Nov. 30, 2022
Keith Stephens Chief of Communications
GARFIELD – The Devil’s Eyebrow portion of the Kirk Dupps Beaver Lake WMA Devil's Eyebrow Natural Area will be closed to daytime public access Dec. 5-7. 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.
To provide safety for the public and comply with USDA regulations, access to the Devil’s Eyebrow Natural Area unit of the WMA will not be allowed during the ongoing operations. Varying weather and site specific conditions limits 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.
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 explained.
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.
For additional information, please contact AGFC Feral Hog Coordinator, Ryan Farney at 501-382-3945 or Arkansas APHIS Director Robert Byrd at 501-835-2318.