United States Department of Agriculture

Forest Service

Big Piney Ranger District

12000 SR 27 Hector, AR 72843 479-284-3150 FAX 479-284-2015

Hwy 7 North P.O. Box 427 Jasper, AR 72641 870-446-5122 FAX 870-446-2063

January 29, 2018

Dear Friend of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests: The Big Piney Ranger District of the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests is proposing a management project located in the northwest corner of the Ranger District. The Robert’s Gap Project area is comprised of 53,530 acres including the Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area of National Forest lands in Johnson, Newton and Madison Counties. A map showing the project boundaries can be viewed on the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests’ website at the following location. http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/osfnf/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5212180 The purpose of this project is to: • • • •

Promote native forests that are more resilient to natural disturbances by improving forest health and increasing diversity of species composition and productivity. Maintain and improve water quality as this area holds the headwaters of the White River, Kings River, and Buffalo River. Reduce hazardous fuels and increase herbaceous plant species. Address access and visitor use concerns for the mountain bike trail system and Upper Buffalo Wilderness Area.

In the last 25 years, little forest management has occurred in the project area and it has experienced insect and disease outbreaks and storm events during this time. Areas of overmature hardwood stands showing mortality with little to no advanced regeneration or herbaceous understory are common. The remaining over mature stands trees are at risk to dying from additional insects or pathogens. Vegetation treatments are needed in portions of this area to create a healthier more sustainable forest with increased species diversity and tree vigor across the landscape. Water quality within the project area is currently classified as very good, however an inventory of the roads and trails did result in identifying several in need of stabilizing in order to lessen sediment and erosion currently occurring. Hazardous fuel loads (hardwood leaves, pine needles, dead trees, branches and limbs etc.) have accumulated across the project area increasing the risk of wildfire. During peak visitor use times, the Cave Mountain Road at the trailhead to Hawksbill Craig becomes congested with vehicles impacting the public utilizing Cave Mountain Road. This project will attempt to address a portion of this issue. Page 1

The following activities are being considered as part of this project to meet desired future conditions (DFC) described in the Revised Land and Resource Management Plan 2005 (RLRMP): vegetation thinning, timber harvest and regeneration, erosion control, site preparation and tree planting, wildlife habitat improvement, firewood collection, and prescribed burning. Management of roads and recreation access will be necessary to implement the proposed activities. Heritage resources and biological surveys have or will be completed and concurrence obtained from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Native American Tribes and the US Fish and Wildlife Service before any proposed activities are implemented. The Big Piney Ranger District is tentatively planning two open house style meetings in the communities of Hector and Deer, Arkansas, to discuss with interested members of the public ideas and/or concerns for the Robert’s Gap Project. Dates for these meetings are yet to be determined. To participate, please watch the Ozark-St. Francis National Forests’ website and newspapers for a press release announcing the meeting dates and times. The proposed project is an activity implementing a land management plan (RLRMP) and is subject to pre-decisional objection process at 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B http://cfr.regstoday.com/36cfr218.aspx . In order to identify issues resulting from this proposal and better assess its effects, I would appreciate your site/project specific responses and/or concerns be sent to: Timothy E. Jones, District Ranger, 12,000 SR 27, Hector, AR 72843. Verbal or hand delivered written comments must be made during business hours of 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday-Friday at the Big Piney Ranger District Office in Hector or during regular business hours of 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday-Friday at the Big Piney Ranger District Office in Jasper. Responses may be mailed electronically to our office, in a common digital format, at comments- [email protected]. Please state “Robert’s Gap Project” in the subject line when providing electronic responses or on the envelope when replying by mail. In order to continue to receive information about this project proposal and to proceed in a timely manner, your responses should be postmarked or received within 30 days of the postmark on this letter. Additional information including a hardcopy of the map posted on the National Forest website mentioned above may be obtained by contacting Mike Mulford at the Big Piney District Office in Jasper, AR by phone at 870-446-5122 ext. 5136 or by email at [email protected]. Sincerely,

TIMOTHY E. JONES District Ranger Page 2