Hog eradication halts access to WMAs

Six Arkansas Game and Fish Commission wildlife management areas will be temporarily closed for short periods in March in cooperation with the Arkansas Feral Hog Task Force to fight the spread of invasive feral swine in Arkansas.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Wildlife Services will be conducting aerial operations aimed at reducing feral hog populations in the areas. The flights will be dependent on the weather, according to a news release.

To provide safety for the public and comply with USDA regulations, access will not be allowed during the ongoing operations. Varying weather and site specific conditions limit the notice of specific dates of the closures. The closure dates do allow some flexibility to take advantage of resources over large contiguous tracts of habitat.

The following WMAs are scheduled for operations: March 13-17 — Beryl Anthony Lower Ouachita WMA, Cut-off Creek WMA and Seven Devils WMA;

March 20-24 — Trusten Holder WMA, George H. Dunklin Jr. Bayou Meto WMA;

March 27-30 — University of Arkansas Pine Tree Wildlife Demonstration Area.

In the event that access to the areas are restricted, AGFC and partnering agency staff will be on-site to maintain road and access closures, according to AGFC Director Austin Booth.

“We hate to close these areas for these operations, but feral hogs threaten both wildlife and agriculture in Arkansas. They destroy habitat, prey on wildlife and can be linked to disease transmission,” Booth said.

The aerial operations are the result of planning and coordination of multiple partners, condensed into several days of actual operations. The AGFC and USDA APHIS would like to thank the public in advance for their patience and understanding while these activities are underway and apologize for any inconvenience related to the operation.

Details: AGFC Feral Hog Coordinator, Ryan Farney at (501) 382-3945 or Arkansas APHIS Director Robert Byrd at (501) 835-2318.