CPFWC Bi-annual Report to HSVPOA Board of Directors

Common Property, Forestry, and Wildlife Committee Chair John Boykin presented the bi-annual report to the Hot Springs Village Board of Directors on Wednesday, May 15, 2024.

“Good morning y’all,

“I am John Boykin, the brand-new Chair of the Common Property, Forestry and Wildlife Committee. I should tell you this is my first rodeo! So, please bear with me as I read my statement.”

“You should also know I am number nine on the agenda as well as number ten. Number ten is this committee’s proposal for an additional two persons. I’ll just keep going and say a few words about the proposal.”

“Here we go:

Wildlife Management

Deer

“Committee member Scott McCord headed up the 2023-2024 Urban Hunt. Scott worked with Todd Noles, Mark Quinton, and many others to take over the hunt management from the Arkansas Bowhunter’s Association. Approximately $15,000 in hunter fee revenue stayed with the POA via the committee rather than leaving with the ABA.”

“Hunter and property owner complaints dropped to practically zero due to a change in our hunter behavior policy.”

“The harvest count was down. The grand total is estimated at 200 plus. Official numbers will not be available until Arkansas Fish and Game gets their computer squared away. No one knows how many the poachers take. The committee donated 115 deer to Arkansas Hunters Feed the Hungry program.”

“The Wildlife team performed a five-night deer survey updating the population data. The information was sent to Arkansas Fish and Game for extrapolation and feedback. Experience says we are making progress in reducing the size of the herd. Example: car\deer accident numbers have been cut in half in the past three years.”

“This year’s Urban Hunt will be administered by the committee and its many friends. The orientation is set for August 17th at the Woodlands with a registration fee of $75. The new season will be from September 1, 2024, until February 28, 2025. The hunt is limited to property owners and one guest, POA employees, and first responders statewide.”

Geese

“Geese are managed primarily through the goose-addling program. Veteran committeeman and past chair, Scott McCord spends many cold boating hours searching the lakes for goose nests in order to neutralize or addle the eggs. Scott had to be registered and trained to handle this process.”

“This year the number of eggs were down substantially; proof Scott’s work is paying off. Example: Big Island on Balboa held over 100 eggs last year. This year, he found just one nest with very few eggs.”

“We will lose Scott at the end of this year. This job is not one just any old retiree can fill. It’s going to take some searching. Scott is a smart, unselfish, self-starting man who knows what he’s doing and takes on tons of responsibility.”

Forestry

“We had a two-professional forester operation. Unfortunately, there is more bad news. Bart Langford rolled off the committee last week. Bart has been one of the most unselfish volunteers in anyone’s memory. He is a highly paid forestry consultant who has donated many, many hours of free work.”

“In July, we will lose our second forester Max Billingsley. Max is a highly respected member of the national timber industry. The former committee chairman and four-year member is leaving in July. We will have lost two of the finest men I’ve ever worked with. We are currently searching for qualified replacements.”

“Bart’s report….39 billable days spent working for POA. No charge. Bart has acted as liaison with POA staff and the logging community. It is reported the timber thinning program generated $100,000 in 2023. Estimated revenue in November and December would be $15,000. Numbers for January – May 2024 won’t be known until after the tornado clean-up is finished.”

“Max is considered our sage of the forest and offers this parting advice: The pine plantations decline remains a major concern for the health of the forest and fire safety. A deep required thinning should be done as soon as possible. Presently, it is twenty-five years overdue and should be considered another developer hangover. It should be noted the health of the forest is an ongoing responsibility of the community. The thinning operation requires specialized logging outfits able to work with small tracts and in small spaces. There are very few small companies in the business because there’s just not much money in low-volume logging.”

“The upside is that David Harper and Bart Langford are on the lookout for potential loggers. The more of these two-man operations we can bring on board, the sooner we can get the disease and beetles under control. Max points out that the committee needs to come up with ways to encourage the unimproved lot owners to make their properties available for thinning.”

Administration

Permitting and Processing Nov. 15, 2023, to May 15, 2024

“Detailed case lists can be obtained by letting me know which ones you need. Anne Shears, our Committee Secretary and another former chairman, is our long-time applications supervisor. She collects all the data as the applications progress. Anne has worked many, many hours creating and pushing the committee’s papers. She knows the contacts and where the bodies are buried. She’s the glue that has kept our act together. Unfortunately, she has given notice and will be leaving when her term is up. That’s not good. Are y’all starting to see a pattern here?”

“Here are the numbers on permits and applications for the past six months.”

Total Permit Applications

“Class 1 – 5
Class 2 – 5
Encroachments 2
Denials 2
Approvals 7″

“As committee members, we do a lot of fieldwork. We don’t just go to meetings and vote on things. All common property applications require a site visit. We try to take all newbies for training.”

“Next, a presentation to the full committee is made. If it’s simple, a vote is taken, and the case is referred, yay or nay. In the case of the dreaded neighborhood feuds or environmental questions, it can take more visits and seemingly endless meeting discourse.”

“The secretary, chairman, foresters, and wildlife folks all have education or skills with a great deal of experience. Toward the end of the year, we will have lost every skilled and experienced person on the committee. Recruiting has become our number one priority.”

“We decided unanimously we need two people in training. Plus, we really need to bring people who are educated in forestry, wildlife biology, or the natural sciences. A career as a game warden or something similar would be great. Succession is something we’ve been lucky with for several years. Unfortunately, all our chickens are coming home to roost.”

“I would ask you all to accept our report. Additionally, we would ask for approval to change the charter to allow nine members rather than seven. We appreciate your vote and thank you for putting up with this newbie. Now Go Hogs!”