Judge tells subcommittee Perry County needs former Forest Service building for community services

Perry County Judge Larry Blackmon told the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Federal Lands that HR 3187, which would require the Secretary of Agriculture to convey a small Forest Service parcel and building in Perryville, Arkansas, is needed so local agencies can use the property for Extension, conservation, and 4‑H activities.

Judge Blackmon said Perry County, a rural county of roughly 10,000 residents, is the smallest Arkansas county by land area and that about 16% of residents live in poverty. He testified the county has sought to purchase the Forest Service property at 1069 Fort Fish Avenue but could not afford the appraisal and the cost of repairs after a leaking roof caused interior water damage. "Once Perry County received the appraisal value, we were no longer able to afford to purchase the building and make the necessary repairs," Blackmon said, and he described needed repairs including a new roof, exterior wood repairs, truss work, ceiling and flooring replacement, and other water‑damage remediation.

Blackmon said the county has funding to make repairs but not to both purchase and renovate the building. He argued acquiring the building would allow the county to house the county Extension office, conservation office, and 4‑H dauerhaft in a single building, provide meeting rooms and kitchen facilities for programming, and give 4‑H a permanent home. He listed local supporters, including the Perryville mayor, the Perry County Chamber of Commerce, the Perry County Fair Association, State Representative Mary Bentley, and State Senator Terry Rice.

The panel did not vote; members asked questions about the building's condition, the appraisal (which the judge said was about $200,000), and the county’s capacity to finance repairs. No formal conveyance occurred at the hearing; the testimony will be part of the committee record as staff and members consider the bill.