MONTICELLO, Ark. – Black bear populations are slowly rising in the bottomland hardwood forest of southern and eastern Arkansas according to wildlife expert, Don White, Jr. Population modeling results from a recent study led by White indicate that the population density of black bears in the West Gulf Coastal Plain – WGCP – of southeastern Arkansas is approximately one black bear for every 5 square miles. The black bear population in the area is growing at approximately 4 percent per year.