BUILDINGCELEBRATINGOURPAST,OURFUTURE THE ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION CELEBRATES 40 YEARS & UNPLUGGED ENGAGED
Deke Whitbeck, President Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation
It is my privilege to serve as the president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation as we celebrate this milestone. Here’s to 40 more years protecting Arkansas’s natural and wild Sincerely,spaces.
For the past century-plus, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has stood the post to protect and preserve the outdoors for millions to enjoy. And for 40 of those years, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has been right alongside, raising money and awareness to improve habitat, educate our youth and fulfill the legacy of the Arkansas outdoors for all ages.
If you are new to the Foundation — welcome. I encourage you to get involved and discover the rich history, welcoming events and impactful programs that comprise who we are and what we do as an organization. This special publication will walk you through our various projects, outlining for you where we have been, where we are today and what we envision for theWorkingfuture. together with other like-minded organizations, we have helped to bring the Arkansas outdoors, in all of its glory, within reach of more people. But we could never have done the work of the past 40 years without visionary leadership and the generosity of everyday Arkansans. To each and every one, I say thank you.
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Your contributions have helped improve access for all and restored habitat for myriad wildlife species. And with your continued support, we can dream even bigger as we work alongside the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, one of the finest conservation agencies in the country. There’s a role for everyone and plenty of room on the bandwagon for all who love the Arkansas outdoors and everything they represent to those who visit or live in The Natural State.
Dear Friends of Conservation, Arkansas is a state of many landscapes, each with its own texture, color and mood. From the golden reaches of the Grand Prairie to the kelly green of the Ouachitas; from the sapphire waters of the Diamond Lakes to Mother Nature’s full palette splashed across the Ozarks, there’s never a dull moment in Arkansas’s majestic outdoors.
umanity has long known the salvific elements of the natural world. Aristotle said, “In all things of nature there is something of the marvelous,” a sentiment echoed later by Charles Lindbergh who said, “Real freedom lies in wildness, not in civilization.” Arkansas is a place that personifies thisFromwisdom.theemerald green mountain trails to the north to the glassy bayous in the south, her prehistoric pine forests, gurgling trout streams, shimmering lakes and billowing prairie beckon to the young and young at heart, hunters and anglers, hikers and bikers, the weekend floaters and the lifelong adventurers. They don’t call it The Natural State forProtectingnothing. all of this natural grandeur has never happened by chance. Ever since civilization pushed its way west, humanity has demanded much of the land and its creatures. Time and again during our history, nature endured atrocities like clear-cutting forestry, ill-advised agricultural practices and destruction of habitat at the cost of decimated and lost species, evicted and hunted into Fortunately,extinction.Arkansas’s forefathers recognized the outdoors for what they were — the resources of a place and the soul of a people. At turning points of history, they took extraordinary steps to curtail the damage being done in the name of progress. The most substantial of these, the formation of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in 1915, set the foundation for a legacy of sensible, science-based management of the wild lands and wildlife we enjoy today. Through the years, AGFC has found itself time and again on the right side of history, introducing forest and species management, regulating hunting and fishing, leaning in when wild spaces were threatened and improving the health and accessibility of those spaces for all. Treasures such as the Buffalo National River, Ozark and Ouachita National Forests; state gems like the
(Above) The historic Lion Oil Compnay Hunting Lodge in Casscoe. The lodge is now the centerpiece for AGFC Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center. (Right) AGFC Fred Berry Crooked Creek Nature Center in Yellville. The Foundation was instrumental in establishing each center.
THE TURNSFOUNDATION40 OUR PAST
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Cache River, Wildlife Management Areas and the revival of black bear, trout and alligator populations all bear the commission’s fingerprints. And yet, by the end of the 1970s, this critical governing body struggled to fully execute its mission for want of sufficient funds. Discussions were held in earnest about the formation of a new entity, a foundation, the purpose of which would be raising awareness and money to be used directly in AGFC programs and special projects. That vision became a reality in 1982 with the creation of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
“One of the original missions of the Foundation when it was formed was to help bolster the relationships with business and community leaders across Arkansas, as well as raising funds,” said John Rutledge.
“ The organization has evolved and continues to change with the times as the needs of the agency and the needs of conservation in Arkansas have —changed.JohnRutledge
“The Foundation also has the equally important role of communicating to various audiences the ongoing conservation efforts of the Commission and the different work that’s being done. That has been and continues to be a primary and very important function the Foundation serves. And then from there, the organization has evolved and continues to change with the times as the needs of the agency and the needs of conservation in Arkansas have changed.”Nowhere does there exist a more vivid example of Foundation activism than the role it played to drum up support for passage of the Conservation Sales Tax measure in 1996. This 1/8 of 1 percent sales tax has resulted in millions in additional funds for various state entities including the Game and Fish Commission.“TheFoundation was heavily involved in that effort, and that’s one of the critical accomplishments that had a heavy influence on the Game and Fish Commission as a whole,” Rutledge said. “It gave the agency the ability to expand its budget and was a pivotal point in the history of the Foundation in terms of widening the scope and scale of what the Game and Fish Commission was able to
OUR PAST
4 | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 40TH ANNIVERSARY anyone who knew him, and they’ll tell you how deeply passionate the soft-spoken man was about the role of the AGFC in protecting and preserving the outdoors. “Steve Smith was one of the kindest individuals you could ever meet,” said Bobby Martin, AGFC chairman and former AGFF chairman. “Steve’s quiet and selfless leadership of the Foundation unquestionably marked one of the most defining periods of its history. He loved nature and those who served to protect it. And he wanted every Arkansan to be able to enjoy the outdoors, by preserving and improving it for future generations.” Under Smith’s watch, many of the fundamental elements by which the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation is known came into being, from helping launch the state’s nature centers to the establishment of the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame, a project Smith created and that today is the Foundation’s primary annual fundraiser. “If you think what would have happened without the Hall of Fame that Steve championed, the dollars raised and conservation awareness would be sorely lacking,” said Witt Stephens a longtime friend and Foundation board member. “His vision and grit made it come to life, and I know he would be so proud of the legacy the Hall of Fame has and the prominence it has risen to as far as conservation is concerned throughout the state.” do for Arkansans and outdoorsmen.”
(Below) Steve Smith and Witt Stephens after a flooded-timber duck hunt. (Right) Rollie Remmell, who was inducted into the inaugural class of the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet in 1992 with B.A.S.S. founder Ray Scott. (Opposite, right) 2022 Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Inductee Jeff Lawrence at the 2000 Hall of Fame event. (Opposite, left) Former AGFC Director and Founder of Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Steve N. Wilson.
All new entities take time to find their feet, and the AGFF was no exception. Fortunately, the organization enjoyed exemplary leadership from its earliest days in the person of the late Steve Smith. Smith’s steady hand, strategic vision and creativity in creating programs to raise the Foundation’s profile and engage donors was critical in the organization’s early days. Ask
A LEADERSELFLESS
Steve Smith’s steady hand, strategic vision and creativity in creating programs to raise the Foundation’s profile and engage donors was critical in the organization’s early days. Ask anyone who knew him, and they’ll tell you how deeply passionate the soft-spoken man was about the role of the AGFC in protecting and preserving the outdoors.
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Jeryl Jones, a friend and fellow outdoorsman, worked closely with Smith on many Foundation projects, particularly as it pertained to indoctrinating the next generation with a love for the outdoors.
Meanwhile, the AGFF itself has pushed for greater diversity in its own structure and leadership, resulting in wider representation and betterinformed strategic thinking and perspective.“Everyone brings something different to the table in the Foundation,” said Libby Davis, a hunter and outdoor enthusiast who sits on the AGFF board.
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OUR PAST (Opposite) Governor Mike Huckabee and First Lady Janet Huckabee helped lead the charge for the passing of Amendment 75. (Below) AGFF Board member and outdoor enthusiast, Libby Davis.
“His chief concern with the Foundation was passing the outdoors along to future generations,” Jones said. “Everything he did was geared toward that, and I don’t think it’s ever been more important than it is right now. It’s not a predominantly rural society anymore, even in Arkansas, and we’re in danger of losing the next generation of outdoorsmen. Steve’s main impetus was doing something about that.” Growth in interest and use of the outdoors didn’t just happen generationally. Over the years, the AGFC has spent considerable time and resources making the outdoors more accessible and inclusive. Participation by women in consumptive and nonconsumptive activities, for instance, has exploded thanks to Becoming an Outdoorswoman (BOW), an AGFC program the Foundation helped fund.
“It’s heavy on hunters, yes, but you also have people like me who have worked on prairie restoration. It just means so much, and it’s so much fun to share what your community can do when everyone pulls together.” Davis, a representation of Arkansas’s next generation of outdoor consumer, said there’s still work to be done to include all voices in positions of leadership. But she’s encouraged by the direction the Foundation has headed in that“Thererespect.are so many different ways to consume and enjoy the outdoors, where at the beginning of this organization, it probably was just hunters and anglers,” she said. “Now, you have people who want to hike, they want to mountain bike, they want to ride a paddleboard. And that’s a lot more complex for both the Foundation and Commission as they continue to adapt to that.” Nature sustains us in times of trouble and celebrates with us in times of joy. Refreshing, nurturing, satisfying, we return to the wilds to feel that piece of ourselves that cannot be tamed, will not be stilled and acts as one with the woods and water, standing sentient beneath the soaring kaleidoscopic sky. And while many a poet and philosopher have been moved to put Mother Nature to words, sonnet and song, the most profound statements about her glory are the moments we are left speechless, our vocabulary failing us, awestruck into silence. Thanks to the work of the Game and Fish Foundation, the Game and Fish Commission, hundreds of employees and volunteers and countless donors who have worked and invested faithfully through the years, Arkansas still inspires such reactions. Standing tall, she is more than ever the embodiment of her moniker, The Natural State. Or, as she is more commonly and proudly known — home.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, formed in 1982, also played an integral role in drumming up support for the measure, commu nicating its benefits and barnstorm ing the state on a series of informa tional presentations. Audiences were not always receptive at these whistle stops but officials persisted, knowing what was at stake.
By the time a third attempt rolled around, AGFC had aligned itself with a coalition of other state entities who were experiencing their own funding crises. Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, Department of Arkansas Heritage and Keep Arkansas Beautiful Commission joined AGFC to build a grassroots and legislative base.
Money collected over the years has repaired campgrounds, renovated lodges, cabins and historic struc tures, built boat ramps at wildlife management areas, added wildlife enforcement officers, cleared hiking trails at natural areas and helped stoke the campaign to keep The Natural State free of litter.
When taxpayers called for more educational and cultural opportunities in Arkansas, the funds helped build and improve nature centers and museums statewide. And the funds have also helped acquire thousands of acres to be set aside for wildlife management and habitat protection, expand state parks and other projects that preserve and protect natural and cultural settings for all generations of Arkansans.
FUNDING THE FUTURE
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In November 1996, the measure passed by the slimmest of margins with 50.6 percent of the vote. Since that time, the Conservation Sales Tax has paid off handsomely for all who love and enjoy the Arkansas outdoors, state parks and attractions.
Other than the establishment of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission itself, passage of the Conservation Sales Tax initiative in 1996 represented the single biggest step forward for the state’s habitats and species. In the late 20th century, efforts to protect and preserve Arkansas’s natural and cultural resources were stymied by a lack of funds. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission received no general revenue alloca tion and as the gap grew between cost of operations and funding levels, officials were worried about having to cut back hunting and fish stocking for lack of Aftermoney.Missouri passed its own statewide sales tax earmarked for conservation in 1976, Arkansas advo cates pushed to duplicate the feat.
The 1/8 of a cent sales tax proved a hard sell in 1984 and 1986 when constitutional amendments to allow it both went down in defeat.
WEWHATDO
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The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation was established to support the work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in the preservation and improvement of wild species and their habitats, improving quality and access to natural areas and providing for future generations’ enjoyment of the outdoors. We accomplish this goal through our yearly slate of events and various projects, put on by capable volunteers throughout Arkansas.
“ From the very beginning, it’s reallyonoroutthem.howtooutdoorsithooksItlikedmattereverybody,welcomednowhatyoutodooutdoors.wasn’tjustaboutandbullets,wasabouttheandhowenjoythemandtoprotectWhetherofbrillianceluck,we’vehitsomethingthatworks.RandyWilbourn
But for Wilbourn, a 2013 Hall of Fame inductee, the event is much more personal than dollars raised, as it is for the many other inductees through the years, representing the best of the best among Arkansas’s conservationists and outdoors legends. “Being inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame means you have contributed to the availability of the outdoors in Arkansas,” he said. “That’s a broad term, but if you look at the people who are in there, you have everything from a woman who’s a world champion duck caller to biologists to people who build boats, professional fishermen and people who work for or as part of the state’s environmental regulatory agencies, organizations like Audubon and Ducks Unlimited. It’s a very broad brush.”Theidea for a Hall of Fame, both as an honorarium and fundraising event, was the brainchild of AGFF President Steve Smith and has grown to welcome crowds as large as 1,500 outdoors enthusiasts who enjoy dinner and drinks as well as drop thousands on an impressive array of live and silent auction“We’veitems.been successful traditionally because we’ve known our audience, and we’ve paid attention to the basics so that the event makes money,” Wilbourn said. “I have been involved with organizations in the past that have these great big events and really that’s what it’s about, the event. But with our banquet, we’ve always worked to make sure we’ve pro vided a good meal, and we’ve charged for the things we should charge for withoutAnotherovercharging.”hard-learned lesson was controlling the flow of the evening, something that improved greatly with prerecorded profiles of honorees versus allowing them to make remarks.
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“From the very beginning, it’s wel comed everybody, no matter what you liked to do outdoors. It wasn’t just about hooks and bullets; it was about the out doors and how to enjoy them and how to protect them. Whether out of bril liance or luck, we’ve hit on something that really works.”
FAME
BEST
ARKANSAS OUTDOOR HALL
“We’ve worked really hard on making it easy for people to get in and out of the event on time,” Wilbourn said. “We try to get people out of there by 9 at night, which is relatively early. I’m sure the bars down there on Clinton Avenue are happy for “Controllingthat. the timing of the show equates to the show being fun, and if it’s fun, then people will contribute. Once a person gets up there and pulls a wad of paper out of his pocket and starts talking about his second-grade teacher, you know you’re screwed. People are not going to sit there and bid on those auction items at 11 at night.”
Wilbourn stepped back from the committee about three years ago to allow the next generation to take over. But he’s never strayed too far away from it, serving as a willing adviser to the next generation. And from what he’s seen thus far, the event is in very good hands. “It’s always been an event anybody in Arkansas would be comfortable walking into and taking part in,” Wilbourn said. “Years ago, we were having a discus sion with the Foundation Executive Committee about the banquet, and one of the members suggested we make it a black-tie event and kind of ‘upgrade’ it a little. There were probably 12 people in the room and 11 of them looked at that guy and laughed.
THE OF THE BEST OF
rkansas native and lifetime outdoors enthusiast Randy Wilbourn has many accom plishments to his credit, not the least of which has been his years as chairman of the organizing committee for the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame, the cornerstone event of the year for the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. Held in August, the event is among the most visible of Foundation activities and certainly the most vital, as funds raised during the evening provide the lion’s share of the organization’s annual operating budget.
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Since the event’s inception in 1992, over 100 stalwarts of conservation have been inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame, and millions of dollars have been raised supporting the year-around work of the Foundation.
THE ART OF THE HUNT
(Above) The 2010 Arkansas Duck Stamp, “Olin’s Lane Mallards,” by Phillip Crowe. (Above, right) 2021 Ark Duck Stamp “Charging Steel,” by Jim Hautman. (Right) Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson and artist Clay Connor unveil the 2022 Arkansas Duck Stamp. (Opposite page) 2019 Arkansas Duck Stamp artist Mike Marlar.
DUCK STAMP AND PRINT PROGRAM
12 | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 40TH ANNIVERSARY Asure sign that duck season is upon us is the annual rite of pur chasing duck stamps, the ante for taking part in the biggest hunting season in The Natural State. Arkansas’s duck stamp program began in 1981, in a move that mirrored the national program which dates back to 1934. Over time, the stamp pro gram would bring in millions to fund Arkansas Game and Fish Commission operations, but as former Arkansas Game and Fish Director Steve N. Wilson said in the book The Grand Prairie, it was founded on far more modest expectations.“Numberone, we were dead broke,” he said of the pre-stamp days. “We were just living from hand to mouth, literally. That’s why the prospect of some revenue from a duck stamp sounded like a winwin for us.” The novelty of the first year’s stamp spurred sales, but officials quickly recog nized for long-term success, they needed a stalwart hand on the rudder guiding the program. Enter Jonesboro business man Larry Grisham, whose holdings included an art dealership, giving him an in with major wildlife artists across the“Icountry.cameto that table the first year with Maynard Reece but was pretty much told it had already been decided who was going to do the first stamp, which is fine,” Grisham remembered. “My first year with the program was in 1982 working on the second stamp. We actually sold more prints in 1982 than we did in the first year.” Grisham became the undisputed captain of the Duck Stamp program. His eye for talent and uncompromising quality expectations created a program that was the envy of the nation. “My biggest supporters were Steve N. Wilson at Game and Fish and also Steve Smith, who was the director of the Game and Fish Foundation,” Grisham said. “Both of them were all on board with what I wanted to do and the artists we“We’vechose. had some of the best-known wildlife artists in the world participate, and they’re all very proud to have done an Arkansas duck stamp. It got to the point that artists were calling me; I didn’t have to go look for an artist.
“ It got to the point that artists were calling me; I didn’t have to go look for an artist. The program became that feather in your cap you had to have if you were a wildlife artist.—Larry Grisham
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“Larry would call me up and say, ‘Phillip, this is Larry Grisham. I would like you to paint for the Arkansas duck stamp next year. What we’d like to have, if it’s all right with you, is we’d like to have mallards.’” Crowe said in The Grand Prairie. “Of course, my light bulb would go on and I’d go, ‘Man this is great; I get to paint mallards.’
The program became that feather in your cap you had to have if you were a wildlifePhillipartist.”Crowe, who painted multiple duck stamps, said the experience brought out his very best, both to meet Grisham’s expectations and to measure up to a leg endary roster of outdoors artists.
“But also, I had an idol in the art world, a guy named David Maass, who’d done some Arkansas stamps. Dave and I got to be friends over the years, and he still stands out to me as one of the best of the Grishambest.”remains close to the manage ment of the duck stamp program. His business card reads “Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Wildlife Director.” In that role, the 85-year-old is still lending his eye and his opinion on each year’s artwork, thus maintaining the high standards that sets the Arkansas Duck Stamp and Print program apart. “It’s pretty simple if you think about it,” he said. “No matter where you are in the United States, if you’re an outdoorsman and the subject of duck hunting comes up, it immediately goes to Arkansas. We are the state. It’s kind of like if you’re going to hunt pheasant, you’ve got to go to South Dakota. It’s the same way with Arkansas duck hunting. We’ve built a program that’s worthy of representing that and continues to gen erate funds to help maintain the ducks and their habitat.”
A few years ago, Milligan, who sits on the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation board and is a past chairman, was contacted by Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner Bobby Martin, who advised him to be prepared to receive guests at his office. “Bobby, at the time, was the chairman of the Foundation board, and I was the vice chairman,” Milligan remembers. “He says, ‘Randy, we’ve been kind of beating around the bush on this shooting complex, and Jacksonville has contacted me. I’ve got six or seven guys going to be at your office at 10 this morning.’ Sure
THETARGETINGFUTURE
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YOUTH SHOOTING SPORTS PROMOTES RESPONSIBLE FIREARM USE Arkansas youth from all walks of life have the opportunity to make new friends and be part of a team while developing responsible firearm habits through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Youth Shooting Sports Program (AYSSP), supported by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation.
Everychampionships.year,YouthShooting Sports reaches over 5,000 young people — youth who have learned proper, safe handling of their firearm and are ready to take their place in the proud tradition of the Arkansas outdoors.
“I grew up in a small town around Batesville with great parents,” he said. “Dad took me hunting and fishing. We grew up hunting and fishing. But you look around now, and the kids have video games and you don’t see the kids in the outdoors like you used to. “I want to have the kids in the outdoors. I would love to see kids nowadays get to experience what I got to when I grew up. That’s important.”
n any given day, shooters from all over Central Arkansas make the short drive to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Shooting Sports Complex in Jacksonville, a state-of-the-art facility that’s home to prestigious competitions and afternoons of family bonding alike. Randy Milligan loves visiting the range and seeing the camaraderie and wisdom of one generation handed down to the next in the form of responsible and informed use of firearms. And he’s gratified to know that tradition will continue thanks to the presence of the $4 million shooting complex.
JACKSONVILLE SHOOTING SPORTS COMPLEX
Youth Shooting Sports is com prised of two divisions: junior (grades 6-8) and senior (grades 9-12). Homeschooled students are welcome to compete in their grade equivalent; home-schooled students 15 or older must compete in the senior division. During the season, shooters practice with their clubs at least five times to hone their skills. Teams can represent a school, 4-H Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church youth group or other organization, the only requirement being each team must have a coach and meet minimum practice expectations. Once organized and registered, the five-person teams compete in one of four regional trap shooting tournaments from which winning squads advance to compete in the state
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“I remember being at the opening and thinking, ‘Wow! This baby is way bigger than we thought,’” he said. “There are only so many things in life you can be crazy about or motivated about, and one of them, for me, is seeing kids in the outdoors. That’s something the Foundation is really big on. I have so many friends on the board who all have the same goal as me. One of the most important things we can do as an organization and as a state, is invest in ways to help our youth experience all there is to enjoy outside.”
“ One of the most important things we can do as an organization and as a state, is invest in ways to help our youth experience all there is to enjoy —outside.RandyMilligan enough, at 10 o’clock, in walks six or seven guys from Jacksonville.” That delegation, which included then Jacksonville Mayor Gary Fletcher and Arkansas Rep. Mark Perry, were there to throw their support behind the creation of the shooting complex, in partnership with the AGFF. Just like that, the effort was off and running.
“Then, when we started talking about how big this facility should be, we knew we wanted to provide something first class,” Milligan said. “Our original commitment from the Foundation was $1 million, but it ended up being $2 million. Then Jacksonville stepped up and said, ‘We’ll put in $2 million.’ The Foundation had never taken on a project that large before. “So, when I say it took a village, I mean it took people from the community, the Foundation and the Commission all working together. We’re so grateful to the Wilson family who stepped up in a big way helping secure the site. The Commission was fully behind it and helped design the layout and devoted other manpower to it as we wentSincealong.”opening in 2014, the complex has lived up to its hoped-for purpose, attracting high school and college shooting competitions as well as thousands of regular citizens ages 18–80 who come to sharpen their marksmanship. The facility features shooting pavilions, 14 trap fields, three skeet overlays and a 5,100-square-foot clubhouse.Milligan said it never would have happened without the participation of all who got involved, especially the Foundation, which planted the seed for this major magnet to the area. Today, he’s proud to have played a role in building the facility, the state’s largest.
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SOUTH OUTDOORARKANSASSOCIAL
A new wrinkle in Foundation events is the Tin Cup Golf Tournament, hosted by Sissy’s Log Cabin. Held in June at the Pine Bluff Country Club, this two-per son scramble gives outdoor enthusiasts of all walks of life something different to shoot at before the annual chase of feathers and racks.
“We are always thinking of new ways to bring people into Arkansas’s wild spaces,” said Whitbeck. “The Tin Cup is a great way to celebrate Arkansas’s out doors in a different capacity. We invite everyone to bring a friend to enjoy a fun day of golf and learn something new about the work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.”
FUN EVENT FOR A CAUSEGREAT
No one said conservation can’t be fun! Whether you fancy shooting birdies, clays or the breeze, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has you covered.
The Tin Cup Tournament features mulligans, closest to the pin chal lenges and a chance at a Rolex for shooting a designated hole-in-one, making the event fun for all. Plus, don’t miss the closing ceremonies at the “19th Hole” featuring a relaxed catfish dinner and awards ceremony that even includes a Duffer’s Challenge prize for highest score.
Nowhere in The Natural State will you find a greater trove of natural beauty and outdoor activities than Arkansas’s River Valley. A haven for fishing, hunting, hiking, biking and watchable wildlife, this region offers many ways to enjoy Arkansas’s wild spaces.So,it’s no surprise that the newest Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation event — a sporting clay tournament at Pajaro Gun Club in Fort Smith, which debuted in 2021 — would quickly become one of the most anticipated events on the calendar.
“The sporting clay tournament is an exciting event with the potential to become one of the biggest activities on the Foundation’s calendar,” Whitbeck said. “There are so many wonderful people in this part of the state who have a passion for and a vested interest in the viability of Arkansas’s outdoors, from the Arkansas River to Frog Bayou WMA to the AGFC Janet Huckabee Nature Center. “This long history of conservation in the River Valley is right at home with the Foundation’s mission and message. We’re excited to see what comes next as we expand our footprint to this vibrant part of the state.”
AGFF EVENTS
This event debuted in 2020 and has quickly become a popular gathering in support of Foundation activities. Held on the campus of Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia, the South Arkansas Outdoor Social, sponsored by Farmers Bank & Trust, has raised almost $100,000 in its first two years, while broadening awareness of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and its mission. “The South Arkansas Outdoor Social not only raises dollars, it also allows people to get to know the Foundation and our work supporting the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” said Deke Whitbeck AGFF president. “With the support of partners like Farmers Bank & Trust and the hospitality of South Arkansas University, I anticipate this event to continue to grow in years to Thecome.”Foundation has big plans for the format of the event, adding a fishing derby, banquet with silent auction and live entertainment in the coming years.
FORT SMITH SPORTING CLAY TOURNAMENT
TIN CUP GOLF TOURNAMENT
“The first year, we invested the pro ceeds into some duck and goose banding and GPS transmitter work that was being done,” Birch said. “Through this, we’re hoping to gather data and better understand what ducks and geese are doing. We’ve also contributed to the Steve Smith Endowment, maintained by the Foundation, and we’ve contributed to the Commission’s green tree reservoir restoration project.”
Birch said the ability to contribute to such outdoors initiatives has been a gratifying way to help ensure the activity he’s enjoyed for so many years is here and thriving for generations to come. “I spend a lot of time outdoors. I was raised that way and have continued that in how I’ve raised my children,” he said. “I see this event as my contribu tion to help enhance Arkansas’s wildlife and outdoors, things that have been so important to my family and friends. “I’m not just a consumer of Arkansas outdoors. I like to play a role in perpet uating it and enhancing it and keeping Arkansas at the forefront of those kinds of opportunities to help brand our state.”
“I met a lot of people who were relying on social media for their information,” he said. “Invariably, they were getting exposed to a bunch of false information and wild conspiracy theories as to why the duck hunting wasn’t any good.”
“It’s all about education, making waterfowlers understand more about the sport we all spend so much time doing. We give them an opportunity to learn how they can make things better through developing better habitat, being more mindful about the game we chase and all that.”
here’s not much about duck hunting Brent Birch doesn’t know. For generations, he and his family have spent a good chunk of their late autumn Saturdays on the Grand Prairie scanning the skies, looking to drop some mallards.
DUCK SEASON SOCIAL
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“ It’s all —timeallaboutunderstandwaterfowlerseducation,aboutmakingmorethesportwespendsomuchdoing.BrentBirch
This didn’t sit well with Birch.
DUCKSLUCKY
The event, made possible by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation of which Birch is a board member, has been a hit leading organizers to strongly consider adding a Duck Season Social in Northwest Arkansas. Proceeds from the sold-out event go to the Foundation to help fund the important work of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
Arkansas’s duck hunting is and has always been world-renowned, and he figured it deserved native hunters with a Duck IQ to match. So, a few years ago he came up with the idea for a social event that would combine current, expert-informed information with the social element of hunters breaking bread over the activity they loved most.
“We named it the Duck Season Social, and it’s an excuse for a bunch of duck hunters to get in the same room together and talk duck hunting,” Birch said. “We put these duck hunters in front of people who actually know what they’re talking about. We’ve been able to bring in some really credible, knowl edgeable, insightful panelists concerning what’s going on with ducks, with habi tat, with seasons and with policy.
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As a former college athlete, he’s not content unless his game is improving, so he’s invested time and effort to educate himself on duck habits and habitat, be it at the elbow of a wizened elder or taking in a seminar hosted by a conservation group. And as editor of Greenhead mag azine and author of the acclaimed book The Grand Prairie, he’s also a truthteller of the first order.
So, when he started noticing a dis turbing trend in recent years — hunt ers who were increasingly content to get second-hand and faulty informa tion about the state’s hunting grounds and the movement and health of the bird population itself — he set out to change things.
THE
Even as Into the Wild transitioned from a free gate to selling tickets, enthusi asm for the laid-back event has continued to grow steadily, welcoming more than 500 guests in 2022. Clark said the real payoff, however, continues to be in public awareness, which leads many to finan cially support Foundation initiatives.
“So with that, people understand the impact of the outdoors on the state of Arkansas and how unique we are com pared to a lot of other states around us. That really motivates people to want to help protect the outdoors, and we show them the ways the Foundation gives them to get involved and do just that.”
Clark sold the idea to a skeptical AGFF President Deke Whitbeck. “Deke thought I was a complete lunatic,” chuckled Clark, but the first Into the Wild event was born. Just as Clark had hoped, a decent crowd of 250 showed up for the inaugu ral event five years ago, each learning a little bit more about Foundation activities and how to get involved.
“I thought, what if we have a ‘friendraiser’ to inform people about what is going on and what the Game and Fish Foundation does, because it didn’t have huge name recognition at that time.”
espite being a Missouri trans plant, Carter Clark is about as typical an Arkansas outdoorsman as you will find. The Northwest Arkansas-based real estate professional and father of three loves to get into the Arkansas wilds at every opportunity, both on his own and with his family. “I want my three young kids to enjoy the outdoors,” he said. “It’s fun watching them learn and experience things and get excited about being outside. We’ll go to the nature center, we’ll go hiking, floating, camping, hunting and fishing and all that stuff. It’s something that I’m passionate about, and these are things we can enjoy doing together.” Looking for a way to give back to the outdoors that had given so much to his family, Clark joined the board of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation about seven years ago. His goal then, as it is now, was to discover new ways to get more people involved in the Foundation’s mission of supporting out door education and activities for youth and raising money for the Arkansas START SOMETHINGOFBIG
didn’t even know we had an impact on.”
“ People understand the impact of the outdoors on the state of Arkansas and how unique we are compared to a lot of other states around us.
— Carter Clark
Game and Fish Commission’s many conservation activities. It didn’t take long for him to come up with a unique idea for attracting more peo ple into the fold. “I was having a hard time selling tables for the Outdoor Hall of Fame banquet because people didn’t want to drive to Little Rock for an event when there’s several every single week end in Northwest Arkansas that are all worthy causes,” Clark said.
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“When it comes to people who love the outdoors, it’s what I call a ‘whole state’ mindset,” Clark said. “It includes people who just like to go hiking and watch birds to people who hunt and fish avidly. And they’re not necessarily just doing it in Northwest Arkansas. I think that’s part of what makes Arkansas unique. People in every corner of this state love the outdoors, and if you live here long enough, you get those opportunities to go hunt with a guy from Monticello or Jonesboro or go fishing in Conway.”
D
INTO THE WILD BANQUET
“The goal is just to get everybody on the same page, understand what we’re doing,” Clark said. “We ended up raising a little bit of money, but what it really gave us was an opportunity to get in front of a whole bunch of people and tell them what the Foundation does, things people
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THE GENERATIONNEW
“I think once you’re experienced in the outdoors, there is a common bond shared by hunters and anglers that I think tran scends age, gender, race, ethnicity,” Pond said. “The best part of being outdoors is just getting together with others and talking about what you saw and did. Everybody’s got a story to tell.” Through the Arkansas Outdoor Society, sponsored by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts are lending a voice to their individual stories and experi ences. The group grew out of Pond’s suggestion to Foundation leadership after he noticed a similar program while living in Texas.
The Society has grown quickly and now includes chapters in Central Arkansas and Northwest Arkansas and has expanded its reach into underserved populations to inspire even wider par ticipation in hunting, fishing and other outdoor“We’repastimes.partnering with UA Pine Bluff on something called Academics Afield,” Pond said. “It’s a model the Georgia Wildlife Federation introduced to incor porate college students into the outdoors. It has now shifted focus to historically Black colleges and universities, and UAPB has been selected as the first university in Arkansas to participate. AOS has been selected to coordinate with UAPB.
“As part of this, the university has hired a paid intern to coordinate the program between UAPB and AOS, and they’re also going to recruit a number of mentors on campus. Our role is to host two hunt ing events per semester, which include education about the game that we’re hunting, firearms training, the hunting event itself and then a social gathering/ dining experience where we cook and eat the wild game.”
As a lifelong outdoorsman, Blake Pond has always had a firm appreciation for the quality of Arkansas’s wild spaces and the hunting, fishing and non-consumptive sports that go with them. So, when he got the opportunity to help launch a new group to engage his fellow 30-some things and the young adults who would come after him, he was all in.
Pond says the tactics and marketing of the Society may trend toward the newfangled — the group has expertly leveraged social media to promote itself and its events — but the human impact of the organization’s work is as impact ful as it ever was. “We’ve mentored deer hunts tak ing people who’ve never hunted deer before,” he said. “We’ve taken people who’ve never even shot a gun on dove hunts or turkey hunts to help them have a positive experience.
“ I think once you’re experienced in the outdoors, there is a common bond shared by hunters and anglers that I think transcends age, gender, race, ethnicity.
“Our mission statement is to support the Game and Fish Foundation by initiat ing and maintaining interest in hunting, fishing and the outdoors; raising aware ness to wildlife conservation issues,” he said. “We want to carry the torch for the generations before us to the generations after us so that all of these things that we love, that we enjoy, are still there in theThefuture.”group is open to outdoor enthusiasts ages 21 to 45 and includes individuals interested in a variety of consumptive and non-consumptive activities. “People want easy access to things, right? That’s kind of the way of the world these days,” he said. “For those who are uninitiated in the outdoors, we’re providing a ready pathway for them to access those activities. That’s our ulti mate goal and the ultimate ideal, and it’s attracting a lot of folks.”
“When you take someone on their first hunt, there is nothing like seeing that excitement. You know that’s an experi ence they will never forget, and they’ll want to replicate that as many times as possible. And hopefully that will cause a ripple effect where they’ll share with more and more people, and it continues to snowball from there.”
ARKANSAS OUTDOOR SOCIETY
— Blake Pond
The folks at Trader Bill’s Outdoors agreed to do our weigh-ins. They’re good folks, they care about the fishing industry and they also stepped on board immediately.
Winners that year were determined by fish length, not weight. From there, the tournament has continued to grow in participation and prestige. Even more importantly, Hedrick said, it’s solidifying a love for fishing to last a lifetime. “The kids are fulfilling a mission for us. They’re not sitting around playing video games. They’re outdoors developing their passion for fishing,” he said. “The older kids especially, they’re going through the bass clubs all over the state, and they have to do well in their high school tournaments just to get here. And then the Commissioners’ Cup, this is like the granddaddy of them all. We’ve become the tournament that caps their season. And as the younger kids come up, this event is just going to get better and better.”
— Mark Hedrick
Xpress Boats stepped in from Day One and have been great partners with us.
“We mention kids and fishing to these sponsors, and these people want to help, man, they’re with you,” Hedrick said.
“That’s what’s neat about this program.
“ We made it where you have to have a mentor in the boat. That’s teaching kids how to fish and mentoring them, building memories on the water.
THESHOWCASINGFUTURE
COMMISSIONERS’ CUP
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A lot of other companies did, too.”
Hedrick said he’s not just pleased by the turnout at the events, he’s also very impressed at the skill of the contestants.“Thelevel of competition is incredible and has been get ting better and will continue to get better,” he said. “If you ever listen to these kids talk, you’d think you’re talking to a pro. They know all the watchwords. They know the baits. They know how to throw them. They know how to tie them. They know everything from a drop shot to a slipknot. They know it all.”
“Deke said, ‘Would it be bad if we did it as a high school tournament?’” Hedrick remembered. “I thought that was brilliant. The high school aspect of it would be even better because we made it where you have to have a men tor in the boat. That’s teaching kids how to fish and mentoring them, building memories on the water. I just thought it was a really neat idea.”
Sponsorship was critical to getting the event off to a fast start, and Hedrick said companies and AGFC Commissioners all stepped up in a big way to help AGFF defray expenses and fatten prizes and swag. The 2022 event awarded the top three senior teams $6,000 in scholarships, while the top juniors took home generous swag bags filled with the latest and great est gear, lures and tackle.
The event hasn’t been without its challenges; in just its second year, officials were faced with the very real possibility of having to cancel due to the pandemic. Instead, organizers came up with technology that allowed the tour nament to proceed safely. Using an app, contestants fished any Arkansas body of water and sent in photos of their catch against an official measuring device.
So began the Commissioners’ Cup — a fishing tournament featuring the best in youth fishing talent in Arkansas. The inaugural 2019 event featured two-per son teams (single gender or co-ed) in grades 9-12, one of whom is a perma nent Arkansas resident. Teams also must have placed in the Top 20 of one of Arkansas’s major youth bass fishing circuits in order to compete. Since then, the event has added a junior division, so now participation is open to qualified male and female anglers of any age.
When Mark Hedrick first hit upon the idea of a fishing tournament benefiting the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, he had a traditional contest for adults in mind. But upon discussing the idea with Foundation President Deke Whitbeck a few years back, a new and different idea landed on the table.
I
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HEROESHELPINGIN THE LINE OF DUTY
Visiting the Get It For Game Wardens website gives the donor a clear idea of the needs for each of the state’s 12 patrol zones. District A1 needs thermal binoculars while District B3’s wish list includes a drone, and District C4 could use an airboat. There’s even an option to donate to the area of greatest need. Shurgar said of all the projects the AGFF supports, Get It For Game Wardens should hit closest to the heart of every outdoorsman and outdoorswoman, given the danger and difficulty of the game warden’s daily job in the field.
GET IT FOR GAME WARDENS
“The least we can do as a Foundation is help supply these brave men and women the tools they need to get the job done and come home safely.”
“Game wardens are the Swiss Army Knife of AGFC,” he said. “They go every where nobody else wants to go. They go into raging rivers. They’re up through the middle of the night. They’re visible in their communities and work endless hours - even holiday weekends. And they don’t get a lot of thanks for it.
“Carter was talking about how an e-bike could be a game-changer for enforcement officers to catch turkey poachers,” Shurgar said. “I offered the idea for the Game and Fish Foundation to possibly purchase one for AGFC Enforcement Division.”
When Shurgar brought the idea up to Foundation leadership, the call was made to buy not one, but 10 of the bikes to assist other Arkansas game wardens. And with that purchase came a deeper con versation about meeting the equipment needs of game wardens across Arkansas when budgeted funds won’t. “This all came out of a passion by people within the Game and Fish Foundation to support our wildlife officers,” Shurgar said. “A lot of specialty equipment really goes above and beyond — $5,000 for night vision or $50,000 for sonar or a new boat for the Little Red“ThoseRiver.types of items go through a budgeting process and could take a lot of time and appropriation and bidding. We thought if we could set up some thing through the Foundation, we could act faster on those needs.” Shurgar and his colleagues at the Foundation knew that Arkansans would pitch in on the effort to equip game wardens if they knew what was needed and if there was an easy way to donate. Hence, Get It For Game Wardens was born. Launched in 2021, the mechanism provides ordinary Arkansans an easy way to make donations and even direct those donations to a specific region or piece of equipment not covered by annual budgets. “It’s not meant to be used for bud geted items but for specialty equip ment,” Shurgar said. “Donors can pur chase wholly or in part the equipment that each zone needs. Donors can even select a certain zone of the state where they live if they want to support the game wardens protecting their area.”
To see the list of needed items by region and to make a donation, please visit www.getitforgamewardens.com.
t’s amazing how sometimes the best ideas come from the most routine cir cumstances. Take Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation Executive Committee member Thomas Shurgar, who was in line at an archery store when he struck up a conversation with Carter Witt, a game warden he knew who just hap pened to be shopping at the same time.
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WEPROGRAMSSUPPORT
In addition to our own programs, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation stands ready to support existing programs within the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. A portion of the money we raise every year goes to help support such things as shooting sports, fishing events and even the state’s wonderful nature centers. These initiatives, as well as many other special projects, have made AGFF an active partner in helping promote the outdoors to all Arkansans.
HOOKING KIDS AND FAMILIES ON FISHING AGFC FISHING PROGRAMS
On a sunny Arkansas afternoon, a local lake teems with fish mir roring a shoreline teeming with people. Children patiently watch their lines under the tutelage of a parent or grandparent. Over in the adjoining park, other activities are running full steam, including archery and a BB gun shoot ing range. Music plays from a nearby DJ, rounding out the festival-like atmosphere. And here and there, like birds calling to one another, a child on the bank shrieks with delight after landing their first fish.
Welcome to the Family and Community Fishing Program, a series of special events held statewide to promote fishing and family togetherness. Organized by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and supported by the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the events foster an interest in fishing for the young and rekindles the love of the sport for the young at heart.
“The Family and Community Fishing Program, of which we have nearly 50 around the state that we manage, gets families outdoors and fishing,” said Maurice Jackson, program coordinator. “The award-winning program we’ve developed is called Family Fun Day, where in addition to fishing, we offer activities such as wild game tasting, fish cleaning, cooking demonstrations, canoeing, archery and BB guns. Those are some of the most popular activities that Game and Fish provides. We’ve even provided health screen ings at the Family Fun Days.” The events are wildly popular, attracting hundreds of people to each free outing. And a big reason for the big numbers is the broader focus that includes all members of the family rather than just kids, said Clinton Coleman, assistant coordinator.
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“When the program was first initiated, it was strictly providing an opportunity for youth to learn how to fish,” he said. “But as time has progressed, you really could see our events weren’t just attracting kids. It was kids and families with grandpas and meemaws and stuff like that. So, it was a
“When you would sit down and spend 15, 20 minutes with Steve, he wasn’t very loud, but when it came to talking about fishing or the willingness to do for other people, you could just see his eyes light up,” said Coleman, who’s been with AGFC for more than 30 years.
During the summer months, kids can join local fishing day camps in communities around the state.
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The team operates three large mobile aquariums that visit schools and events to give Arkansans an opportunity to observe some of Arkansas’s favorite sportfish. For schools looking to offer students even more knowledge on Arkansas fisher ies, ecosystems and species the Fishing Education program partners with schools to put the Fishing in the Natural State curriculum in the classroom. AGFC sup plies each school with fishing tackle that allows them to get students out fishing.
A statewide fish tagging contest is held annually in conjunction with the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. AGFC tag fish they stock into Family and Community Fishing Ponds. The tags correspond with prizes provided by the“AndFoundation.that’swhere the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation comes in,” Jackson said. “The Foundation is a big supporter with funding as well as money for prizes for the Colemanparticipants.”saidthesupport began under former AGFF President Steve Smith, who had a passion for combin ing kids with the outdoors. He said the success of the thriving family fishing programs are a fitting testament to Smith’s mission-driven leadership.
“ As time reallyprogressed,hasyoucouldsee our events weren’t just attracting kids. It was kids and families with grandpas and —meemaws.ClintonColeman natural progression to focus on families, give them more participation, make it moreBeyondmemorable.”theFamily and Community Fishing Program events and stocked locations, the AGFC Fishing Education team also helps stock and support over 200 fishing derbies each year that are hosted by community groups from across the state.
“His passion for children was unmatched, and one of the things he always pushed was we’ve got to get these kids outside. Cut the video games off, go outside and have some fun. That’s why Steve always helped us because we are pushing for family outdoor activities together. That’s something he would talk about all the time.”
Springdale J.B. AND JOHNELLE HUNT FAMILY OZARK HIGHLANDS NATURE CENTER
Opened 2001 Showcasing the heritage, wildlife and ecology of the Arkansas Delta, the Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center gives visitors a fascinating, up-close look at the local ecosystem. From the 20,000-gallon aquarium to the nature trails to on-site birds of prey, the center tells the story of a remarkable environment through the eyes of its creatures of the land, air and water.
NATURE CENTERS
Opened 2008 Situated in the heart of the city, the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center tells the story of the Arkansas River habitat from pre-settlement to present day. A giant aquarium displays native fish, while smaller tanks show live turtles, reptiles and even baby alligators. The center resides on the Arkansas River Trail where visitors can explore the neighborhood at their own pace.
J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale.
NATUREARKANSAS’SCENTERS
26 | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 40TH ANNIVERSARY THE LIVING CLASSROOM:
Opened 2006 Built on 170 acres that was once part of historic Fort Chaffee, the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center provides a serene setting for visitors from around Arkansas and across the U.S. Hickory and oak trees shade nature trails that give a glimpse of native plants and wildlife, while inside the center visitors discover a life-sized oak tree exhibit and other interactive displays.
Opened 2020 An amazing accomplishment, the J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center brings together the natural world and the latest in technological exhibits to deliver a visitor experience that is second to none. The Center features a 32,000 square foot facility on over 61 acres and is the newest place to learn about the natural world and outdoor recreation in Northwest Arkansas.
Jonesboro FORREST L. WOOD CROWLEY’S RIDGE NATURE CENTER Opened 2004 Diversity of habitat is the central character at the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center, located just south of Jonesboro. It showcases a trio of environments via its 5.5-acre prairie, 2.5-acre pond and 100 acres of woodlands. The three-story visitor’s building sits on top of Crowley’s Ridge, a unique geological formation that gives the center its name.
Pine Bluff GOVERNOR MIKE HUCKABEE DELTA RIVERS NATURE CENTER
Little Rock WITT STEPHENS JR. CENTRAL ARKANSAS NATURE CENTER
Some of the most visible signs of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation can be found in the AGFC nature centers scattered throughout The Natural State. AGFF’s support of programming taught at the centers inspires and educates current and future generations about the wonders surrounding them in the outdoors. Each tells a slightly different tale, yet all stress the importance of conservation and care of our state’s wild spaces.
Fort Smith JANET ARKANSASHUCKABEERIVER
VALLEY NATURE CENTER
Casscoe POTLATCH NATURE CENTER AT COOK’S LAKE
Ponca PONCA NATURE CENTER
Opened 1997 The most significant example of blackland prairie existing in Arkansas, Grandview offers an unspoiled look at the prairie habitat before white settlement and farmers turned much of it to the plow. Myriad species of animal life call it home, including deer, songbirds, butterflies, small mammals and reptiles. Meanwhile, nearby watershed lakes provide the visitor with excellent fishing.
Opened 1999 This 72-acre facility is surrounded by 1,850 acres of upland and bottomland hardwood forest, a 2-mile oxbow lake and a 40-acre green timber reservoir. Purchased through a unique agreement by Potlatch, Inc. with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the fish, wildlife and plant resources here are preserved for all generations.
Columbus RICK EVANS GRANDVIEW PRAIRIE NATURE CENTER
Opened 2002 Arguably the most unique wildlife experience in Arkansas is watching the elk herds’ daily laze and graze in the scenic valley pastures near the Buffalo River. The majestic creatures, once native to Arkansas, were reintroduced to The Natural State in the 1980s and today number some 600 animals. The Elk Education Center provides visitors information and guidelines ensuring a safe and memorable experience.
Yellville FRED BERRY CROOKED CREEK NATURE CENTER
Opened 2005
This former dairy farm offers an education building, pavilion, trails and acres of varied Ozark habitat. Crooked Creek, a free-flowing stream, provides habitat for a diverse range of aquatic, bird and land species, making it a designated Arkansas Watchable Wildlife site. Well over 100 species of birds have been recorded and nearly every common Ozark mammal. Bring your binoculars and camera!
Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center in
GovernorJonesboro.Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center in Pine Bluff.
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“The Ozark Highlands Nature Center is a celebration of what makes quality of life so special in Northwest Arkansas,” said Bobby Martin, chair man of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and past chairman of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. “Our natural resources flourish in this part of the state; from our state parks to our rivers and streams, the outdoors are just a big part of life in Northwest Arkansas. The nature center is kind of an exclamation point on all of Openedthat.”inDecember 2020, the massive Ozark Highlands is filled with technology, activities, and live and interactive exhibits spread out over the 61-acre site. Walking trails, all of which are ADA accessible, wind through the property past pavilions and lead to the outdoor 3-D archery range.Indoor exhibits offer a variety of technological and physical wonders. Tall “grass” gives children a firsthand sense of bobwhite quail habitat, while an interactive stream flows through the center of the building and a 200-gallon aquarium shows off native
JEWELCROWNTHE
ach and every one of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s nine nature centers plays a vital role in educating the public about local Arkansas habi tat, wildlife and conservation. The J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center in Springdale just does it on a much bigger, grander scale.
J.B. AND JOHNELLE HUNT FAMILY OZARK HIGHLANDS NATURE CENTER
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“ As a community we have so much to be proud of in Northwest Arkansas. We are so good at focusing on open spaces and outdoor recreation, and the Nature Center is the piece that we’ve been missing! By focusing on conservation and outdoor learning, the Nature Center will further improve the health, education and quality of life in Northwest Arkansas for generations to —come.Johnelle Hunt
30 | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 40TH ANNIVERSARY aquatic life. Meeting and classroom space provides ample room for families and groups to take in a class on various topics on fish, birds and land animals and their Martin,habitat.whowas involved with the project from the very earliest design discussions and stumping for funds, said it was an emotional experience to attend the grand opening and finally see the project come to fruition. He also said the nature center exceeded his wildest expectations “Over the years, and especially the last decade that I’ve been close to it, I could have never really imagined what this nature center in Northwest Arkansas “ I could have never really imagined what this nature center in Northwest —imagined.Ibeyondfacility,athatWe’vemanifestedArkansasinto.alwaysknownwereallywantedflagshiptypeofbutit’swayanythingcouldhaveeverBobbyMartin J.B. AND JOHNELLE HUNT FAMILY OZARK HIGHLANDS NATURE CENTER
Opened to rave reviews, the $20 million facility was kickstarted by a $5 million donation by Johnelle Hunt, wife of the late trucking entrepreneur J.B. Hunt, and the couple’s family. For their generosity and leadership on the project, as well as a lifetime spent supporting other initiatives related to the outdoors, J.B. and Johnelle were inducted into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame in 2018. “We wanted to do something that would be special for families. That was what this is all about,” Johnelle said. “We grew up in Heber Springs and we grew up outdoors. That is so important, being outdoors, and children do not get to do that now. What we were trying to do is help make Northwest Arkansas a better place to live for families and the nature center is part of that.”
40TH ANNIVERSARY | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 31 manifested into,” he said. “We’ve always known that we really wanted a flagship type of facility, but it’s way beyond any thing I could have ever imagined.
“Seeing where it is today and imag ining where it’s headed into the future is really exciting for me, as somebody who’s watched it for some time.”
Martin said while the money was obviously important, the Hunt name was equally critical to getting other individuals and businesses behind the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s efforts to raise funds and get the nature center“Thebuilt.Hunt family’s commitment, I think, really made things happen,” he said. “Johnelle made a tremendous impression by sharing her testimony of the things she enjoyed in the outdoors as a young child and what she wanted to see young children and future generations be able to enjoy. That personal testimony and commitment went well beyond just the financial dollars, important though those were. She brought real life and real heart to the project and made it relatable to every person from every walk of life in Arkansas.”
THEPASSINGTORCH EDUCATION
il Hafner’s job as the center manager at the Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center outside of Casscoe is a varied one. Today he might be leading a tour group through a presentation on the local ecosystem; tomorrow, he could teach a cooking class on his go-to recipe for snow goose. And next week, he could be in a classroom speaking on a topic custom-tailored for that group of Hafner,students.who’s been with AGFC for nine years and in his current role since 2021, relishes the variety and unend ing challenge of the work. And every day, he and staff members like him in each of the state’s nature centers fulfill one of the most important aims of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation:“Statewide,education.oureducators are focused on conservation and outdoor recreation. We teach anything and everything to do with the outdoors - hunting, fish ing, camping, paddling, recreational shooting, birding, wildlife viewing, archery, outdoor safety, and more. Our goal is to create places, events, and activ ities where Arkansans of any age can experience and learn to appreciate fish and wildlife or improve their outdoor recreation skills. “Here at the Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center, we are fortunate to have the historic lodge where we can host overnight programs. My favorite is the two weekends during deer season when we work with our partners at the US Fish and Wildlife Service to bring mobil ity-impaired hunters to hunt deer on the nearby White River National Wildlife Refuge. We have two wheelchair-acces sible hunting blinds that lift up hydrau lically, so our hunters have the same experience as anyone else in the field. Once they harvest a deer, AGFC staff help them clean and package the deer to go to the processor. With just two full-time staffers — Hafner and educator Lori Bailey — Potlatch Cook’s Lake Nature Center isn’t the largest or most elaborate of the nine
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W
Hafner continues, “In our classroom, we provide wildlife classes, including Hunter and Boater Education, yearround. We are also the only place in Arkansas that offers the unique experi ence of learning about hummingbirds while watching a biologist examine and band live ruby-throated humming birds. I love watching the kids who get to gently release the tiny birds back into the wild. Those moments create a connection to the outdoors that will last a lifetime.“Thesetypes of experiences happen at all of our AGFC nature centers across the state. Each location is focused on the local ecosystem and on creating mem orable experiences. Beyond the nature centers, our statewide education pro grams reach hundreds of thousands of Arkansans with fish and wildlife conser vation education each year. Most people are probably familiar with Hunter Education and Boater Education, but we do so much more.
“Women are invited to learn out door skills with classes provided by the Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program and physical education teachers can become certified to teach with the Archery in the Schools pro gram. We provide teacher professional development through the Outdoor Adventures, Project WILD, and Fishing in the Natural State programs. Educators visit classrooms with live ani mals and activities to engage students at “Ourschool.Fishing Education programs provide loaner fishing gear, travel the state with mobile aquariums, stock fish for community fishing derbies, teach beginner to advanced fishing classes, spend weeks with kids at fishing camps, and create dedicated places to fish in communities. The Foundation supports all of our education programs and nature centers.
40TH ANNIVERSARY | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 33 nature centers scattered throughout the state. But its role in educating local audi ences on the importance of habitat and conservation is every bit as vital.
“If anyone asked me why they should donate to the Foundation, I would tell them that their donations directly fund conservation education programs across the state, including at facilities like Cook’s Lake. Their money will help ensure that future generations get to enjoy the outdoors.”
“ Our goal is to create places, events, and activities where Arkansans of any age can experience and learn appreciatetofish and wildlife or improve their —recreationoutdoorskills.WilHafner
OUR FUTURE
LEAVING A LEGACY
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There’s a rallying cry echoing throughout the wilds today — LEAVE NO TRACE — meaning, to depart the woods, water and camp as clean or cleaner than you found them. The next adventurer may then enjoy their outdoor experience with no knowledge of you except that you cared enough to pass on the beauty and tran quility to them with the sole expectation that they would do the same. The forward-looking philoso phy of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation follows a similar mindset — to help the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission preserve the wilds and wild things for future generations while also providing the means for individuals to contribute to the cause of conserva tion in Arkansas. As this magazine has shown in great detail, ours is a farflung... great state” to “Our mission is as diverse as the people and wildlife of our greatThestate.audacious idea that became the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, brought to life in 1982 by a small but dedicated cadre of conservation advo cates, can now look back on 40 years of progress and accomplishment toward that goal. Nature centers have been opened, youth shooting sports and edu cational programs have been enhanced, physical structures have been rehabili tated and acres have been acquired and protected.Yes,ours has been a busy — and fruitful — story thus far, a story with many chapters left to write. As we look to the future that lies before us, we see many challenges. From inspiring our children to put down their technology and embrace their outdoor heritage to providing for an ever wider and more diverse community of outdoor enthusi asts, it all starts with ensuring our wild spaces and habitat are healthy, thriving and strong. To accomplish this, we take our inspi ration from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and its leadership and efforts to keep The Natural State true to its name. During the last 100 years, the agency has compiled its own impressive list of accomplishments in its mission to protect and preserve various species of fish and wildlife in Arkansas. Species such as white-tailed deer and black bear that neared depletion a century ago are now thriving, to cite just two examples. And, the benefit of this work isn’t just abstract, either. Outdoor recreation supports 96,000 jobs in Arkansas, along with $9.7 billion in economic benefit annually through consumer spending in theThestate.work of the AGFC has been all the more demanding as the agency continually improves wildlife habitats despite a shrinking wilderness and limited resources. That’s where we, the AGFF, come in. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organi zation, the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation has been proud to support the mission of our valued partner, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. We stand ready to assist the agency in all its needs, including the acquisition and financial support of properties and facilities for conservation educa tion programs, wildlife habitats and land for game and fish management programs through gifts, donations, bequests and Throughoutgrants.theyears, the Foundation has worked in lockstep with the Commission to assure the future of quality hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities in Arkansas. In celebration of this long-standing partnership, we are excited to announce Leaving a Legacy, our boldest idea yet, as a way for the people who love the out doors to help ensure they are preserved and protected for all time.
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THE MISSION
• Revitalization
• Improvement
• Renovation
•
• Maintenance
HABITAT
structures • Private
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s mission can be broken into three main objectives: enhance Arkansas’s fish and wildlife and their habitats; promote sustainable and responsible access to public lands; and connect Arkansans with outdoor recreation opportunities in their own communities. This approach has shaped the three pillars of Leaving a Legacy: Habitat, Access and Recreation. Leaving a Legacy supporters have the opportunity to designate how their contributions aid the Commission in the achievement of the goals in each pillar.
The core conservation focus of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to maintain the diversity and quality of habitats and ecosystems statewide. Conserving habitat is much more than protection; it also includes managing hydrology, managing and improving forests and using an adaptive approach to man age species and ecological systems.
MISSION-CRITICAL
• Continued
and
of
and improvement • Conserving
need • Controlling and
species • Improvements to
birds • Surveillance of
Preserving habitat — both public and private — is essential to preserving biodiversity. The Commission manages more than 2.9 million acres of land in Wildlife Management Areas, as well as 600,000 acres of lakes and more than 90,000 miles of rivers and streams. Through the Private Lands program, the Commission provides habitat assistance to landowners over more than 1 million privately owned acres annually. PROJECTS Restoration and maintenance of lakes, rivers and streams and management of forests and prairies and management of Wildlife Management Areas protection of fish and wildlife populations of green tree reservoirs of wetlands watersheds of water control land habitat cultivation habitat for species greatest conservation removing invasive habitats pollinators game fish wildlife
and
• Improvement
diseases OUR FUTURE
for
and
• Increasing fishing access through additional bank fishing locations
Throughout the generations, to be an Arkansan is to truly embrace and engage in the outdoors. Sadly, this generational commitment to getting unplugged and outside is threatened by an everwidening net of social media and technological devices.
• Expanding opportunities in regions of the state that need additional access to AGFC programs or properties
Leaving a Legacy’s access pillar seeks to arrest this trend, particularly among the youth of Arkansas, providing them with the experiences and skills to claim their birthright in the outdoors. Bringing new people into the outdoors is also a cornerstone of the agency’s commitment to expanding opportunities in underserved regions.
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PROGRAMSMISSION-CRITICAL
• Development of additional recreational shooting ranges across the state, increasing access to quality facilities
ACCESS
• Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion efforts agencywide
• Facility and maintenance,amenityrenovation and replacement • Adoption of access areas and providing routine maintenance and monitoring of those areas
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RECREATION
outdoor
management
MISSION-CRITICAL PROGRAMS • Support existing
Providing and maintaining recreational opportunities is a central focus of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, across a wide range of legacy and contemporary activities including hunting, fishing, hiking, biking, paddling, watching wildlife, recreational shooting and other exciting outdoor pursuits. Leaving a Legacy’s recreation pillar aligns with AGFC programming, bolstering current consumptive and non-consumptive activities for Arkansans to enjoy as well as giving them new ways to experience The Natural State. We also support AGFC’s ambitious initiatives to provide education and recreation opportunities for all Arkansans in an effort to foster growth in outdoor recreation. With beginner programming for the uninitiated, advanced classes for avid outdoors enthusiasts and increased offerings in more communities overall, the Commission’s various programming and workshops meet a myriad of interests and skill levels. programming about wildlife, recreation and habitat skills
to teach participants
• Expanding programming to more audiences • Increasing recreational shooting opportunities and programming • Increasing the number of public recreation areas • Increasing opportunities for underrepresented groups and locations • Improving natural environments to facilitate recreation • Increasing outdoor recreation opportunities available statewide OUR FUTURE
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Finally, planned giving is a wonderful way to make a larger, lasting contribu tion that is sure to impact future gener ations of outdoor enthusiasts. Leaving a Legacy provides a wide range of planned gift options to help ensure our donors find a match for their interests and their resources, including gifts in a living will or trust, legacy endowments, gifts of securities, personal property or real estate, memorial and honorariums and qualified charitable distributions (QCDs), among others.
Arkansas’s outdoor experience remains the envy of the nation, thanks to the conservation efforts of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, in partner ship with the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. But we can never get too comfortable with what’s been done at the expense of what’s left to do. All of the progress made thus far could be lost in a generation, and it is imperative we continue to move forward toward wiser use of water, earth and wildlife. Throughout the foundation’s his tory, we have felt you — the people of Arkansas — as the wind at our back and the stars in our sky, lighting the way over, around and through any challenge. We sounded the call for the Conservation Sales Tax and you responded. We established the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame and you embraced it. And as we continue to expand our presence, com ing to communities across our beautiful state, you continue to welcome us with open arms, eager to do great things together for the land and its creatures. As we begin to write the next chapters in the history of Arkansas’s wild places and wild things, we know success could not be possible without you, the people of Arkansas, and your passion to pass on the love of the outdoors to the genera tions that follow. At this critical turning point in our history, we invite all to once again answer the call of Arkansas’s wilds and generously make your mark by Leaving a Legacy.
The opportunities for immediate impact gifts are many and include modernization of AGFC Fish Hatchery, preservation of public access to wild places, building additional recreational shooting facilities and stabilization of stream banks, restoration of lakes and renovations to green tree reservoir infra structure, to name just a few.
Flexible by design, Leaving a Legacy allows for a wide array of giving oppor tunities that best align with a support er’s intent and passion, allowing them to make a significant long-term impact on the efforts of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Avenues avail able to contributors include endow ment programs, immediate impacts and planned Endowmentgiving.programs are a great way to make a lasting contribution to the AGFC and its mission. Upon creation of an endowment program, the contributor can denote specific AGFC programs or objectives that will benefit from the fund. Or, you can donate to AGFF’s cur rent endowment programs in honor of former director Steve N. Wilson, former president Steve Smith, among others. Immediate impact gifts go straight to projects currently underway across the agency. Gifts made to current projects and those on the horizon ensure future generations of Arkansans can enjoy the excitement and wonder only nature can provide while providing the donor the satisfaction of seeing what their money brings to fruition.
HOW DOES IT WORK?
40 | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 40TH ANNIVERSARY ● RegionalNorthwestOffice Eureka Springs ● East RegionalCentralOffice Brinkley ● North Central Regional Office Calico Rock ● South Central Regional Office Camden ● Fort RegionalSmithOffice Fort Smith ● RegionalSouthwestOffice Perrytown ● Hot RegionalSpringsOffice Hot Springs ● RegionalNortheastOffice Jonesboro ● RegionalSoutheastOffice Monticello ● West RegionalCentralOffice Russellville We support AGFC’s ambitious initiatives to provide education and recreation opportunities for all Arkansans, fostering growth in outdoor recreation. WHERE YOUR SUPPORT GOES ● REGIONAL OFFICES ● FIELD OFFICES ● TRAINING CENTER ● SUA - SPECIAL USE AREA ● NATIONAL RIVER ● FIRING RANGE ● HATCHERIES ● WMAMANAGEMENTWILDLIFEAREA ● NATURE CENTERS ● WILDLIFE CENTER ● Batesville Field Office Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Batesville ● Benton Field Office Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Benton ● Choctaw Island Field Office Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Arkansas City ● Joe Hogan Fish Hatchery Lonoke ● Mayflower Field Office Mayflower ● TrainingEnforcementCenter Mayflower ● Camp Robinson SUA Conway ● Mountain Home Field Office Mountain Home ● Rogers Fisheries Office Rogers ● Buffalo National River Harrison
40TH ANNIVERSARY | ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 41 AGFF1982 is formed. Duck Stamp Print Program is established. OutdoorArkansas1992Hall of Fame begins.Banquet Voters1996 ConservationAmendmentArkansasofApprove75Fund. 1999Potlatch Nature Center at Cook’s Lake opens. opens.NatureCrookedFred2005BerryCreekCenter $22012million raised for the Jacksonville.ComplexShootingAGFFSportsin AGFF2015 partners with AGFC to build Center.HighlandsOzarkNature Into2017the Wild Banquet begins in Arkansas.Northwest ArkansasCentral2018 Chapter of begins.OutdoorArkansasSociety The2020J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family NatureHighlandsOzarkCenter is completed. GameArkansas2022and launches.years.celebratesFoundationFish40Newlogo A YEARSTHETHROUGHBACKLOOK ● Gene Rush WMA Jasper ● Dr. James E. Moore Jr. Camp Robinson Firing Range Conway ● Jim Hinkle Spring River Hatchery Mammoth Spring ● C.B. Charlie Craig Hatchery Centerton ● Wm. H. Donham Hatchery Corning ● Andrew H. Hulsey Fish Hatchery Hot Springs ● Jim Collins Net Pen Mt. Ida ● Fred NatureBerryCenter on Crooked Creek Yellville ● Hilary Jones Wildlife and Information Center Jasper ● Ponca Nature Center Ponca ● Potlatch Nature Center at Cook’s Lake Casscoe ● Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Nature Center Columbus ● Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center Jonesboro ● Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center Pine Bluff ● Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center Fort Smith ● J.B. and Johnelle Hunt Family Ozark Highlands Nature Center Springdale ● Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center Little Rock
ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION ARKANSAS GAME AND FISH FOUNDATION | 2 NATURAL RESOURCES DRIVE | LITTLE ROCK, AR 72205 | AGFF.ORG
