In mid-July I traveled to Mena for my first look at Rich Mountain, Arkansas’ second highest peak. I wanted to see for myself where the Trails at Mena project would go and imagine what the landscape might look like with bike lifts and trails scattered across the mountain. The proposed project under review by the US Forest Service would develop over 8,800 acres of the Ouachita National Forest into a downhill mountain bike park. The area would be operated by Arkansas State Parks and stretch ...

Earlier this spring a concerned member contacted our board with a question about Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area in Northeast Arkansas. With all the news and publicity concerning green tree reservoirs (GTRs) at Bayou Meto and Hurricane Lake WMAs, why hadn’t there been any news about Black River? (Side note: if you’re not familiar with this topic, check out Clay Newcomb’s Bear Grease podcast episodes 36-39, where he covers the habitat problem that is generations in the ...

A major victory for public lands hunting access was notched last week in the Arkansas Capitol as the attempted sale of the Pine Tree Research Station was closed down. "To put it succinctly, several different parties came together with an interest in seeing that the Pine Tree property remained open for public enjoyment," said James Brandenburg, a leader of the Arkansas chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. The sale of 6,300 acres of the University of Arkansas Pine Tree Research Station ...

The waters flow through Arkansas as blood flows through our veins, and as such we are intrinsically tied to the water.  They feed our crops, cut through the mountain valleys, and breathe life into the soul of Arkansas.  Whether ducks, deer, or any number of game, hunting in Arkansas is a way of life.  Public lands in Arkansas are the great equalizer.  A place where a millionaire and a poor man can share a cup of coffee, a tree, and a conversation.  They’re a place where all the gadgets money ...