WABBASEKA — The removal of trees from the Government Cypress portion of George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto Wildlife Management Area may be a bit more visible to hunters and other recreationists accessing the area within the next few months. A staging area is being created near Long Bell Road to help transport trees involved in a 665-acre forest improvement project on the area.
The staging area is 1.1 acres and consists predominantly of pole-size green ash, which has limited wildlife value and has already been impacted by the emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that kills ash trees. According to Rob Willey, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s statewide habitat coordinator, the clearing of this 1.1 acres will not have any adverse effects on forest management plans for the area.
“It is vital that we make strides in our forest management activities to complete this variable retention timber sale while conditions are dry,” Willey said. “By opening up the canopy, we’re promoting the growth of the next generation of forest and putting food on the ground in the form of annual plant seeds, which ducks and deer need. The sale will retain some overhead cover by retaining the best mature willow oaks and Nuttall oaks. The reduction of competition will let these trees produce more acorns for mallards and other wildlife.”
Willey said that during the sale, hunters likely will see logs placed at this staging area due to inconsistent availability of contract hauling for the logging contractor and weather causing site conditions to temporarily deteriorate.
Forest management activities in the Government Cypress Walk-in Area began last year and are just over 58 percent complete. The sale is only a small portion of the long-term management plan to improve the forest health at Bayou Meto for mallards and other wildlife. A similar project was initiated at the Upper Vallier area of the WMA two years ago, which has already produced abundant red oak seedlings to jump-start the next generation of forest for tomorrow’s hunters while retaining some overstory for people currently hunting that area.
Visit https://www.agfc.com/resources/habitat-and-access-improvement/bayou-meto-wma-habitat-project/ to learn more about the Bayou Meto WMA Forest Health Management Project, or visit www.agfc.com/gtr to learn about the AGFC’s greentree reservoir management strategy.
