The Northwest Arkansas Land Trust announced today that 200 acres on the Middle Fork of the White River are now protected in perpetuity. The acreage includes the Stith Family Farm, which includes a family run cow/calf operation. With the help of the Northwest Arkansas Land Trust, Linda and Llyod Stith placed the land under a conservation easement.
“Both my husband and I grew up running loose in the woods and rivers around our childhood homes in the Missouri Ozarks,” said Linda Stith. “Our land has allowed our children and grandchildren to experience that same kind of freedom and enjoyment of the natural world.”
Adjacent to land owned by the City of Fayetteville near Lake Sequoyah, the property is part of the Beaver Lake Watershed. “As primarily a floodplain, this property is essential for water quality,” said Pam Nelson, Director of Land Protection. “Protecting it from future development will help keep our drinking water safe and clean. The project is a great example of how family farms and conservation go hand in hand ensuring local food production continues to thrive in the region.”
According to Stith, the property will remain as an active farm. “Development is rapidly creeping closer to the farm. It is important to us to keep the natural areas and open spaces of the property intact. It is very comforting to know that our acreage will now be protected so that it can remain so,” she said. The Stith family will still own the property, but the conservation easement will protect the land for future generations without fear of development.
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