Rep. Hill urges House to approve HR 1612 to add land to Flatside Wilderness

Rep. Hill (Representative from Arkansas) urged House colleagues to support HR 1612, a bill to add acreage to the Flatside Wilderness Area in the Ouachita National Forest, saying the measure completes a decades-long effort to protect recreation and conservation lands.

Hill told the chamber he "stands in strong support for HR 1612," and said the bill is "a model for how to go about considering recreation conservation lands in our national forest." He said the proposal is based on a legislatively directed study issued after a 2019 directive and published in 2021 that identified surrounding lands eligible for inclusion.

The sponsor outlined the area's history and significance. He said the Flatside Wilderness was among the first Arkansas wilderness areas designated under the Arkansas Wilderness Act of 1984, signed by President Reagan, and that the original plan at the time intended a larger designation than what was ultimately finalized. Hill described prior progress, noting a 2019 congressional action that added 640 acres to the Flatside area and was signed into law by President Trump.

Hill emphasized local support for the current proposal, naming Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Arkansas Parks and Tourism, and the state's Game and Fish Commission leadership among backers. He also said the current forest management plan for Flatside already authorizes prescribed burns, fire suppression measures and other authorities to protect the area from fire, insects and disease.

In closing, Hill thanked fellow members and committee leaders for their work on the measure and spoke of the area's recreational and historic importance. The provided transcript ends with Hill yielding back his time; no formal vote or final disposition of HR 1612 appears in the segments provided.