258± Acres Near West Helena

This 258 acre property is in Philips County, AR and was recently enrolled as a WRE providing recreational opportunities for wildlife enthusiasts. Conveniently located, this farm is a mile west of the St. Francis National Forest, a short distance from the Mississippi River, Crowley's Ridge, and the Memphis bridge. As a WRE property, what was once corn or soybean fields have been converted to ponds and levees planted in native hardwood species. There are 4 main ponds with about 3,400 cypress trees planted along certain perimeters of the ponds, with 6 varieties of oaks, and a total of 34,000 trees planted on the property. With food plots, moist soil units and good resting areas, this property provides the necessary ingredients for waterfowl and whitetail hunting opportunities. About an acre of the property has been left out of the WRE to provide easy access to this future hunting club. Gravel and build up material can be found on site.

Wetland Reserve Easement:

The purpose of this easement is to restore, protect, manage, maintain, and enhance the functional values of wetlands and other lands, and for the conservation of natural values including fish and wildlife and their habitat, water quality improvement, flood water retention, groundwater recharge, open space, aesthetic values, and environmental education. It is the intent of NRCS to give the Landowner the opportunity to participate in the restoration and management activities on the Easement Area.

Land Owner Goals:

- To establish stands of bottomland hardwoods that are native to the Mississippi Alluvial Valley.

- To promote hard mast bearing trees for wildlife benefits.

- To expand habitat for a wider variety of wildlife species.

- Establish a woodland cover type to enhance water quality by reducing storm flow and runoff into local drainages and streams.

Current Conditions:

This WRE easement is located in Phillips County in east central Arkansas. Philips County is agricultural raising rice, cotton soybeans and other small grains. This property is typical of the land in Phillips County which is considered one of the more productive counties in Arkansas. The terrain is a series of broad flats broken up by low ridges, slow running, intermittent streams and a series of southwesterly drainages. The tract is seasonally wet and drains out slowly.

Species Selection For All Hardwood Fields:

3000 per species (Cherrybark Oak, Shumard Oak, Nuttall Oak, Swamp Chestnut Oak, Willow Oak, Pin Oak, Black Walnut) and 3400 per species (River Birch, Red Maple, Persimmon, Cypress)

Survey:

Reforestation projects like the one outlined in this plan are expensive and difficult to execute, but are worth the investment of finances and labor because, healthy, well stocked stands of mixed bottomland hardwoods provide important food sources, habitat and breeding areas for a wide variety of wildlife species. Roughly one third of threatened and endangered species live and breed in wetlands in the lower 48 states. Bottomland hardwood timber does a lot for water quality in our streams and rivers by reducing the severity of flooding by providing storage areas for flood water; filtering and sequestering nutrients; processing organic waste in run-off and by reducing sediment getting into streams. Bottomland hardwood timber provide many economic and employment opportunities for a vast number of people in the state of Arkansas.