AGFC celebrates success of Conservation Incentive Program 

LITTLE ROCK — Nearly 100,000 acres of private land has been positively influenced for wildlife and fisheries habitat conservation in the last year, thanks in part to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Conservation Incentive Program. AGFC commissioners heard a robust presentation about the makeup of the program and its incredible results during Thursday’s regularly scheduled meeting at the agency headquarters.

Envisioned by former AGFC Director Austin Booth, who recently left the agency, CIP was the product of a generous set-aside allocation of $3.5 million reserved for the pilot program during the 94th General Assembly.

Randy Brents, assistant chief of the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division, said the program has achieved a 97 percent completion rate with landowners, but goes much further than the $3.5 million originally planned.

“We absolutely needed that money to fund the nine conservation practices in CIP, but the program also helped us reach out to landowners and enroll them in many other valuable conservation programs to improve wildlife habitat on private land,” Brents said. “The Private Lands Habitat Division actually influenced 97,749 acres of private land and approached $7 million on habitat improvements through federal programs, biologist-influenced landowner efforts and CIP.”

Brents said the Private Lands Habitat Division, which also was formed under Booth’s guidance, performed 1,142 site visits in 2024.

“That’s 1,142 times biologists put boots on the ground at a private landholder’s holding and assisted them with their habitat needs,” Brents said. “In some cases, the landowner wasn’t given financial assistance and still took it on themselves to implement the habitat prescriptions.”

AGFC Private Lands Habitat Division Chief Garrick Dugger echoed Brents in praising not only Booth, but the many staff members throughout the agency that worked to make the program a success.

“This program was Austin’s vision,” Dugger said. “Austin shared his vision with me a couple of years ago; he asked me to build it and to execute it. I hope that what comes out of this morning’s presentation is that you see what kind of effort it took to deliver this program. It took this agency and this entire team of over nine divisions to deliver this program.”

In addition to the habitat improved through CIP, 226 applicants reported through photo documentation 6,628 feral hogs eliminated from their property.

Commissioner Chris Caldwell pointed out the continuing benefit he knows is going on from the efforts. Fire lanes created through the program make it easier for landowners to maintain the habitat created and traps will be used well into the future to continue to fight invasive feral hogs on their properties, he said.

“That’s the beauty of this investment by the state and this agency,” Caldwell said.  “It’s not a one and done; they’re still trapping hogs.”

During his report to the Commission, Interim Director Chris Racey talked about a recent trip to Lake Poinsett, which underwent the AGFC’s largest lake renovation completed to date ($3.5 million in 2022). He was thrilled to report at least 75 cars were at the access points to the lake the day it opened to crappie and bass harvest on Jan. 1.

“Hundreds of people out there fishing, enjoying a resource that our staff worked incredibly hard to build and create,” Racey said. “I thought to myself, this only happens because of the hard work of our staff in every division in this agency, the support from our Commission, our elected officials, a collaboration among dozens of our partners and engagement, and sometimes some sacrifice by our anglers.”

Racey touched on the many projects and opportunities coming for the AGFC and for outdoors enthusiasts in 2025. In addition to continued renovation of lakes, greentree reservoirs and upland habitat across the state, he spoke to the many opportunities left to get a youth out hunting and fishing and participating in shooting sports.

“As I thought about the fishing opportunity on Lake Poinsett, it was outstanding,” Racey said. “Everyone was out catching fish. It was a reflection of the hard work of our staff. But for me it was really a perfect visual example of why we need to continue to provide hunting and fishing opportunities across the state and why we need to conserve fish, wildlife and their habitats. Arkansans have our commitment to do just that.”

At the opening of the meeting, AGFC Chief Financial Officer Emily Shumate presented federal audit results for Fiscal Year 2024. Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service commended the AGFC budgeting team for their thoroughness and transparency and had zero findings to report. The AGFC is one of only three agencies in the nation that received a clean audit during the last three years.

In other business, the Commission:

• Recognized 12 employees with a combined 190 years of service to the natural resources of Arkansas. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

• Recognized AGFC Game Warden Austin Powell for his recent honor of being awarded the Wildlife Officer of the Year by the Southeastern Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

• Authorized a budget increase of $105,000 from Marine Fuel Tax Funds to construct a restroom facility at the White Hole Access to the White River in Marion County. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

• Authorized Racey to convey a permanent right-of-way easement to Mayflower Waterworks to replace an existing water line crossing underneath Arkansas Highway 89 on Commission property. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

• Authorized a budget increase of $125,000 for a new software platform to maintain, coordinate and facilitate regulation changes in the AGFC’s official Code of Regulations and various regulations distribution sources. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

• Authorized an AGFC purchasing policy amendment to reduce the Commission approval threshold for purchases from $500,000 to $250,000. (CLICK FOR PRESENTATION)

A complete video of the meeting is available on the AGFC’s YouTube Channel.

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CUTLINES:

AUDITORIUM
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard a presentation from staff about the massive positive effects the Conservation Incentive Program has had on wildlife and fish habitat in Arkansas in only one year. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

LECTURN
AGFC Interim Director Chris Racey offered an excellent example of lake renovation success with results from his recent crappie fishing trip to Lake Poinsett. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.

TWO MEN
AGFC Interim Director Chris Racey (left) and Commission Chairman J.D. Neeley heard plans for a new restroom facility at the White Hole Access on the White River at Thursday’s meeting. AGFC photo by Mike Wintroath.