Trump inks measure adding to Flatside
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed the Flatside Wilderness Enhancement Act on Thursday, adding 640 acres to the 9,541-acre site northwest of Little Rock.
U.S. Rep. French Hill, a Republican from Little Rock, had sponsored the legislation, which expands the popular recreation spot.
The U. S . Forest Service favored the expansion, saying it “would establish more logical and manageable boundaries for these areas.”
The extra acreage will be known as the Bethune Woods-Flatside Wilderness, in honor of former U.S. Rep. Ed Bethune.
While representing the 2nd Congressional District, Bethune, a Republican, championed the creation of the original Flatside Wilderness and fought to preserve 91,100 acres of wilderness across the state.
President Ronald Reagan signed the Arkansas Wilderness Act into law on Oct. 19, 1984.
The Flatside Wilderness, which is in Perry and Saline counties, is now a popular destination for thousands of Arkansas outdoors enthusiasts.
In a news release Friday, Hill said the new law would “enhance one of Arkansas’s most unspoiled landscapes.”
“Arkansans and visitors now have the opportunity to enjoy more of Arkansas’s natural and wild qualities, all while boosting the state’s economy,” he said.
Hill thanked U.S. Sen. John Boozman, a Republican from Rogers, for helping to guide the legislation through the Senate, and U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, for championing the bill in the House.