Ceremony Highlights Efforts to Conserve Waterfowl Habitat
LITTLE ROCK – Gov. Asa Hutchinson, along with conservation and agricultural leaders, state agencies, and legislators celebrated the passage of House Concurrent Resolution 1014 this week. The resolution highlights the value of waterfowl and waterfowl habitat in Arkansas.
The resolution was sponsored by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, Sen. Mathew Pitsch and Rep. Mark Perry. During the Senate committee meeting on April 6, Sen. Pitsch made note of the critical role waterfowl hunting plays in Arkansas’s economy. “The resolution emphasizes the value of waterfowl and waterfowl habitat in Arkansas to the economy, recreation, heritage and quality of life in the state,” Pitsch said. This is a very good and timely resolution,” he added.
Photo Credit: Arkansas Rice
According to the AGFC, more than 100,000 waterfowl hunters are active in Arkansas each year, many of whom hunt iconic flooded timber and rice fields. They support the state’s economy by contributing more than $70 million annually, or about $1 million each day of duck season.
As Governor Asa Hutchinson stated, “All of the food that is needed for our waterfowl, one-third of that comes from our rice fields. And so it’s all tied together; our rice production, our beautiful timber here in Arkansas, and our waterfowl hunting that is second to none. This [resolution] is a unique opportunity for us to celebrate.”
Arkansas leads the country in rice production and produces about half the rice grown in the U.S. Growing rice contributes more than $6 billion annually to the state’s economy and employs more than 25,000 Arkansans.
Kelly Robbins, Executive Director of Arkansas Rice stated, “Arkansas’s rice community is grateful for the support of our Governor and legislature in acknowledging the importance of rice production for our state as well as our waterfowl visitors. This resolution illustrates the environmental and economic impact of our collective industries to the state.”
In 2013, Ducks Unlimited and the USA Rice Federation formed the Rice Stewardship Partnership, which has achieved great success in helping farmers implement sustainable practices. Through these and other practices, Arkansas rice farmers have worked hard to decrease land use by 35 percent, energy use by 38 percent and water use by 53 percent. These practices have been vital for protecting farmlands and sustaining rice production in Arkansas, while benefiting waterfowl and waterfowl hunters.
