Nature Conservancy says land donation from Cooper Communities good for Saline River

HOT SPRINGS VILLAGE, Ark. — Jan. 11, 2008 — Cooper Communities of Rogers, Ark., and The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas announced that Cooper Communities has donated 123 acres in Hot Springs Village to the Conservancy. The forested property borders more than two miles of the Middle Fork of the Saline River and is less than a mile from the Middle Fork Barrens Natural Area, which is owned and managed by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.

“This donation, which will become the Conservancy’s newest nature preserve, will benefit aquatic and terrestrial wildlife as well as people who live in the area,” said Joy DeClerk, the Conservancy’s Ouachita Rivers project manager. “There are several documented mussel beds along this stretch of river, including beds with endangered Arkansas fatmucket mussels. This forested area will also serve as a buffer for the river, helping ensure its water quality and recreational value for people.”

The Middle Fork of the Saline River
© The Nature Conservancy
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John Cooper III, president of Cooper Communities, said the donation is of special value to his family. His late grandfather, John A. Cooper, founded the company as well as Hot Springs Village. The Conservancy plans to name the site the John A. and Mildred B. Cooper Nature Preserve in honor of John Cooper III’s grandparents.

“We felt this property was exceptional and would help maintain water quality in the Saline River,” said Cooper III, who is also a trustee for the Conservancy in Arkansas. “Because this land will never be developed, it will also provide a valuable green space for the citizens of Hot Springs Village. The Nature Conservancy has an excellent track record of conservation, and when we decided to donate the land, the organization, which has been working in Arkansas for 25 years, immediately came to mind.”

The property is the latest of several donations the Cooper family has made to the Conservancy, which include two caves in Bella Vista.

“The Conservancy appreciates the Cooper family's stewardship of these important natural areas, and we are honored by this latest donation,” said Scott Simon, director of the Conservancy in Arkansas.

Much of the Conservancy’s work at the Middle Fork of Saline included studies to assess rates of erosion on the stream’s banks.
© Jay Harood/TNC
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The Conservancy became involved with conservation efforts in the upper Saline River Watershed in 2005 when it began a study commissioned by the Arkansas Natural Resources Commission to determine the biggest threats to the river and then to suggest and implement appropriate restoration activities. The study concluded that sediment – which can smother, choke and otherwise harm aquatic plants and animals – made up a significant proportion of pollutants in the watershed.

“We determined that a variety of different land-use practices are increasing sediment in the Saline River, and we’re working to restore some of the watershed’s most troublesome spots,” DeClerk said. “Forested riverbanks, such as the one Cooper Communities has donated, are extremely important to the health of rivers. This new preserve will go a long way towards helping us achieve our goals of improving water quality in the Saline River Watershed.”

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To date, The Nature Conservancy and its supporters have helped protect more than 250,000 acres of natural lands and waters in Arkansas. The Arkansas program currently owns or manages 36 nature preserves encompassing roughly 22,000 acres. These sanctuaries are found in every corner of the state. For more information about the Conservancy’s work in Arkansas, visit nature.org/arkansas.

The Conservancy has protected more than 15 million acres in the United States and has helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia, Africa and the Pacific. Learn more at nature.org.

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