Loading…
H.R. 1612119th CongressPlaced on the calendarLatest action Oct 27, 2025Decoded by AI · checked against the record
The plain-language version leads. The official text is always the reference.
HR 1612 adds 2,212 acres to Flatside Wilderness in Arkansas and bans motorized vehicles in the newly protected land.
55-second read · 4 questions answered below
HR 1612 would expand the Flatside Wilderness area in the Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas by adding approximately 2,212 acres and renaming it the Flatside-Bethune Wilderness. The expanded area would be protected under the federal Wilderness Act, which prohibits roads, motorized vehicles, and commercial development. The bill preserves existing federal authority to manage wildfires, insect outbreaks, and tree diseases in the area.
The bill primarily affects hikers, hunters, and outdoor recreation users of the Ouachita National Forest in central Arkansas. People who currently use the 2,212-acre area with motorized equipment such as ATVs would be prohibited from doing so if the bill becomes law, and U.S. Forest Service managers would be required to apply stricter wilderness rules to the newly added acres.
Designating the additional 2,212 acres as wilderness would restrict land use in that area to non-motorized, non-commercial activity under the Wilderness Act. Federal land managers would face new obligations in how they oversee the expanded area, while existing fire and pest management tools would remain available.
AI-drafted summary. Verify it against the official text before you act on it. Read the official bill on Congress.gov
Right now: it was placed on the Senate floor calendar, and the official record shows no floor action on it since. If the Senate changes it, it goes back to the House before reaching the President.
Latest action: — Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 219.