Construction of a 1.3 mile non-motorized trail within the permitted use area of Mississippi River State Park to connect the Storm Creek Campground and Storm Creek Day-Use area.

Improvement of 10.17 miles of Shores Lake Road.

ARDOT is planning improvements to Highway 23 approximately 1.6 miles south of Cass in Franklin County on National Forest. More info including draft EA available @ https://public-notice-job-040621-draft-4f-mulberry-202405-ardot.hub.arcgis.com

Project to evaluate purpose-built bike trails on the Ouachita and the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests to allow use of e-bikes in accordance with revised FS directives.

This is a programmatic plan amendment affecting vegetation management practices described in Appendix F of the Forest Plan.

Forest Health; Timber Harvest; wildlife habitat and fishery improvements; road stabilization; protection of heritage resources; fuels reductions; NNIS control; recreation management

Restoration of habitat for the endangered Indiana bat through timber harvests, thinning, prescribed fire and associated actions within the primary and secondary conservation zones utilizing an adaptive management approach.