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Showing Off the Natural State

October 30, 2020
Weekly Columns

It's no secret that spending time outdoors in Arkansas is an integral part of my life. Fishing in Lake Ouachita, rafting in the Ozarks, early morning duck hunting – these are memories that last forever. Much of this happens on Arkansas' 2 million acres of public land, which is managed by the Department of the Interior (DOI). It's important that we keep this land healthy for years to come, and I was so pleased to welcome DOI Deputy Secretary Katherine MacGregor to Arkansas and discuss how we can work together to steward our resources well.

We began our time together with an early morning mountain bike ride on the Pullman Trail in Hot Springs National Park, one of the many areas across the country under direct DOI management. With an ever-growing number of mountain biking trails around Arkansas, the Pullman Trail is a prime example of a public-private partnership working to improve visitor experience at our national parks and providing continued economic growth to the local community. We also toured historic Bathhouse Row and heard a briefing from Hot Springs National Park Superintendent Laura Miller.

Later in the day, we hosted a press conference with SeaArk Boats, one of our hometown manufacturers. This was a particularly exciting event, as CEO Steve Henderson signed the Pledge to America's Workers. SeaArk is now joining more than 450 businesses nationwide who have pledged 16 million education and training opportunities for American workers. You may also remember that in 2018, President Trump signed my bill allowing Pastor Roger Harper's Walnut Grove Church to keep their church and cemetery that reside on four acres of U.S. Forest Service land. Deputy Secretary MacGregor signed their land patent when we visited the church, allowing them to make the transfer official.

We concluded the day at the Mona Lisa mine, which is owned and operated by Avant Mining Company. This mine is situated on National Forest Service land with leased Bureau of Land Management subsurface, and Deputy Secretary MacGregor got to see some Arkansas quartz up close and personal! I always love showing off the Natural State, and I look forward to taking our conversations back to Washington and continuing to improve our public land.

Issues:Natural Resources