The USFS is coordinating with several electric utility providers to allow the spraying of approximately 900 miles of powerline right of ways across National Forests in Arkansas and Missouri with herbicides. The Utility Right of Way (ROW) Herbicide project raises many concerns, especially for those who live near, within, or, adjacent to our National Forests. This project is also of great concern to the general public who use and enjoy our National Forests for recreation, hunting, and, for gathering edible and medicinal plants and herbs.

Published on Monday, December 17, 2007 by The New York Times
Our Decrepit Food Factories
by Michael Pollan

Forests For Bio Fuel

It sounds like the production of bio fuels from forest products is coming to the Ozarks. How this will impact our forests is uncertain, but I believe there is cause for concern.

Arkansas’elk herd originated from 112 Rocky Mountain elk stocked near the Buffalo National River in the early 1980’s. According to statistics published by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, the herd now numbers approximately 450-500 animals, and is steadily increasing. The herd range covers approximately 315,000 acres in portions of Newton, Searcy, Boone and Carroll Counties.

KEN MIDKIFF DECEMBER 14, 2007

Insanity

Defined as, “Doing the Same Thing Over and Over, and Expecting Different Results” – Albert Einstein

On Tuesday, December 11, Al Gore accepted the Nobel Peace Prize for his work on global warming. His film “An Inconvenient Truth” is now being cited as the definitive work on this issue.

Arkansas is presently attracting a large influx of natural gas drilling and mining operations seeking to extract methane by fracturing coal beds under the surface. This is accomplished by drilling and flushing a combination of water and acids into the earth to break up the strata and release pockets of natural gas. The two links below lead to two articles from Orion magazine (2006) describing the effect this industry is having in New Mexico.
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/186/
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/187/

KEN MIDKIFF December 7, 2007

Coal-fired Power Plant = Global Warming

When “King Coal” was first burned to produce electricity, not much was known about global warming. In fact, 50 to 70 years ago, there was much more concern about a new ice age and gradual cooling.