The Poison Springs State Forest encompasses in
Ouachita and
Nevada
Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
counties in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
Arkansas
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...
, and is under the authority of the
Arkansas Forestry Commission
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
(AFC). The name derives from the 1864
Battle of Poison Spring
The Battle of Poison Spring was fought in Ouachita County, Arkansas on April 18, 1864, as part of the Camden Expedition, during the American Civil War. A Union force commanded by Major General Frederick Steele had moved from Little Rock, Arka ...
, so-called because of a legend about the poisoning of local water at the time of the battle. The actual battle site is preserved as
Poison Springs Battleground State Park
Poison Springs Battleground State Park is an Arkansas state park located southeast of Bluff City. It commemorates the Battle of Poison Spring in the American Civil War, which was part of the 1864 Camden Expedition, an element of a Union Army in ...
, located on inside the forest.
Within the forest are numerous campsites, with more than 350 annual permits issued. The
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is a state agency of Arkansas, headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Steve N. Wilson of Norfork, Arkansas joined the agency in 1968 and became its director in 1979. He resigned in 2000 and died in 2021. I ...
(AGFC) oversees hunting and fishing on of the forest that it designated a Wildlife Management Area in 1972, qualifying it for Protected Area status. Within that area, management is split between two state agencies. The AGFC oversees the management of the Poison Springs State Forest Sand Barren portion, while the
Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission
Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage la ...
(ANHC) oversees management of the Arkansas Oak Natural Area and the Oak-Pine Forest Preserve Natural Area.
References
External links
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Protected areas of Nevada County, Arkansas
Protected areas of Ouachita County, Arkansas
{{Protected areas of Arkansas