10-27-2007, 12:10 AM
LITTLE ROCK - As wetlands shrink across the country, former President Bill Clinton and Little Rock City Director Dean Kumpuris announced plans to create 13 acres along the Arkansas River.
The pair, speaking Tuesday at the Clinton Presidential Center, unveiled the William E. Clark Presidential Park Wetlands Project, named for the man charged with building the Clinton Presidential Library. The area is adjacent to Clinton Presidential Park and Riverfront Park in downtown Little Rock. Kumpuris explained that the project will allow visitors to get a first-hand view of wetlands.
"Besides being scenic, important for animals and birds, it also is a source of cleansing of groundwater and all the pollutants that we put in wetlands," Kumpuris said. "It is the filter system of free water in the United States and the world. We're ruining habitat at a remarkable rate and taking away that."
Trails and an elevated walkway will lead people into the project. Two bridges will afford views of the Arkansas River and the stream that will run through the wetlands. Displays will explain how wetlands works and help visitors identify plants and animals.
Clinton said a growing number of people have lost touch with nature and the project may help them reconnect.
"It's very important that people who live in cities be able to enjoy nature and understand it. By and large, we don't teach our children how the world around them works. If they live in cities, they have no idea how they get clean water or what happens when they turn on the sink or flush the toilet. They don't understand what happens when the rainwater they see on the street runs into a drain.
"They don't understand what a precious and increasingly scarce product clean water is and how it contributes to wildlife and vegetation that sustain life."
The $2 million project, set to begin construction this winter, is a collaboration of The Conservation Fund, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the William J. Clinton Foundation. Audubon Arkansas, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission , The Nature Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, the City Parks Conservancy and the City of Little Rock.
"The Game and Fish Commission had four (committee) members - Neil Curry, Jane Anderson, Steve Filipek and Elizabeth Murray - who brought great expertise at all levels, whether you're talking about fish or habitat," Kumpuris said. "We have an amazing group of people."
Clinton said the project is much larger than a spit of land along the Arkansas River.
"This may seem like 13 acres to people who'll just look at it and they'll say, "˜Isn't this beautiful and wasn't it nice that that nice man's friends gathered up money and set aside this land and they did this.' This is way bigger than this. Bill Clark knew how things were built and he knew how nature worked. We have to teach the world how things are built and how nature works."
Clark, who died of cancer at 63 last May 15, was chairman and chief executive officer of CDI Contractors LLC. He served many civic rolls, including stints on the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Arts Center and St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center boards of trustees. He also was an outdoorsman who loved to duck hunt and - as Clinton pointed out - enjoyed a good game of golf.
"He loved building things and loved leaving Mother Nature alone. Last year I saw a fox on our wetlands site. Goodness knows how many foxes we're going to get out there once we build them a bridge and make it easy for them," Clinton said with a laugh. "We couldn't have done anything that would have made Bill Clark happier.
"I see this wetlands project as just as important as the library. (The library) shows you how to build something and do it in an environmentally responsible, energy-efficient way. (The wetlands project) shows you not just how beautiful the Earth is, but how dependent we are upon it."
Conservative spring turkey season set by commissioners
LITTLE ROCK -Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week approved a conservative spring 2008 turkey hunting season. For the second consecutive year, the commissioners agreed with a recommendation by the agency's wildlife management division for a shorter, later turkey season.
The recommendations were made after a review of recent harvests, brood surveys and gobbling chronology data along with input from turkey hunters. AGFC turkey program coordinator Mike Widner has recommended implementing a long-term conservative season structure to include a shorter spring turkey season and a later opening date. "The conservative season structure has increased gobbler carryover which has been declining since 2001," Widner said. "It has also helped stabilize the recent declines in turkey populations and harvest," he added.
The spring 2008 turkey season youth hunt will be April 5-6 for most of the state and Mar. 29-30 for zone 17. The statewide turkey season will be April 12-May 2 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9 and 10; April 12-25 in zones 1A, 4, 4A, 5A and 9A and April 5 to 27 in zone 17.
The bag limit for the spring season will be the same as last year with no more than one legal turkey per day and no more than one jake. Hunters will also be restricted to no more than two total legal turkeys per season.
In other business, the Commission:
*Approved a budget increase of $31,250 for the Grandview Shooting Range now under construction at the Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Conservation Education Centerin Hempstead County. The budget increase will be used to expand the range and will be used to host competitions such as the AGFC's wildly popular Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program. When completed, the range will have three trap fields, two skeet fields and one sporting clays field.
*Approved a fish health regulation to protect the state's waterways, hatcheries and aquaculture industry from viral hemorrhagic septicemia. The disease has caused large scale fish kills in public waters and has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Many of the fish species susceptible to the virus are gamefish. The regulation will require all live fish and fertilized eggs being shipped from VHS-positive states meet the World Health Organization for Animal Health Standards and provide appropriate documentation before being imported into the state. The price of the permit will be $200.
*Approved a commercial fishing regulation increasing the minimum length limit for paddlefish from 34 inches to 36 inches on Arkansas's Mississippi River border with Mississippi and maintaining the current 34-inch minimum length limit on Arkansas's Mississippi River border with Tennessee.
*Approved a project to improve a tributary of the White River and provide a walk-in access point to the river in Baxter County. The access will be known as the Bronie Yrconis Walk-In Access Area.
* Approved two budget increase requests on two popular waterfowl hunting wildlife management areas. A project on Bayou Meto WMA will improve drainage and another on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA will provide electrical power to two pumps to fully develop the area's moist soil units.
Sportsmen have a huge impact on the Arkanas's economy
LITTLE ROCK - A recently released report based on a 5 year study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicedemonstrates that by any measure, Arkansas's 551,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups. That equates to 26% of Arkansas's population that hunt or fish.
Arkansas sportsmen spend more than $1.4 billion a year on hunting and fishing related recreation in the state. These latest figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers are an economic powerhouse, driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns. Wildlife watchers are another group of outdoor enthusiasts who spend more than $607 million annually in the state.
Sportsmen contribute approximately $100 million in state and local taxes and directly support 17,823 jobs in Arkansas, which is more than the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reports that hunters and anglers are the original conservation stewards, spending more than $21.6 million on licenses, stamps, tags and permits annually- all of which goes to fund conservation programs run by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
"The very fiber of Arkansans is intertwined with this state's environment. Big-game hunters, small-game hunters, trout enthusiasts and warmwater anglers flock to this state's natural resources to celebrate their remarkable wealth," AGFC Director Scott Henderson said. "By doing so, these conservationists contribute to the economic well being of Arkansas," he added.
"Hunting and fishing are part of our culture and tradition here in the Natural State, and actually, it is an important component of our state's economy," stated State Senator Ruth Whitaker who is the Co-Chair of the Arkansas Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus. The Caucus is a bi-partisan group of state Senators and Representatives who work to protect the interests of Arkansas's sportsmen, promote sound wildlife management policy, and increase economic development through the sporting industry.
Arkansas hunters spend 22 days on average in the field. "Hunting and fishing is a way of life for us here in Arkansas. It is important that sportsmen have a voice at the State Capitol," Arkansas Legislative Caucus Co-Chair Representative Mike Burris. "Sportsmen should all make an effort to share the joys of hunting and fishing with youth to ensure that the tradition continues."
According to the recent study, 5.3 percent of Arkansas's population (113,280) are migratory bird hunters, ranking Arkansas tops in the country. Migratory bird hunters alone contribute more than $29 million in state and local taxes. The migratory bird hunting industry is a lifeblood for the economy in rural areas of the Grand Prairie and Delta region of the state.
A study by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation estimates that 8 in 10 hunters always vote in a presidential election. It is clear that hunters and anglers are an active voting constituency. Hunters and anglers pay attention, and take those decisions into account when they vote. Lawmakers have a responsibility to stand as a voice for this valid constituency.
Statistics cited in this release are from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - http://library.fws.gov/nat_survey2006_state.pdf
Apples, other fruit can help make a successful deer hunt
LITTLE ROCK - Autumn in Arkansas means colorful foliage, plentiful fruits and deer hunting. Foliage isn't a factor, really, in deer hunting but fruit can be.
The use of apples in Arkansas deer hunting goes all the way back to pioneer days. Don't overlook persimmons, though. Oranges, bananas, lemons, kumquats and more can be utilized for this two-prong business of hiding the hunter's odor and to attract a deer's interest.
The odor hiding is probably the major reason for stashing some fruit in a pocket on a hunt. It is not likely a monster buck will come running to you if it whiffs the apple in your jacket. What a deer may do, and this can be beneficial to the hunter, is to pause and look around when it gets a fruit smell.
A paused deer is much more a desirable target than a running one or even a walking buck or doe.
Artificial deer scents are varied and easily obtained across the state. Buck urine, doe in heat - these are just part of the wide array of spray, drip, dab and sprinkle scents offered at most well-provisioned sporting goods outlets. The selections are wide enough to rival Dillards' perfume counter.
Even more available are fruits, and it is ripe fruit you want for a deer hunt.
Old-time deer hunters may have been better at getting deer than today's sportsmen, and they didn't advantages of these products of modern technology and chemistry. What they had was available nearly everywhere - apples. Decades ago, Arkansas was the nation's leading apple growing state, and nearly every farm home had a tree or several.
"Put a real ripe apple in your pocket" was the strategy. "Better, still, put real ripe apples in two pockets." Just substitute persimmon or banana here if you prefer.
The fruit theory works on both the angles of today's assortment of scents. Apple smell covers up human smell, the oldtimers believed. That natural smell also signifies a natural food for deer, even non-native ones like bananas. Fruits may not be a major portion of deer diet, but they are eaten by whitetails.
Persimmons are not as abundant this fall as usual across Arkansas. Nor are home-grown apples. There is no shortage of all sorts of fruits at groceries, though.
This strategy of fruit for deer hunting has still another fringe benefit. If the day is dragging with no success of a deer, the hunter won't go hungry. He or she can eat the scent-producing item. Try that with a spray canister of chemical product.
AGFC can help with nuisance furbearers
LITTLE ROCK - Got a problem with nuisance animals on your property? The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission can help landowners that are experiencing problems with nuisance furbearers like beavers, muskrats, raccoons and coyotes by linking them together with trappers and furbearer hunters looking for a place to take part in these traditional activities.
This will help landowners get their nuisance problems under control while increasing recreational opportunities for the public, according to the AGFC's furbearer program coordinator Blake Sasse. "Landowners wishing to participate in the program can enter their names and information about their property and the species they're having problems with in an online registry at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservation/nuisance.aspx or by calling 501-223-6359," Sasse explained.
Trappers and hunters can access the registry and call nearby landowners to ask permission to access their property to take the nuisance species and others of interest during a designated trapping or hunting season, Sasse added. "Although prices for some nuisance species are currently low, many trappers are willing to take them in return for the opportunity to catch more valuable species," he said.
Landowners retain full control of who has access to their property and do not open their lands up to the public by placing their name in the registry. Participants can also remove their names from the registry at any time if their problems have been solved or they no longer wish to take part in the program. "This site will probably be most helpful for those with over 100 acres of property with running streams since larger areas provide more potential opportunities for trappers or hunters to find what they're looking for," Sasse said.
The pair, speaking Tuesday at the Clinton Presidential Center, unveiled the William E. Clark Presidential Park Wetlands Project, named for the man charged with building the Clinton Presidential Library. The area is adjacent to Clinton Presidential Park and Riverfront Park in downtown Little Rock. Kumpuris explained that the project will allow visitors to get a first-hand view of wetlands.
"Besides being scenic, important for animals and birds, it also is a source of cleansing of groundwater and all the pollutants that we put in wetlands," Kumpuris said. "It is the filter system of free water in the United States and the world. We're ruining habitat at a remarkable rate and taking away that."
Trails and an elevated walkway will lead people into the project. Two bridges will afford views of the Arkansas River and the stream that will run through the wetlands. Displays will explain how wetlands works and help visitors identify plants and animals.
Clinton said a growing number of people have lost touch with nature and the project may help them reconnect.
"It's very important that people who live in cities be able to enjoy nature and understand it. By and large, we don't teach our children how the world around them works. If they live in cities, they have no idea how they get clean water or what happens when they turn on the sink or flush the toilet. They don't understand what happens when the rainwater they see on the street runs into a drain.
"They don't understand what a precious and increasingly scarce product clean water is and how it contributes to wildlife and vegetation that sustain life."
The $2 million project, set to begin construction this winter, is a collaboration of The Conservation Fund, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the William J. Clinton Foundation. Audubon Arkansas, the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission , The Nature Conservancy, the Army Corps of Engineers, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, the City Parks Conservancy and the City of Little Rock.
"The Game and Fish Commission had four (committee) members - Neil Curry, Jane Anderson, Steve Filipek and Elizabeth Murray - who brought great expertise at all levels, whether you're talking about fish or habitat," Kumpuris said. "We have an amazing group of people."
Clinton said the project is much larger than a spit of land along the Arkansas River.
"This may seem like 13 acres to people who'll just look at it and they'll say, "˜Isn't this beautiful and wasn't it nice that that nice man's friends gathered up money and set aside this land and they did this.' This is way bigger than this. Bill Clark knew how things were built and he knew how nature worked. We have to teach the world how things are built and how nature works."
Clark, who died of cancer at 63 last May 15, was chairman and chief executive officer of CDI Contractors LLC. He served many civic rolls, including stints on the University of Arkansas, Arkansas Arts Center and St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center boards of trustees. He also was an outdoorsman who loved to duck hunt and - as Clinton pointed out - enjoyed a good game of golf.
"He loved building things and loved leaving Mother Nature alone. Last year I saw a fox on our wetlands site. Goodness knows how many foxes we're going to get out there once we build them a bridge and make it easy for them," Clinton said with a laugh. "We couldn't have done anything that would have made Bill Clark happier.
"I see this wetlands project as just as important as the library. (The library) shows you how to build something and do it in an environmentally responsible, energy-efficient way. (The wetlands project) shows you not just how beautiful the Earth is, but how dependent we are upon it."
Conservative spring turkey season set by commissioners
LITTLE ROCK -Commissioners with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission last week approved a conservative spring 2008 turkey hunting season. For the second consecutive year, the commissioners agreed with a recommendation by the agency's wildlife management division for a shorter, later turkey season.
The recommendations were made after a review of recent harvests, brood surveys and gobbling chronology data along with input from turkey hunters. AGFC turkey program coordinator Mike Widner has recommended implementing a long-term conservative season structure to include a shorter spring turkey season and a later opening date. "The conservative season structure has increased gobbler carryover which has been declining since 2001," Widner said. "It has also helped stabilize the recent declines in turkey populations and harvest," he added.
The spring 2008 turkey season youth hunt will be April 5-6 for most of the state and Mar. 29-30 for zone 17. The statewide turkey season will be April 12-May 2 in zones 1, 2, 3, 4B, 5, 5B, 6, 7, 7A, 8, 9 and 10; April 12-25 in zones 1A, 4, 4A, 5A and 9A and April 5 to 27 in zone 17.
The bag limit for the spring season will be the same as last year with no more than one legal turkey per day and no more than one jake. Hunters will also be restricted to no more than two total legal turkeys per season.
In other business, the Commission:
*Approved a budget increase of $31,250 for the Grandview Shooting Range now under construction at the Rick Evans Grandview Prairie Conservation Education Centerin Hempstead County. The budget increase will be used to expand the range and will be used to host competitions such as the AGFC's wildly popular Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program. When completed, the range will have three trap fields, two skeet fields and one sporting clays field.
*Approved a fish health regulation to protect the state's waterways, hatcheries and aquaculture industry from viral hemorrhagic septicemia. The disease has caused large scale fish kills in public waters and has been found in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Many of the fish species susceptible to the virus are gamefish. The regulation will require all live fish and fertilized eggs being shipped from VHS-positive states meet the World Health Organization for Animal Health Standards and provide appropriate documentation before being imported into the state. The price of the permit will be $200.
*Approved a commercial fishing regulation increasing the minimum length limit for paddlefish from 34 inches to 36 inches on Arkansas's Mississippi River border with Mississippi and maintaining the current 34-inch minimum length limit on Arkansas's Mississippi River border with Tennessee.
*Approved a project to improve a tributary of the White River and provide a walk-in access point to the river in Baxter County. The access will be known as the Bronie Yrconis Walk-In Access Area.
* Approved two budget increase requests on two popular waterfowl hunting wildlife management areas. A project on Bayou Meto WMA will improve drainage and another on Ed Gordon Point Remove WMA will provide electrical power to two pumps to fully develop the area's moist soil units.
Sportsmen have a huge impact on the Arkanas's economy
LITTLE ROCK - A recently released report based on a 5 year study by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Servicedemonstrates that by any measure, Arkansas's 551,000 hunters and anglers are among the most prominent and influential of all demographic groups. That equates to 26% of Arkansas's population that hunt or fish.
Arkansas sportsmen spend more than $1.4 billion a year on hunting and fishing related recreation in the state. These latest figures demonstrate that season after season hunters and anglers are an economic powerhouse, driving the economy from big businesses to rural towns. Wildlife watchers are another group of outdoor enthusiasts who spend more than $607 million annually in the state.
Sportsmen contribute approximately $100 million in state and local taxes and directly support 17,823 jobs in Arkansas, which is more than the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission reports that hunters and anglers are the original conservation stewards, spending more than $21.6 million on licenses, stamps, tags and permits annually- all of which goes to fund conservation programs run by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
"The very fiber of Arkansans is intertwined with this state's environment. Big-game hunters, small-game hunters, trout enthusiasts and warmwater anglers flock to this state's natural resources to celebrate their remarkable wealth," AGFC Director Scott Henderson said. "By doing so, these conservationists contribute to the economic well being of Arkansas," he added.
"Hunting and fishing are part of our culture and tradition here in the Natural State, and actually, it is an important component of our state's economy," stated State Senator Ruth Whitaker who is the Co-Chair of the Arkansas Legislative Sportsmen's Caucus. The Caucus is a bi-partisan group of state Senators and Representatives who work to protect the interests of Arkansas's sportsmen, promote sound wildlife management policy, and increase economic development through the sporting industry.
Arkansas hunters spend 22 days on average in the field. "Hunting and fishing is a way of life for us here in Arkansas. It is important that sportsmen have a voice at the State Capitol," Arkansas Legislative Caucus Co-Chair Representative Mike Burris. "Sportsmen should all make an effort to share the joys of hunting and fishing with youth to ensure that the tradition continues."
According to the recent study, 5.3 percent of Arkansas's population (113,280) are migratory bird hunters, ranking Arkansas tops in the country. Migratory bird hunters alone contribute more than $29 million in state and local taxes. The migratory bird hunting industry is a lifeblood for the economy in rural areas of the Grand Prairie and Delta region of the state.
A study by the Congressional Sportsmen Foundation estimates that 8 in 10 hunters always vote in a presidential election. It is clear that hunters and anglers are an active voting constituency. Hunters and anglers pay attention, and take those decisions into account when they vote. Lawmakers have a responsibility to stand as a voice for this valid constituency.
Statistics cited in this release are from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - http://library.fws.gov/nat_survey2006_state.pdf
Apples, other fruit can help make a successful deer hunt
LITTLE ROCK - Autumn in Arkansas means colorful foliage, plentiful fruits and deer hunting. Foliage isn't a factor, really, in deer hunting but fruit can be.
The use of apples in Arkansas deer hunting goes all the way back to pioneer days. Don't overlook persimmons, though. Oranges, bananas, lemons, kumquats and more can be utilized for this two-prong business of hiding the hunter's odor and to attract a deer's interest.
The odor hiding is probably the major reason for stashing some fruit in a pocket on a hunt. It is not likely a monster buck will come running to you if it whiffs the apple in your jacket. What a deer may do, and this can be beneficial to the hunter, is to pause and look around when it gets a fruit smell.
A paused deer is much more a desirable target than a running one or even a walking buck or doe.
Artificial deer scents are varied and easily obtained across the state. Buck urine, doe in heat - these are just part of the wide array of spray, drip, dab and sprinkle scents offered at most well-provisioned sporting goods outlets. The selections are wide enough to rival Dillards' perfume counter.
Even more available are fruits, and it is ripe fruit you want for a deer hunt.
Old-time deer hunters may have been better at getting deer than today's sportsmen, and they didn't advantages of these products of modern technology and chemistry. What they had was available nearly everywhere - apples. Decades ago, Arkansas was the nation's leading apple growing state, and nearly every farm home had a tree or several.
"Put a real ripe apple in your pocket" was the strategy. "Better, still, put real ripe apples in two pockets." Just substitute persimmon or banana here if you prefer.
The fruit theory works on both the angles of today's assortment of scents. Apple smell covers up human smell, the oldtimers believed. That natural smell also signifies a natural food for deer, even non-native ones like bananas. Fruits may not be a major portion of deer diet, but they are eaten by whitetails.
Persimmons are not as abundant this fall as usual across Arkansas. Nor are home-grown apples. There is no shortage of all sorts of fruits at groceries, though.
This strategy of fruit for deer hunting has still another fringe benefit. If the day is dragging with no success of a deer, the hunter won't go hungry. He or she can eat the scent-producing item. Try that with a spray canister of chemical product.
AGFC can help with nuisance furbearers
LITTLE ROCK - Got a problem with nuisance animals on your property? The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission can help landowners that are experiencing problems with nuisance furbearers like beavers, muskrats, raccoons and coyotes by linking them together with trappers and furbearer hunters looking for a place to take part in these traditional activities.
This will help landowners get their nuisance problems under control while increasing recreational opportunities for the public, according to the AGFC's furbearer program coordinator Blake Sasse. "Landowners wishing to participate in the program can enter their names and information about their property and the species they're having problems with in an online registry at http://www.agfc.com/wildlife-conservation/nuisance.aspx or by calling 501-223-6359," Sasse explained.
Trappers and hunters can access the registry and call nearby landowners to ask permission to access their property to take the nuisance species and others of interest during a designated trapping or hunting season, Sasse added. "Although prices for some nuisance species are currently low, many trappers are willing to take them in return for the opportunity to catch more valuable species," he said.
Landowners retain full control of who has access to their property and do not open their lands up to the public by placing their name in the registry. Participants can also remove their names from the registry at any time if their problems have been solved or they no longer wish to take part in the program. "This site will probably be most helpful for those with over 100 acres of property with running streams since larger areas provide more potential opportunities for trappers or hunters to find what they're looking for," Sasse said.