A ceremony in the Saline River bottoms on Monday afternoon marked the offical dedication of the Longview-Saline Natural Area as part of the state's system of natural areas.

Ashley County native and Gov. Mike Beebe's chief of staff Morril Harriman joined Chris Colclasure of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission and Arkansas State Forester-designate Joe Fox in signing the agreement.

About 50 people braved the moderately warm weather and the extremely hungry multitude of mosquitos for the ceremony about a quarter mile off the gravel road in the woods of the natural area.

Scott Simon, director of The Nature Conservancy in Arkansas, in opening the program noted that the pine flatwoods eco system is an important foundation for Arkansas' economy but also a "whole host of rare habitats found nowhere else in the world other than in Arkansas and a little bit in Louisiana." He said that preserving the land happened "because you all have decided to work together on a place like this." The result of the efforts is "basically creating a string of beautiful pearls across South Arkansas," Simon said, "and that's what we are here to celebrate today."

Those local funds, Smith said, are special because with threatened species, the local funds can leverage millions of federal dollars.

Jennifer Akin, a conservation biologist with the Natural Heritage Commission, said that ecologically, "this place is very rare." She noted that the natural area protects three miles of the Saline River, one of the most species rich rivers in the state. The project will protect nine mussel types, she said, three of which are federally endangered. Mussels are one of the most unprotected species, she noted. The area also has habitat for the red cockaded woodpecker, another federally endangered species.

Akin said that the pine areas like the Longview-Saline area have been the second least protected type of woodland. She said that the area will be "a large pearl: connecting other areas such as the Warren Prairie and Felsenthal. Longview-Saline is a stepping stone in conservation, she said, part of a conservation corridor from northern Louisiana to central Arkansas.

Bryan Rupar of Natural Heritage thanked Molpus Timberlands for the company's cooperation noting that transactions like the Longview-Saline area could not take place "without all these partners working together." He also introduced Ricky Chastain of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission who said that the area will be open for hunting.

In introducing Harriman, Simon said that one of the things that the people can be proudest of in Arkansas is how they are led, citing Harriman and Gov. Beebe.

In his comments, Harriman recalled fishing in the Saline River and hunting in the Saline River bottoms while he was growing up as well as Sunday afternoon trips to the Ozment's Bluff swimming hole on the river.

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Harriman Heads Dedication of New Saline-Longview Natural Area