Buffalo watershed meeting set

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission, in cooperation with the Beautiful Buffalo River Action Committee, has scheduled a public information meeting regarding the development of the voluntary watershed-based management plan for the Buffalo River Watershed.

The meeting will be from 1 to 3:30 p.m. June 8 at the Searcy County Civic Center on Zack Road, a little more than a mile off U.S. 65. Attendees should turn north on Zack Road off U.S. 65, next to Harps supermarket, and drive a half mile and follow Zack Road as it turns west. Drive three-fourths of a mile, and the Civic Center is on the left.

The meeting is free and all are welcome.

This is the third of four meetings to gather input and explain the process in the development of the nonregulatory watershed-based management plan for the Buffalo River and its tributaries. Summaries of the Dec. 8, 2016, meeting in Marshall and this year’s March 30 Jasper meeting are available at the www. arkansaswater.org.

Purposes of the upcoming Marshall meeting include: summarize the results of the Jasper meeting; provide results from the Jasper meeting; present suggested management goals, costs and benefits of implementing the management practices in the highest ranked watersheds; and provide information on agencies, organizations, and educational institutions that offer technical and financial assistance to stakeholders interested in voluntarily implementing management practices.

The committee was organized at the direction of Gov. Asa Hutchinson to establish an Arkansas-led approach to identify and address potential issues of concern in the Buffalo River watershed. The process is expected to be completed by June 2018.

The plan will provide a framework for landowners, communities and organizations to voluntarily undertake water quality projects in the watershed and improve the ability to get money and assistance from various government and private sources.

For more information, contact Terry Horton at 501-225 7779, or twh@ ftn-assoc.com.