The Role Hunting and Fishing Plays in Arkansas Conservation

Hunting and fishing are popular endeavors in Arkansas. 

“Here in Arkansas, hunting and fishing is still a part of who we are,” said Ralph Meeker, Deer Program coordinator for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. “Our state motto is The Natural State and so there are a lot of underlying connotations to that. We are still tied to the outdoors. Very intrinsically so.”

Meeker said that while only about one-tenth of the state’s population hunts, a much larger percentage fish. And the number that do other outdoor pursuits like canoeing, backpacking, hiking, birding and camping is even larger. 

“The health and wellness of our outdoors is what drives all of that,” he said.  

Meeker said the benefits of having hunters and anglers include the ability to manage fish and wildlife species. “Being able to manage our wildlife is paramount because it impacts everyone who utilizes the outdoors,” he said. 

Conservation is also impacted by hunting and fishing. “They [hunters and anglers] fund a significantly large portion of conservation efforts,” he said. “Through license sales, hunting equipment, meals, travel expenses, lodging. They pump a lot of money into the economy. And a lot of that money comes back both directly and indirectly through those licenses, through federal aid dollars that states are able to use to do boots on the ground conservation work.” 

Some examples of federal acts tied to hunting and fishing include the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act, the Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act and The Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act. Their names are long, but their impact is direct. 

The Dingell-Johnson Sport Fish Restoration Act and Pittman-Robertson Wildlife Restoration Act are both excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. The money goes to the federal government and states are apportioned a certain percentage of it, based on hunting and fishing license sales within that state. 

“That is one reason why it is so important here in Arkansas to have solid license sales figures,” Meeker said. “Because we are going to receive money back from the federal government for those two acts specifically to help with conservation here in Arkansas.” 

The Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp Act, also known as the Duck Stamp Act, is available to states that have waterfowl specific habitat projects. 

“The amount of habitat that is able to be protected and managed and the opportunities we are able to provide to all outdoor users, not just through hunting and fishing but through our nature centers, all of those opportunities wouldn’t be able to be realized unless we had contributing federal dollars,” said Meeker. “Those three funding programs are invaluable to the operations of our agency and the success of fish and wildlife management in the state.”