The historic vegetation on the rugged terrain of the Roaring River / Cassville IBA was composed of woodland-glade complexes on ridges intervened by forested valleys (Nigh and Schroeder 2002). Many of the glades and woodlands have become overgrown with cedar in the absence of fire. Much lowland forest has been inundated by Table Rock Lake. Sixty-eight percent of the IBA is publicly-owned conservation land. This consists of most of the Mark Twain Nation Forest Cassville District (US Forest Service ; 53,760 acres, 21,765 ha), Roaring River State Park (SP) (Missouri Department of Natural Resources ; 3,973 acres, 1,609 ha), and the Missouri Department of Conservation's (MDC) Roaring River Conservation Area (CA) (435 acres, 176 ha).

Bachman’s Sparrow occur in glades of the Roaring River / Cassville IBA. Other glade and savanna-dwelling birds include Scissor-tailed Flycatcher, Prairie Warbler, and Painted Bunting (Palmer and Palmer 2001). Cerulean Warblers have also been observed during their breeding season in the southern portion of the Mark Twain National Forest (Cassville District) and other points in the IBA (Palmer and Palmer 2001). Many migrant and breeding forest birds, including Prothonotary Warbler, may be seen throughout the IBA as well (Palmer and Palmer 2001).

The Roaring River / Cassville IBA overlaps MDC’s Roaring River Conservation Opportunity Area (MDC 2005), where the most prominent conservation challenge is the reduction in acreage of invasive eastern red cedar. Prescribed burning is also included in USFS’s management plan for the Mark Twain National Forest’s Cassville District. Encroachment of development from nearby Branson and Table Rock Lake resort districts poses a threat to habitat coverage, continuity, and management.