WASHINGTON D.C. — Congressman French Hill (AR-02) released a video celebrating a legislative provision of his being signed into law that directs the U.S. Forest Service to study additional existing U.S. forest lands located in Perry County and adjacent to the Flatside Wilderness. The purpose of this study is to determine their suitability for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System.
Click on the video below to watch Rep. Hill's announcement.
The transcript of Rep. Hill's video is copied below:
"Hey this is Congressman French Hill. We are in the Flatside Wilderness Area, part of the Ouachita National Forest about an hour west of Little Rock. Behind me you see one of the landmarks in this part of the Ouachitas: Forked Mountain. It’s a beautiful spot. It was protected by the 1984 Wilderness Act that created Flatside Wilderness Area. When I was a Senate staffer back in 1983, I actually worked on supporting that legislation.
"So now, many years later, as a member of Congress, I was pleased to introduce the legislation that is enhancing this beautiful area called the Flatside Wilderness. At the end of the year, President Trump signed my bill into law, which added this area in blue to Flatside. I named it for Congressman Ed Bethune who worked so hard back in 1983 and 1984 to create the Flatside Wilderness Area.
"Then just a few days ago, with great help from my friend John Boozman in the U.S. Senate, we had a House and Senate compromise spending bill for FY19. In that spending bill, this area in green was designated by Congress to be studied by the Ouachita National Forest to see if this area was eligible to be added to the Flatside Wilderness Area. I really appreciate Senator Boozman working with me on this to get this included in the FY19 appropriations process.
"With these two major efforts, we are enhancing the Flatside Wilderness Area, which has become a terrific outdoor recreation mega-area for central Arkansas. You can hike, you can camp, you can backpack through the wilderness area, or the Ouachita National Trail from Oklahoma to Pinnacle Mountain in Little Rock which crosses straight through Flatside.
"It’s a wonderful place to hunt in the fall, or come out here and try to find that wily spring turkey, when Arkansas turkey season opens. It's been a real pleasure for me over the last three decades to enjoy Flatside and now as a member of Congress, to help enhance it so that we will protect this area and make it something special for not only this generation, but all the generations to come. Come out and visit the Flatside Wilderness Area in Ouachita National Forest."
Pictured below is the updated map of the Flatside Wilderness including the new Bethune Woods addition in blue, and the study area in green.
