Dave Donaldson Black River renovation meetings Saturday

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will host two public meetings Feb. 10 in northeast Arkansas to address future renovations to Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area and other waterfowl-focused areas. The first meeting will be 9-11 a.m. at the Pocahontas Junior High gymnasium at 2405 N. Park St. It will be followed by a meeting from 2-4 p.m. at the Nettleton High School Cafeteria at 4201 Chieftain Lane in Jonesboro.

The AGFC will present an update on infrastructure improvements and wetland management modifications to conserve the bottomland hardwood forest within Dave Donaldson Black River. Additional information about Shirey Bay Rainey Brake WMA, Bayou DeView WMA and Henry Gray Hurricane Lake WMA also will be available. These improvements will balance maintaining valuable habitat for ducks now and in the future with the wants and desires of the waterfowling public to ensure both short-term and long-term waterfowl hunting opportunities on these famous public duck-hunting areas.

“Public input, understanding and support of our management goals and actions are critical to the success of saving our greentree reservoirs,” AGFC Director Austin Booth said. “These in-person meetings will let us talk one-on-one with those who attend to help break down any concerns and answer questions.”

After a brief introduction and overview of renovations planned at Dave Donaldson WMA’s Greentree Reservoirs, the AGFC will host a question-and-answer session to help cover any concerns or confusion about the overall project goals and methods. Once the question-and-answer session has concluded, participants will be able to visit in small groups or one-on-one with AGFC staff at multiple stations to address questions that are more specific to individual portions of the WMA or other greentree reservoirs.

“Conserving Arkansas’s famous green timber duck hunting is something that the AGFC is passionate about, and it requires much more than the status quo,” Booth said. “If we hope to pass down this treasure to our children and their children, we have to act now to do what we know is necessary for the health of the forests that provide these fantastic opportunities. I hope everyone has an opportunity to attend and help be a part of ensuring duck hunting’s future.”

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CUTLINES:

CROWD MEETING
The AGFC will host two meetings this Saturday to update the public about planned renovations to Northeast Arkansas duck-hunting areas.

SPEAKER PRESENTING
Meetings will begin with a brief presentation, followed by a question-and-answer session and breakout meetings on specific aspects of planned updates to public flooded timber waterfowl habitat in Arkansas.

DEAD TREE
Tree damage and death from flooding seen at hunting locations stresses the need for change in management on many public flooded timber areas.