U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Hot Springs, wants to see work move more quickly to restore the Albert Pike Recreation Area in nearby Langley. The Fourth District Congressman is also enthusiastic about southwest Arkansas’ potential to capitalize on its outdoor assets and the burgeoning lithium boom.

In an interview with The Glenwood Herald Editor and Publisher Roby Brock, Westerman relayed his push to get the Albert Pike campground back in use. On the night of June 10, 2010, a flash flood swept through the campground and killed 20 people. The water rose from three feet to over 23 feet in less than four hours catching campers off guard. Since then, the U.S. Forest Service closed the site.

“We specifically put in the EXPLORE Act that the campground at Albert Pike would be rebuilt. And I know the Forest Service is working on that, maybe not as fast as a lot of us would like to see them work on it, but they are making progress, they tell me,” he said.

The EXPLORE Act, sponsored by Westerman, was passed in January 2025. It stands for “Expanding Public Lands Outdoor Recreation Experiences” (EXPLORE) and was signed into law by then-President Joe Biden. It is a comprehensive, bipartisan measure designed to improve access to federal public lands and waters, modernize recreation infrastructure, and support the nation’s $1.2 trillion outdoor economy.

Westerman is the chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over the nation’s parks and forestland – two vital components of the local economy. He said he’s encouraged to see the Domtar sawmill reopening.

“Those will be good jobs,” he said.

Westerman also said that southwest Arkansas has great potential to thrive as the state’s lithium deposits are developed for commercial use. Billions of dollars are being invested in Arkansas to tap into the Smackover Formation, a rich deposit of lithium that can be mined for commercial use in batteries and electronics.

“The demand for lithium just keeps going up. Right now, we’re seeing the price of lithium going up and this is another thing that we’re working on in Congress. We want to make sure that we can produce the minerals and the elements here in the U.S. and not be so dependent on China. China has really cornered the lithium market. So there’s going to be a lot of emphasis from the federal government to make sure we can source things like lithium domestically,” said Westerman.

He also said there is a new project underway at the federal level called “Project Vault.”

“I was in the Oval Office with the president when we did this,” said Westerman. “It’s using the XM Bank to establish something similar to the strategic petroleum reserves, but doing it for critical mineral reserves. It would ensure that China can’t dump on the global market and drive prices down, which is something that pushes investors away from doing projects in the U.S. because China controls so much of the market.”

Westerman thinks with the reserves developing and technology ripening, the Smackover Formation will benefit for decades from the lithium industry.

“I think it’s really bright days ahead for south Arkansas and lithium,” he said.