MAY/JUNE 2014
T H E O F F I C I A L P U B L I C AT I O N O F T H E A R K A N S A S W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N A F F I L I AT E D W I T H T H E N AT I O N A L W I L D L I F E F E D E R AT I O N
Arkansas-Summer Fun in the Sun! Photo by Kyla Kane
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Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Permit 128 Russellville, Ark. 72801
VOL 42
NO 3
2 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Arkansas Wildlife Federation Mission Statement
To advocate for the sustainable use of Arkansas’ wildlife habitats and natural resources for future generations.
AWF has just completed the 2nd annual Wounded Warrior Project fishing tournament located at Lake Dardanelle State Park in Russellville. Thanks to all who volunteered their time and those who helped support this worthwhile project of giving back to our men and women who gave so much for our country. I would also like to mention it was a BIG success, and AWF will try to sponsor it again next year. I would like to tell you a couple of personal stories about this year’s event. One of the best parts of being involved is to hear special stories and how this event has affected individual’s lives. While setting up this year’s event, like we did last year, we sent out posters by email and by posting them in the local sports shops. One day I got an email from a local lady who said she would like to help support this year’s event. I emailed her back and said that would be great, we do appreciate your support. I asked her what she would like to do and she emailed me back and said she would like to contribute to the event and felt like this is a very worthy cause. So I called her and we set up a meeting for her to donate some money. She told me she had collected some money from friends and gave me a card with the money inside. I gave each one who donated a receipt. She told me I could relay the card to the wounded warriors which reads, “I was recently treated for cancer. To keep my thoughts in perspective during the worst of times, I recorded a few phrases, it went in part: ‘I don’t live in a war zone. I’m not watching my children suffer. I don’t live in fear of prosecution because of my race, gender, or my reli-
gious beliefs. The words that got me through chemo were only there because of you and your service’.” (signed) Agalia Baker! Thank you Agalia for your support to this worthy cause, and we wish you the very best in your fight with cancer. As we had finished the tournament and everyone was eating and enjoying visiting with one another, one of the warriors came up to me and handed me one of the rare collector’s coins from the Iraq war. Anheuser-Busch made 350,000 of these special “Operation Salute” coins. They gave them to the soldiers who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom. This marine warrior gave me his coin, and said, “I want you to have this. I feel you have earned it for helping us warriors with this fishing tournament and what you are doing for us.” I didn’t want to take it because I knew how important it was to him, and how rare they are, but as I looked him in the eye and saw that he felt like this was important to him, I accepted it with great honor. I thanked him for his service to our country, and for this special gift. Last year General Klemmer gave me one of his personal coins for doing what we are doing for these men and women. I’d like to once again say, “Thank you, sir, it is an honor.” You see I feel very special to get to hear and see how we have made a difference in these people’s lives. This is one on the main reasons I volunteer my time and give back so much, we can all make a difference and touch others’ lives in a positive way. Thanks to all of our veterans and those who are serving today and have given so much to our great country and our freedoms we all enjoy in America. – Wayne Shewmake, AWF President
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President - Wayne Shewmake 1st VP - Ellen McNulty 2nd VP - Jerry Crowe Treasurer - Gary Bush Secretary - Clay Spikes Arkansas Wildlife Federation is a nonprofit 501c(3) organization and AWF (tax# 71-6059226) IRS Requirements: You are receiving $10 in goods for your membership, through AWF bi-monthly newspaper
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Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 3
Wounded Warrior Project Tournament a Success by Wayne Shewmake Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) launched their second “Wounded Warrior Project Fishing Tournament” on Lake Dardanelle in Russellville, Arkansas on Saturday, June 7, 2014. Thanks to AWF’s many supporters and sponsors it was a very successful fishing tournament. It was AWF’s way to give back to our military men and women for their service to our great country. The Iraq and Afghanistan wars have taken a big toll on our military personnel and many have come home wounded and trying to cope and deal with everyday problems. So AWF decided to make a difference for them and give something back. Part of our mission is to keep people involved in outdoor activities and enjoying nature. A fishing tournament allows several wounded warrior participants because of the large lake. AWF set up a meeting with the Lake Dardanelle State Park superintendent Andy Thomas, several supporters, like the Russellville Advertising & Planning Commission, Russellville Walmart, Andy Tackett from the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission (AGFC), and James Manatt, president of the local AWF affiliate Yell County Wildlife Federation (YCWF). These people and the entities they represented became the backbone for the primary sponsors and organizers of the fishing tournament. I am sure we all know someone who has gone to fight in Iraq or Afghanistan and most of us know someone who has been injured and returned. AWF had several meetings for planning this big event, a lot of e-mails, phone calls and discussions on how this year’s event could be accomplished, including finding boat captains that would hopefully volunteer their time and watercrafts to help with the event. Due to all of the support the organizers started getting from several sources, we knew it was a great way to give back to our military personnel. AWF had many discussions with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) representative Mike Records from Houston, Texas. From what Records said, this [tournament] might be the largest event done for the Wounded Warrior Project program (www.woundedwarriorproject.org ), which planned to take 50 wounded warriors out fishing for a day. The WWP organization contacted its members and notified them about the fishing tournament. The wounded warriors could sign up through the WWP program, ensuring they qualified and met the requirements of the WWP program. The date chosen was the weekend that AGFC annually allows free fishing for anyone in Arkansas, even if they are
from out of state. On June 6th the Wounded Warriors that had signed up, along with the boat captains, met at Lake Dardanelle State Park. The park has one of the best weigh-in pavilions in the country, and Lake Dardanelle is one of the top-ten bass fishing lakes in North America. A relaxing evening was enjoyed as Woodsmen of the World from Conway grilled hamburgers donated by David’s Burgers of Little Rock and hotdogs donated by Petit Jean Meats of Morrilton; along with chips donated by Frito Lay, and bottle water from Mountain Valley Water. Other food and water was donated by both Russellville and Dardanelle Walmart. The meal was followed up with desserts prepared by the Russellville Women’s VFW and Ladies American Legion of Russellville. It took a lot of work to round up 50 boat captains but, thanks to the help of George Rowland and Andy Thomas, there were plenty of boats to comfortably take the anglers out on the water in a safe and efficient manner. Brigadier General Keith A. Klemmer addressed the group Friday evening. The captains and wounded warriors were teamed up in an effort to let them get to know one another and to help with the coordination of events that would begin first thing Saturday morning. Keep in mind that this event is not a fundraiser. The goal was to show support and thanks to those who fought for our country. That being said, it did cost some money to put the tournament on. Thankfully the organizers received contributions from the Russellville Advertising & Promotion Commission, Dardanelle VFW, Russellville VFW, SWN, Ridout Lumber, and a few individuals who wanted to give. Gift bags were filled with several donations from Russellville Walmart, Bass Pro Shop, Tyson Foods, Outdoor Products, Pradco, Lew’s, Jack’s Links, Arkansas Lighthouse for the Blind, and several others donors, as well as handmade lap quilts made by Northeast Arkansas Quilter’s Sister’s & VFW. AGFC also put together a gift bag for the volunteer boat captains to say thank you for their contribution. River Valley Guide Service donated five guided fishing trips to five warriors. Two boat captains received certificates for free heating & air work. Saturday morning started with West Main Donuts and Starbucks coffee. The invocation was given by Reverend Wayne Long followed by the Rogers-Rye VFW providing a five-gun volley and the posting of the Colors by HHB
1-206th Field Artillery of Russellville. “The Star-Spangled Banner” was sung by Chloe Chisum, a local young lady from Russellville Junior High School. The Russellville & Paris 1-206th Field Artillery fired the cannon at 8 am to start the tournament. A total of 33 warriors from Arkansas and surrounding states made the trip to Russellville and went fishing. It was a great day and they had so much fun despite the fact that the fish weren’t really biting again this year. They did manage to catch some fish. THE WINNERS: 1st Place - David Engle (warrior from Oklahoma) & Zach King (boat captain) 10.62 lbs. 2nd Place – William Gaddis (warrior) & Randy Colvin (boat captain) 9.15 lbs. 3rd Place – Jerry Erikson (warrior) & Ed Hula (boat captain) 7.68 lbs. 4th Place – Joseph Allwood (warrior) & Ricky Biffle 7.54 lbs. 5th Place – Travis Harley (warrior) & Michael Jinkins 7.40 lbs.
Everyone voiced their support and told the organizers how glad they were for what all had been done to support our military soldiers. Several of the boat captains and wounded warriors requested that the organization please repeat the tournament again next year. AWF and the other organizers want to thank all of the sponsors and supporters for their help, donations, and time. We couldn’t have done it without your support. A special thank you goes to Andy Thomas, George Rowland, Christy Austin, Frank Leone, Andy Tackett, Ron Cook, Lee Fields, James Manatt (YCWF), all of the boat captains, and everyone else who supported this event, including the many locations throughout the state that allowed the organizers to place posters in their business windows or inside their stores to promote the tournament. It took a lot of work and support to make the fishing tournament happen, but we’re already looking forward to doing it again next year. To see more images from the event visit the photo album on AWF’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/ArkansasWildlifeFederation. If you see someone you know, feel free to tag them and share the photos.
4 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Fishing Therapeutic to Wounded Warriors by Johnny Sain Jr.
Water is the key. It quenches, it refreshes, it cleanses, it gives life. Water is a solvent -- dissolving and transforming other compounds while forming a new solution. The chemical characteristics of water can be translated into the nonmaterial as well. Water is a symbol for rebirth in many cultures and religions. Water is the medium for life both physical and spiritual. The waters of Lake Dardanelle were a medium for community and fellowship on June 7 as Lake Dardanelle State Park hosted the 2nd Wounded Warrior Project Bass Tournament. The tournament is part of the overall aim of the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization devoted to the veteran’s transition from military combat duty back to civilian life. The Wounded Warrior Project’s mission is to honor and empower wounded warriors. Its stated vision is to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history. This is a daunting but much needed service as our soldiers come home. Unlike physical wounds, emotional and psychiatric scars from war are often difficult to diagnose and treat. However, those scars are very common. • Depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (an anxiety disorder that follows experiencing a traumatic event) are the most common mental health problems faced by returning troops. PTSD symptoms can include recurring nightmares about traumatic events, hesitation to discuss the traumatic events, or difficulty sleeping or performing normal tasks. Post-traumatic stress disorder is diagnosed after several weeks of continued symptoms. Psychiatrists project that 1 in 3 U.S. soldiers will suffer from PTSD after serving in Iraq or Afghanistan (or both). The rate for PTSD is two times higher for those men and women who served two tours, which makes up approximately 40 percent of all U.S. troops. 30 percent of soldiers develop mental problems within 3 to 4 months of being home. • Between 2002 and 2012, 1.6 million service men and women left active duty and became eligible for veteran health care.
Only 56 percent of all veterans sought treatment by the end of 2012. • An estimated 20 percent of returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans turn to heavy drinking or drugs once they return to the U.S. • Between 10 and 20 percent of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans have suffered a traumatic brain injury (TBI). Possible consequences of this internal injury include anger, suicidal thoughts, and changes in personality. • In 2010, an average of 22 veterans committed suicide every day. The group with the highest number of suicides was men ages 50-59. (Sources: IVN, PTSD, FAS, Department of Veterans Affairs, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America) What these numbers mean is that community support and understanding are important to the emotional and mental health of returning soldiers. What better place to do this than on the water. Fishing is one of those pastimes that allows you to get lost in the moment. That’s what drew Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Geoff Gammenthaler. Gammenthaler is from Maumelle, Arkansas, and is participating in his a second Wounded Warrior bass tournament. Though he has been back in the United States since 2006, Gammenthaler still suffers from wartime scars. “Since I’ve been back I still have flashbacks. Things like trash bags on the side of the road or holes in the road can bring it back because that’s what I experienced as an infantryman,” said Gammenthaler. “I came here because I like to fish. Fishing just clears my mind, and I can’t explain it.” It’s more than
just the fishing, though. “Just being around other veterans feels like a connection; it’s a connection to people that understand.” But just wetting a line makes the trip to Lake Dardanelle worth it. “Fishing is like therapy for me; it’s an escape” said Gammenthaler. “I lose track of time, and before you know it the sun is going down, and all I’ve been thinking about is catching fish.” Boat captain and warrior pairing took place on Friday, June 6 – the 70th anniversary of D-Day when a different generation of soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy in what was perhaps one of the most pivotal battles in world history. This connection was not lost on Brigadier General Keith Klemmer, who spoke to participants and workers Friday evening. “What’s ironic about this is that today is also the day we shipped out another 160 Arkansas National Guard soldiers. They shipped out to the Middle East this morning,” said General Klemmer. “It’s a reminder that these things have happened in the past and they’re still going to happen in the future. There’s a real need for events like this to support the soldiers. This is going to be needed in the future. It’s going to be a continuous process, this need to welcome and support warriors coming back into the community.” Saturday morning dawned with scattered clouds, but rain held off and warriors, along with boat captains, enjoyed a day on the water. The bite was slow for most, but fish sloshing in the livewell was far down the list of goals for the day. Boat captain Juan Barrientos, from Clarksville, summed up those goals. “If it takes spending the day in a boat with somebody, just going for a boat ride, if that helps them cope and work out what they’re going through I’m up for it every day,” said
Barrientos. Barrientos had the distinction of being a boat captain without a boat. “I fished in the warrior’s boat; that’s what he wanted to do,” said Barrientos with a chuckle. The personal connection is what drives Barrientos, a seasoned tournament angler, to competitive angling. “The camaraderie that goes with a lot of competitive fishing tournaments is why I really enjoy fishing in them,” said Barrientos. “Even if you don’t catch any fish the worst-scenario is that you’re going to meet somebody new.” That personal connection through fishing is what inspired Barrientos to be a boat captain for the Wounded Warriors Project bass tournament. Barrientos and his warrior caught one keeper fish, but released it when it was apparent that a limit of bass just wasn’t in the cards for them. “I fished yesterday [trying to find fish for the tournament] nothing worked for me, and I had no expectations for [catching fish] today, but I did get to meet a real great guy. I made a good friend, and I’m sure we’ll stay in contact in the future.”
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 5
YCWF Celebrates 50th Banquet by James Manatt The Yell County Wildlife Federation, established in 1946 by a group of concerned sportsmen, celebrated its 50 th Annual Quail Banquet and fundraiser Saturday, April 5th, in Dardanelle, Arkansas. Started in the 1960’s, the first Quail Dinner was a Saturday potluck dinner after a long day at the Pullen Pond Bird Dog Field Trials and skeet shoot. The Field Trials were discontinued in the 1980’s because of the loss of quail in the area. The Federation continues with the banquet as an annual fundraiser and as a thank-you for its members who worked with children and youth to meet part of the Federation’s mission. All money raised stays within the River Valley, supporting programs for youth education and conservation projects. The banquet is no longer potluck but 95% of the meal continues to be cooked by the membership on site. There is little variation in the menu from year to year. This year the menu included smoked Cornish game hens, donated by Tyson Foods, breaded and fried Manchester Farms Quail, steak with sides of green beans, Niblet sweet corn, fresh slaw, twicebaked potatoes, gravy, fresh fruit and vegetables and hot rolls. Desserts were homemade by the wives of the Federation members. The Banquet serves as the largest yearly fundraiser for Yell County Wildlife Federation (YCWF). More than sixty-five silent auction items were donated this year by members and local businesses. Fifteen items were available in the live auction. Many people were interested in the items and the bidding was hot and heavy. There were several raffle contests as well as drawings for six different firearms which also gained the intense interest of those present. For the fiftieth anniversary there were over 250 people in attendance and, even though the final figures are not yet in, the treasurer thinks this may have been a very fiscally successful event. It’s always good when it’s an elec-
tion year because we have candidates who are there to meet their constituents. Some of the candidates and officials who were present were the Mayor of Dardanelle, Yell County Sheriff, a Yell County Executive, 3 Circuit Court Judges, a Yell County Treasurer candidate, a seated State Representative and a U.S. Congressman. Each year various awards are given to members of the Federation and the community who have participated in wildlife conservation above and beyond the expected. This year YCWF recognized Jim Heflin with “The Yell County Wildlife Federation Sportsman – Conservation Award” for the leadership he provided to the Delaware community. In its austerity budget, the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers made the decision to close several boating areas on the Arkansas River and one of these was Delaware Park Access Area. Mr. Heflin rallied his neighbors and they formed “The Friends of Delaware Park,” applied for and were granted a not-for-profit 501c3 designation by the Internal Revenue Service. Arkansas Wildlife Federation, along with “Friends of Delaware Park,” secured a lease from the Corps of Engineers to keep and maintain Delaware Park Access Area. The group keeps the area clean and the grass mowed so that sportsmen have yearround use of the area.
AGFC Foundation Gets New President Chuck Dicus has been named president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation. He’ll be in an acting role until he succeeds Steve Smith July 1. Smith will become president emeritus. Dicus formerly spent 17 years as head of the Razorback Foundation. Dicus is a former wide receiver for the Razorbacks (1968-1970) and a member of the College Football Hall of Fame. He went on to play two seasons with the San Diego Chargers and a season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Randy Milligan, chair of the Foundation, announced the appointment in May and said Dicus’ experience at fund-raising will be valuable
The second award, “The Yell County Wildlife Federation Conservation Organization of the Year” was given to the Arkansas Tech Fisheries and Wildlife Society for the untold volunteer man (and woman) hours the members have worked helping YCWF with many projects, as well as untold hours working at the Bearcat Hollow Wildlife Area and LOViT Trail with the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. The third award, “Yell County Wildlife Federation Volunteer of the Year,” was given to Wayne Shewmake, President of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation, Arkansas delegate to National Wildlife Federation, and past president of YCWF. YCWF provides two scholarships each semester to two students in the Fisheries and Wildlife Program at Arkansas Tech University. Daniel Cooper and Austin Klais were introduced as two of the recipients. The scholarships are in memory and honor of past YCWF members Gary “Jers” Hodges and Dr. Jim Ed McGee, who worked for ATU and were supportive members of YCWF. The YCWF banquet is held around the first weekend in April each year. Go ahead and mark your calendar to come and join us for good food and fun in 2015.
to the foundation’s work. Dicus has worked most recently in commercial real estate with Irwin Partners. “Chuck Dicus is an avid outdoorsman who cares about this state and about the future of hunting and fishing,” said current Foundation President Steve Smith in a prepared release. “Through his leadership, the Game and Fish Foundation will continue to ensure that youth around our state have access to outdoor hunting and fishing activities and continue to learn the values encouraged by our foundation.
6 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Why Aren’t They Biting? by Hollie Sanders
“Why the heck aren’t they biting?” is an all-to-familiar moan from a fruitless day on the water. Often the response to this pondering is addressed to the lure. If I only had the right lure I could catch the big one! Trying to outsmart the fish is puzzle-solving at its best and one reason why fishing is so much fun. It engages the mind and body and the pursuit of becoming better at what we love to do. The best lure for fishing is not just the latest color or flash or movement of a favorite lure but it’s the benefits of fishing that hook us in. Like the many different types of lures that have been created since “the fish stopped biting,” angling encompasses a variety of shared experiences that we make while enjoying a day on the water. Fishing is a shared experience with nature. It’s relaxing to sit under a shade tree and watch the water shift and move against the breeze or feel the warmth of the sun on your face as you watch a blue heron glide by. You might see a dragonfly skate across the water or a turtle soak up that same warm sun as he rests on a log. Wading into a cold and clear Arkansas stream with its colorful river rock patterns is a true way to feel a part of the resource. Whether you catch your limit or miss every bite, fishing is connecting with nature. Fishing is a shared experience with others. My grandfather was my first fishing buddy. He showed me how to fish with a cane pole and how to cast without hooking my shirt. We would spend hours on the water talking about this and that. I don’t remember much about the fish I caught or how many. Even though I thought we were “just fishin’”, I remember I was right where I wanted to be, spending time with my Papa. Fishing with friends and family creates memories, shared stories, and connection with each other. Fishing is a shared experience with community. Connecting kids with the outdoors through fun fishing derbies, giving hope to a wounded soldier through a peaceful day on the water or participating in stream and lakeside litter clean-ups are just a few ways that fishing engages the community and creates conservation-minded citizens. Every fishing lure has a history, and maybe a story. Every lure is also a challenge to go outdoors and share an experience with nature, community, and each other. Grab a pole and go outside often.
Opportunities to connect with the outdoors can be found at the Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center in downtown Little Rock. The summer calendar is filled with opportunities to learn about fishing and other outdoor sports, fish and wildlife, conservation opportunities, and discover nature downtown. For more details and information visit www.centralarkansasnaturecenter.com. See below for a few summer calendar highlights. IT’S SUMMER FRIDAY: GO OUTSIDE Fridays through August 1st Weekly outdoor & nature related activities for kids & adults: 11pm Nature Fun Fridays 1pm #FieldNotesFridays 2pm Alligator Feeding BASICS OF FISHIN’ July 15th 10am-12:00pm Whether you are brand new to fishing or need to brush up on your fishing skills, you’ve come to the right place. Discover tips on gear, bait, and where to fish. With practice and a little patience you could soon find yourself a new life-time activity that you can enjoy with your friends and family. Fun for all ages. WILD JOBS! Lunch and Learn speaker series Upper elementary age and older This lunchtime speaker series provides opportunities for you to learn more about the benefits and management of the area’s natural resources and public lands through the professionals that work in the field. Speakers will include biologists, wildlife officers, conservationists, and other specialists whose “Wild job” is to delve deeply into subjects tied to Arkansas wildlife and habitat. July 23rd: Wildlife Celebrity Aug 27th: Duck Counter ANTIQUE TACKLE ROADSHOW Saturday, July 26th, 10am – 3pm The best part of fishing is collecting memories and stories of times spent on the water. Some of those memories include rods and tackle that you used to fish. If you’d like to find out what your old fishing tackle is worth and the history behind it, members of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club will here to help. They can evaluate, identify and appraise any old fishing items you bring to this free event. 10am-3 pm: Tackle appraisal drop-in and learn 1pm-2pm: Real Women Fish: A historic look at women and fishing 2pm-3pm: Fun fishing games and activities for the family
Unattended fawns may not be abandoned
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission continues to get calls about people in Arkansas are finding newborn wildlife. The state is blessed with an abundance of wildlife and their offspring. Throughout the spring and summer, it is not uncommon to come across unattended baby wild animals. Many people discover what they feel to be lost or abandoned wildlife young and take them in, thinking they are doing the right thing. This always does more harm than good, said AGFC deer biologist Ralph Meeker. “We get quite a few calls about people thinking fawns have been abandoned by their mothers. Early in life, fawns lay very still so as not to attract predators (like wellintentioned humans), and are frequently mistaken for being in distress or abandoned,” Meeker explained. “More often than not, their mothers are usually within hearing or visual range,” he added. In addition to being removed from their mother’s care, many people try to care for these fawns, which is illegal under the Arkansas Game and Fish Code of Regulations as of July 1, 2012. Wildlife are just that, wild. If you feel that a fawn is in immediate danger by laying in or very near a road or in the path of haying equipment, pick it up and move it over a few feet. However, you should never remove it from the immediate area. The mother will periodically check on her young. Meeker says most wild animals don’t spend very much time at their young’s side in order to not attract predators to the area. “Bottom line; just leave them alone,” he said. “Allow them to be wildlife. If you remove them from the wild they cease to be just that.”
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 7
Pratt & Whitney Wins 2014 Environmental Stewardship Award
11 percent in greenhouse gas emissions and 41 percent of process waste from the previous year. The Springdale facility has shared its waste and energy reduction program details with other Pratt and Whitney facilities around the world and with the University of Arkansas Industrial Clearinghouse, allowing others to benefit from the expertise developed at Springdale. “For three years we have recognized Pratt and Whitney’s contribution to saving resources and energy by choosing them as one of the finalists for our ENVY Award,” Marks said. “I am pleased that this year the company rose to the top of the list and has been chosen to win the award.” Other finalists for this year’s award were: • The Arkansas Historic Preservation Program for its 26-year-long County Courthouse Restoration program.
• The Arkansas Wildlife Federation for the Bearcat Hollow wildlife habitat restoration project involving an Ozark National Forest area in Newton and Searcy Counties near Witts Springs.
In its third straight year as a finalist, Pratt and Whitney’s • The City of Fayetteville, in partnership with the Watershed Springdale aircraft engine manufacturing facility was preResource Conservation Center, for four stream restoration sented with the 2014 Arkansas Environmental Stewardship projects--two in the Illinois River Watershed and two in Award Friday. The award winner was announced by Arkanthe White River Watershed--between 2007 and 2012. sas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Director • Goodwill Industries of Arkansas for its ongoing compreTeresa Marks during the regular meeting of the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission. Dubbed the “ENVY Award,” the annual presentation was established in 2005 by the ADEQ to recognize a major conby James Manatt tribution by an individual or organization for efforts to enhance and protect Arkansas’ natural resources. Yell County had a break from the wet weather as Pratt and Whitney has been a finalist for the award for the rain held off Saturday morning (June 7, 2014) at three consecutive years for its ongoing pollution prevenMerritt Park for the annual kid’s fishing derby. The tion program, started in 2011, designed to reduce and reevent had 50 youth that fished with all 50 young cycle materials used in the manufacturing process and reanglers catching at least one fish which the Arkansas duce greenhouse gas emissions by saving electricity use in Game and Fish Commission stocked for the event. the facility’s manufacturing and operational activities. The All the kids who fished received a rod and reel to take program includes a wide range of conservation measures, home. The winners in each category received a rod which have resulted in diverting an average of 27 tons of and reel and a tackle box. The Arkansas Forestry solid waste a year from landfills, including recycling or reCommission was on hand to clean the fish that were using 100 percent of plastics from the manufacturing process. In 2013, the company’s efforts produced reductions of
Merritt Park Fishing Derby
hensive statewide recycling program diverting household goods and electronic wastes from landfills.
• The Illinois River Watershed for development of a water education program aimed at grades K-5 stressing the importance of protecting streams and other water resources from pollution during rainfall events.
“Once again, the number and the quality of entrants for the ENVY Award demonstrates that all over Arkansas individuals, local governments, nonprofit groups, and corporate interests care about preserving and improving our state’s environment and its natural resources,” Marks noted. “Normally we narrow the list of nominees to five finalists, but this year we had to expand it to six because of so many quality entries.” Presentation of the ENVY Award traditionally wraps up the ADEQ’s annual observance of Earth Week, which, in recent years, has expanded to a two-week long celebration to accommodate all the events that take place. Other activities during ADEQ’s Earth Week observance included visits to the agency headquarters building by school children from six different school districts for a series of interactive environmental programs April 14, 15, 21 and 22 and a presentation by Virco Manufacturing Co. of Conway April 24 on the company’s extensive pollution prevention and recycling efforts as part of the ADEQ’s continuing series of “Putting Green to Work” lunchtime programs. caught, then bagged them for the young anglers to take home. The derby was followed by a great hot dog lunch and everyone had a great time. Yell County Wildlife Federation (YCWF) would like to give special thanks to our sponsors: Dardanelle Chamber of Commerce, Yell County Sheriff Bill Gilkey, Yell County EMS, Dardanelle Noon Rotary, Chamber Bank “Dardanelle”. YCWF would also like to thank our supporters: Arkansas Forestry Commission, Dardanelle PostDispatch, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Tyson Foods, Wal-Mart Dardanelle, Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee.
8 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Trail Tales By Johnny Sain, Jr.
A Sense of Place on Your Plate by Johnny Sain, Jr.
Fire and meat. Is there a pairing more quintessentially human than fire and meat? The hunks of whitetail tenderloin in front of me just came off the grill. Seasoned with garlic, salt, pepper, cumin and just a dash of crushed red pepper they were every bit as mouth-watering delicious as they looked. Seasoning, coal fire and a soaked piece of hickory working in concert underneath the hood of my old grill crafted a masterpiece of flavor that my --and your -- prehistoric ancestors might call overkill. I call it perfection. Nobody really knows how and when we started cooking, but somewhere back in our murky past meat found its way to fire after the kill, and it was good. Taste was the reason back then, and a good reason at that. The sense of taste tells an animal what to eat. If something tastes good a creature will eat more of it. This was before junk food threw our perceptions out of whack by going overboard on the tastes we crave. It only makes sense that palatability was the original goal for cooking, and our taste buds were right. Cooked meat is better for us. Cooking unravels proteins and loosens muscle fiber in meat, which makes for easier chewing and digestion. My taste buds tell me that grilled venison is far superior to venison prepared any other way. Because of the great decisions taste buds made in the past for benefit of bodily health, I choose to listen to them today. We eat deer meat cooked a lot of dif-
ferent ways, but tenderloin is almost always reserved for the grill. Backstrap tenderloin is good eating without the spices. Some folks can’t seem to get past the “gamey” taste of deer compared to beef, but I’ve never found deer meat to be gamey. Venison is not beef, and shouldn’t be compared to beef any more than pork should be compared to beef. Venison’s flavor comes from a variety of influences. The conditions surrounding the hunt are important. A deer run half to death, its muscles loaded with lactic acid, won’t please your palate like a deer shot while peacefully browsing. Age and sex of the deer matter, too. Many eaters of deer say there is no difference in taste between buck and doe. I said the same thing a few years ago. I was wrong. There is a difference; one isn’t better than the other-- only different. And it goes without saying that the younger the deer the more tender the meat. At least one young doe is on my wish list every season. But far and away the most powerful influence on taste is what the deer ate. This is where the connection between hunter and hunted gets very earthy. It has to do with a topic I’ve talked about a few times before: a sense of place. I’ve eaten deer plumped up on corn and soybeans, their hams covered with a thick layer of fat, and their taste was both mild and rich. Domesticated is the best description. Domesticated is a good description of the land they fed on as well. Crops grown in neat rows with pockets of trees breaking the monotony of fields here and there.
Annual Squirrel Cook Off Returns by Al Wolff As September 13, 2014 gets closer and the annual World Champion Squirrel Cook Off (WCSCO) nears, recipes for top previous cook off dishes become worth their weight in gold. This cooking event has become a major cooking competition with teams from across the nation coming to Bentonville to prepare a 100% all natural, cage free, organic protein “tree bacon, limb chicken, the other brown meat” dish. Last year the 2013 winning team, The Estes Boys, won with their squirrel sausage. A different squirrel sausage recipe can be found at the official Squirrels Unlimited website. They love to cook and they love to brag. That’s what makes the WCSCO the greatest cooking event in the country. Their competition is special because the main ingredient can’t be bought at the store. You have to work for it and plan for it. The rules state that all teams must prepare their entrée’s on-site, no off-site prep is allowed. This guarantees a competition of intense labor and time use. Teams have only 2 ½ hrs. to create their dish which will be judged by a panel of true squirrel eaters, folks who know what good food should taste like. They hope that more Arkansas teams will join this year.
They were wild deer, but they were eating cultivated food, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If your local whitetails gorge on grain, then enjoy. But, to me, it didn’t really taste like deer. It was a much different taste than the venison my family usually chows on from the southern Ozarks and River Valley of western Arkansas. My local whitetail herd primarily eats greenbriers, honeysuckle and grass through the summer; acorns and assorted soft mast in the fall; and back to honeysuckle and winter greens in a few scattered food plots for winter. A deer’s diet is diverse, and there are countless other bits of vegetation browsed throughout the year, but these are the staples. You can taste this through the deer’s flesh.
The cook off will also have additional guest judge Elyse Pasquale. She is a food and travel journalist with culinary experience in 65-plus countries. When she’s not eating her way around the world, Elyse resides in New York City and rural Tuscany. She recently hosted a new food adventure web series (in post-production) and is writing her upcoming memoir, Off the Beaten Plate. If that wasn’t enough, the National Squirrel Calling Competition and The Bacon Bowl will be held simultaneously. There is an early registration opportunity for teams for the cook off plus an additional fee to participate in the other events. Visit the official website for more details. The WCSCO is open to the public. The event was founded by Joe Wilson, president of Squirrels Unlimited, a national squirrel hunting organization based out of Monticello, Arkansas. The net proceeds of the cook off benefit the NWA Children’s Shelter. World Champion Squirrel Cook Off Sept. 13, 2014 9:00 am – 3:00 pm Downtown Bentonville, AR Northeast A Street @ Northeast 2nd www.squirrelcookoff.com www.squirrelsunlimited.com
Energy from the sun and nutrients from the soil cycling through the vegetation, through the deer and to you with every morsel. Each bite tinted with notes of what that deer ate. I always say I can pick up hints of acorn, but I’m probably reaching a bit. It might be just because of the autumn season when the smell of a hardwood ridge is in my nose nearly every day. But the deer tastes like an October morning in the place I call home. It tastes like where I belong. The next time you’re seated at the dinner table with a venison steak in front of you, take a moment of reflection for meal, for the hunt, for the deer, for the place it came from. And when you take that first bite savor the flavor. Savor the sense of place resting on your plate.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 9
Father-Son Duck Hunt by James Manatt This past August my son and I attended the Arkansas Wildlife Federation’s (AWF) annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet in Bryant. We won an auction for a two-man, two-day duck hunt donated by Cypress Point Duck Club at White River Lodge in Casscoe, Arkansas, approximately 15 minutes northeast of Stuttgart. The hunt was donated in honor of Dr. Charles Logan an avid conservationist and sportsman with over 30 years of support of AWF. He is dedicated to the preservation of wildlife and wetlands. Dr. Logan is currently a Director at Large for AWF. He has done many things for AWF over his years of service. Most recently, he and his wife Joyce donated nearly 32 acres of land to the organization which AWF plans to put a permanent building upon as well as hopes for turning the natural areas in to an interpretive trail that the public can visit. My son and I hunted the weekend of January 10 - 12, 2014. We arrived at White River Lodge on Friday evening to a catfish dinner with all the fixings and homemade pies. We were welcomed like we had been there many times before. We met several other hunters from all over the U.S. including five hunters from Alabama, all Auburn alumni. If they were still upset from their loss to Florida State in the national championship earlier that same week, they wanted to take out their frustrations on some ducks. We also met some close friends from Cleveland, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia. They had been coming to Cypress Point Duck Club for a few years. Saturday morning we all got up and hunted a flooded bean field near Humnoke where we killed 33 ducks. We shot a pretty good variety of mallard ducks, teal, gadwalls, and spoonbill. After a morning of hunting we returned to the clubhouse where a breakfast buffet was waiting on us. We could have gone on an afternoon goose hunt but everyone was sleepy or wanted to go shopping at Mack’s Prairie Wings. For supper Saturday night we had salad, steak, baked potato and homemade pies. After supper we played
SUMMER 2014 UPCOMING EVENTS AWF ANNUAL CONSERVATION ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS BANQUET
Saturday, August 23, 2014 Doors open 4:00 PM Dinner begins @ 6:00 PM The Center of Bryant, 6401 Boone Road, Bryant, AR
cards, pool, and watched a little football on the big screen. We sat around with our new friends and shared family and hunting stories. Sunday morning we hunted pit blinds in a flooded rice field near Humphrey. Early on we had a lot of mallards flying over. There is just so much water in the area it was hard to keep them in range. We finished the morning with 20 mallard ducks, teal, gadwalls, and spoonbills. Breakfast was ready for us when we got back to the clubhouse. After breakfast we said our goodbyes and exchanged numbers and emails with our new friends. It was a great trip and I hope to get the opportunity to visit there again next season. I would like to share some info on the Cypress Point Duck Club at White River Lodge. The clubhouse is over 10,000 square feet and can handle a group of up to 25 hunters. The clubhouse has a dock on a stocked fishing pond and backs up to the White River. The duck club is family-run and operated with over 35 years of experience, owned by Daniel Bowlan, Glenn Earlywine, and Grady Hartzog. The hunts are flooded rice and soybean fields, flooded timber, and open water oxbow creek. The hunting land is all privately owned or leased by the duck club, totaling more than 3,000 acres. Kennels are available for dogs if guests want to bring their own. The club is family friendly with accommodations for women and children. The Cypress Point Duck Club at White River Lodge is located at 36 Alice Lane, Casscoe, Arkansas. They can be reached at 870-241-3980 or by visiting cypresspointduckclub.com for more details and images.
Awards Program, Student Art Show Display, Silent Auction, Door Prizes, Live Auction, Youth Elk Tag, African Safari Hunt, Argentina Dove Hunt, and more. Tickets $40 Couple/$25 Single Contact: AWF- (501) 888-4770 or arkwf@sbcglobal.net PresidentWayne Shewmake – (479) 229-2298
AWF QUARTERLY MEETING
Saturday, September 6, 2014 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center 602 President Clinton Avenue Little Rock, AR 72201 The September meeting will consist of the annual election to vote for officers. Other items will include a follow-up report to the banquet, and information on the upcoming Bearcat Hollow weekend.
ECOFEST
Saturday, September, 13, 2014 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM Laurel Park Conway, AR Plan to spend an exciting day at Laurel Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on SEPT. 13, 2014! This is a day to explore our connections to our environment, as well as celebrate the 6th annual Conway EcoFest event in a spectacular way! Visitors of all ages will find a lot of exhibits, topics and activities that will piqué intrest and ignite (or REignite) their curiosity... we hope you will join us! If you would like to be part of helping to develop any part of this exciting event, please contact us through this web site or call Debbie at 472-0901, Ashley, 548-2957, or Keith, 514-3881.
10 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
The Success of Bald Eagles in Arkansas by Jessica Rainwater
The recovery of the bald eagle in Arkansas is arguably the greatest success story of an extirpated animal being reintroduced into the wild ever, said Certified Wildlife Biologist Karen Rowe, who also serves as the Bird Conservation Program Leader of the Wildlife Management Division of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Bald eagles are believed to have flourished throughout the contiguous United States in 1782, with numbers in the 100,000’s, but as people encroached upon their habitat, much like they did with Native Americans, the eagles were pushed out. Seen as a predator on livestock, many were killed. Their numbers had decreased to the brink of extinction by 1940, only 487 pairs known
in the U.S., when Congress passed The Bald Eagle Protection Act prohibiting the killing, selling or possession of bald eagles. Although practices and penalties were in place to protect the large bird, it still diminished to extirpation in Arkansas before the 1980’s. In 1981 the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission released a pair of adult eagles from Minnesota onto the White River Refuge. “We didn’t really do anything, but introduce them to a habitat they could prosper in, and they naturally increased,” Rowe said. The Commission’s goal at the time was
to one day have ten pairs of eagles in Arkansas. The number was greatly succeeded. In 2007 the commission surveyed more than 130 eagles nest throughout Arkansas. Rowe said after the bird was removed from the endangered species list in 2007 the commission conducted an aerial survey once more in 2008 finding 140 eagle nests, before moving on to the next endangered species. No further surveys have been conducted, because of the high cost of aerial surveys. The commission urges the public to help with the tracking of eagles by reporting them on their website. Most eagles live on federal and state protected land making it difficult to find the birds or keep track of them. “Eagles are also migratory, meaning they follow the food, which makes it hard to say a certain number of eagles live in any area,” said Wildlife Specialist Dale Eubanks. “The main staple in an eagle’s diet is fish, but they also feed largely on waterfowl that move with the weather.” Even though the eagle has been very successful many hazards still exist for the large bird. People are the biggest obstacle for any wildlife as we take up more and more space. Eagles do not generally nest near people, but they are becoming known to do so. A nest in Brookings, Ark. is only 200 feet from a residence and even closer to the highway in a fence row. Clearing of farm land and areas around rivers are directly related to the tolerance of people. “Many birds were dying of lead poisoning,” said Rowe, “until the Game and Fish Commission stopped hunters using lead shot on federal and state ground. The hunter would shoot a duck, wounding it and the eagle would eat the duck [thus] giving it lead poisoning.” Another issue with people is they don’t understand the wildlife around them. “This is the same with eagles, owls, cardinals, most any wildlife,” Rowe said. “The prob-
lem is, especially with eagles, when they leave the nest they can only fly about 100 yards. People will see them in their backyard or on the side of the road and, thinking they’re abandoned, they will pick them up and try to take care of them.” This is exactly the wrong thing to do. Usually the parents are nearby and they will continue feeding them and teaching the eaglets until they can survive on their own. Once people interfere the bird is much less likely to survive, so “…if you see a baby eagle or owl, don’t pick it up,” Rowe said. Another common problem is fear. People see a bird in their yard and they are afraid it will hurt their children or attack. “They are more scared of you than you are of them,” Rowe said.
[Editor’s Note: Arkansas ranks in the top 10 states in the number of winter bald eagle sightings. Over 1,000 bald eagles are counted each winter, nearly triple the 368 recorded in 1979. Anyone finding an eagle nest should not approach it but should carefully note the exact location. Then phone Karen Rowe at (877)873-4651 or contact her by e-mail at krowe@agfc.state.ar.us, and a bald eagle site report form will be mailed, or you can download the Bald Eagle Nest Data Form. The form includes space for notes on nest activities and site location information. Completed forms should be emailed or mailed to Rowe at AGFC Hampton Wildlife Research Center, 31 Halowell Lane, Humphrey, AR 72073.]
Recreationists asked to turn away from the terns
LITTLE ROCK – Holiday people, do a good turn for the least tern. The endangered least terns nest on islands in the Arkansas River. They make it pretty well on their own, occasional floods, predators and all, but unfortunately, these islands are also popular with Fourth of July (and summer) boaters, picnickers and frolickers. Nothing wrong with these fun activities, but carelessness or unawareness can mean death and destruction to the birds, the least terns. Their nests are on the ground, just shallow depressions in the sand, and the eggs are spotted for camouflage. A boat or pontoon barge pulls up, kids, dogs and four-wheelers go out on the sane – and the birds’ nests are imperiled. A coalition of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife service and Arkansas Tech University are combining efforts to post signs and make the public away of the terns. Karen Rowe, non-game migratory bird coordinator for the Game and Fish Commission, said, “Few people will deliberately harm the tern nests. The problem is that
most people are not aware the endangered birds are on these islands. They are hard to see at just a casual glance.” Signs are being erected on islands in the river where tern nests have been seen. Other signs are going up at boat launching ramps. They instruct river recreationists to seek other locations instead of sandy islands with tern nests. Rowe said the birds usually nest on islands with little or no vegetation. This can be an indicator for boaters – put an island with trees, bushes, vines or weeds. This lessens the chances of disturbing tern nests. She said least terns may be found anywhere along the Arkansas River from the Oklahoma border to the Mississippi River, but the main nesting section is from Clarksville downstream to Pine Bluff Least terns are found on less than 1/3 of the islands on the Arkansas River . Least terns are protected by federal and state endangered species regulations.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 11
Hunters drawn for eighth Arkansas alligator hunting season
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has completed the drawing of permits for Arkansas’s eighth season of alligator hunting. The season will get underway in September. The season will be open from 30 minutes after sunset on Friday, Sept. 19 until 30 minutes before sunrise on Monday, Sept. 22 and from 30 minutes after sunset on Friday, Sept. 26 until 30 minutes before sunrise on Monday, Sept. 29. The following hunters have been selected to participate in the 2014 alligator hunting season:
Steve Hacker
Prairie Grove
Zone 1
Bois D’Arc WMA
(Public)
Steven Hawkins
Booneville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Andrew Hayes
Lake Village
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
James Hill
Portland
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Brenda House
Ashdown
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Gerald Hughes
Watson
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Tonya Huhn
Austin
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Rickey Hunter
Bono
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
Louis Janski
N. Little Rock
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
NAME
HOME TOWN
ZONE
LOCATION
STATUS
Aaron Keller
Little Rock
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Cody Askew
Hope
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Madison Kidd
Ashdown
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Robert Bassham
Wynne
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Micah Lane
Monticello
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Michael Bays
Fayetteville
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Samuel Leamons
Arkadelphia
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Jeremy Belknap
Little Rock
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Jami Linder
Hamburg
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Matthew Bell
Little Rock
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Jacob Longing
Conway
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
John Bishop
Conway
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Earnest Mcdowell
Texarkana
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Benjamin Bradberry
Walnut Ridge
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Jeff Messenger
Little Rock
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Strap Brents
Hattieville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Cody Mills
Foreman
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Charles Bright
Hope
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
David Ogle
Bigelow
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Damon Brown
Fayetteville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Benny Petrus
Stuttgart
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Amanda Buffington
Hope
Zone 1
Bois D’Arc WMA
(Public)
Nikki Pippinger
Gillett
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Brodie Bulloch
Crossett
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
John Rains
Jacksonville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Billy Callicott
Emmet
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Beau Redfearn
Genoa
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
Stephen Campbell
Hamburg
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Williiam Rogers
Gurdon
Zone 1
Bois D’Arc WMA
(Public)
Shelby Campbell
Rosston
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
John Siems
England
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Michael Chapman
Fayetteville
Zone 1
Little River
(Public)
Evelyn Smillie
Prescott
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Richard Chwalinski
Havana
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
James Smith
Hope
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
Terry Ciganek Jr.
Fayetteville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Dallas Smith
Mountainburg
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
John Clements
Mineral Springs
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Jonathan Spradling
Bryant
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Carter Coats
Greenbrier
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
John Spurlock
Bauxite
Zone 1
Little River
(Public)
Roderick Cooper
Lewisville
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Billy Streeter
Crossett
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Chad Ditto
Walnut ridge
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Donald Thompson
Jefferson
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Tommy Drew
Little Rock
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Leonard Turner
Benton
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Nicholas Engi
Cabot
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Donald Varnell
Star City
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Larry England
Centerton
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
Donald Walker
Ogden
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Joseph Eubanks
Paragould
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Brian Waller
Emerson
Zone 1
Lake Erling
(Public)
Marcus Flippin
Flippin
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
James Watkins
DeWitt
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Jason Fortenberry
Jessieville
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Kevin White
Taylor
Zone 1
Lake Erling
(Public)
Greg Gaisbauer
Little Rock
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Nicholas Wright
Fayetteville
Zone 1
Bois D’Arc WMA
(Public)
Sandra Garrett
Redfield
Zone 1
Private Land
At-Large
Colby Yarbrough
Bryant
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Courtney Gorman
McCrory
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
Jason Yearby
Gurdon
Zone 1
Millwood Lake
(Public)
Andrew Guffey
Pangburn
Zone 3
Lower Arkansas River
(Public)
Earl Younger
Mabelvale
Zone 3
Private Land
At-Large
12 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Central High team a finalist in Siemens environmental challenge by Ethan Nahté
A team from Little Rock Central High School was a national finalist in the Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, which encourages projects on environmental sustainability. The contest is the premier national environmental sustainability competition for grades K-12 students. Through project-based learning, students learn about science and conservation while creating solutions that impact their planet. Beginning August 13, 2013 through March 4, 2014, teams from across the country will be challenged to create sustainable, reproducible environmental improvements in their local communities. The competition was referenced in an earlier edition of Arkansas Out-of-Doors in hopes of getting some schools from Arkansas to participate To date, nearly 100,000 students have participated in the Challenge giving students the opportunity, tools and inspiration to make a difference and become agents of change. The Central team, taught by Gary Earleywine, looked for solutions to roadside litter. “We tested how much trash people still throw away when they are exposed to signs denouncing littering and trash bags. We hope that this information will help our community and others help keep their environments beautiful by understanding what treatments make the people litter less.” A panel of environmental advocates, STEM professionals, science teachers and professors selected the winners. The judges looked for projects that offered viable solutions to real world challenges. The objective of the contest is for teachers, mentors or other adults to work with and supervise teams of two, three, or four eligible students in the creation of a contest entry which identifies an environmental issue or problem, provides a plan to posi-
Beaver Watershed Alliance News
Each year, BWA hosts a number of educational events and volunteer opportunities. So far in 2014, we have collaborated to host riparian tree plantings, trail maintenance events, rain garden plantings, and stream cleanups. Our volunteer hours exceed 1300, which means that volunteers have generated $27,300 in community service value, just over the past 5 months! We have seen quite a few new, and returning, volunteers at our events and many of these folks return to volunteer several times with us throughout the year. We are grateful for the hard work and dedication of these members of the community who take time out of their busy schedules - including weekends, weeknights, during finals and graduation season, etc. - to do something that makes a difference in our region’s water quality. So THANK YOU to those that have made it out to volunteer with us in 2014! We know that there are many of you out there that haven’t been able to make it to one of these events yet, but there are more opportunities for you to be involved in the coming months. To show appreciation of the lake that is the lifeblood of our region, we will be hosting several cleanups in July, including a lake cleanup at Hobbs State Park, and a cleanup on Highway 412 in Springdale through the Adopt-a-Highway program. If you haven’t volunteered with us yet, this
tively impact that issue or problem, and encourages the expansion or replication of the plan in the Team’s community and beyond. The Snyder Elementary School (Snyder, TX) Earth Agents took 1st place in the K-2 category. They studied where water comes from and the causes of drought. Lynn Woods Elementary School (Lynn, MA) took 1st place for the 3-5 category. They realized some of the community was dumping yard waste containing invasive plants in the woods. They studied invasive plants, took data and set about to protect the Lynn Woods and getting the community involved. The Cab Calloway School of Arts (Wilmington, DE) team Zero Waste Team Delaware took 1st place for the 6-8 category. The Zero Waste Team Delaware worked to divert organics waste of Delaware landfills. The team implemented the first residential curbside mixed organics collection route in Delaware which takes organics waste from homes and brings it to a commercial composter. They have successfully worked with the second largest hauler in the US to convert existing yard waste collection routes into mixed organics collections and this hauler is now offering their pilot design as a standard service offering in Delaware. They have helped divert over 15 tons from our landfills to date and are on track to have about 100 tons diverted by year end. The North County High School (Glen Burnie, MD) team Water Bottle Warriors took first place for the 9-12 category. A microfluidic biosensor was created to monitor water contaminants rapidly, inexpensively, and easily. Also, an inexpensive water filter was made from plastic water bottles and amino acids. The biosensor is nearly 200,000 times less expensive and simpler than current sensors while maintaining acceptable sensitivity and operation time. The filter is 42 times less expensive than current filters and is easier to produce. Thousands of dollars in grants are awarded to the teams and to the schools for 1st-3rd place in each category, as well as a green prize pack. Up to 50 more green prize packs, an online certificate and a banner for each finalist schools is provided to other finalists.
summer is the time. We can’t wait to work alongside you to improve the water quality of Northwest Arkansas and protect our region’s drinking water supply! Many residents of Northwest Arkansas don’t realize that Beaver Lake, which serves as the drinking water source for 420,000 people, was formerly the White River before Beaver Dam was built, creating the reservoir that we now know as Beaver Lake. Local folk duo, Still on the Hill, is out to change this gap in knowledge through music and story-telling. Their new album, Once a River, is full of stories from the White River’s history as well as Beaver Lake today. To spread awareness of the importance this body of water has for our region, Still on the Hill will perform 10 free concerts this summer in watershed communities and will give away 100 CDs, one per family, at each performance on a first come, first served basis. The project is being made possible through a collaborative grant from the Arkansas Arts Council, an agency of the Department of Arkansas Heritage, and the National Endowment for the Arts to four northwest Arkansas groups – the Association for Beaver Lake Environment (A.B.L.E.), Ozarks Water Watch, Beaver Water District, and Beaver Watershed Alliance, with special additional sponsorship through the Shiloh Museum of Ozark History. For more information and performance dates visit http://www.stillonthehill.com/onceariver.html
Corps Closes Shoal Bay Swim Beach on Lake Dardanelle Until Further Notice Russellville, Ark. - The Corps of Engineers, Russellville Project Office has closed Shoal Bay swim beach on Lake Dardanelle (June 23, 2014)until further notice. The temporary closure is the result of higher than acceptable E. coli levels that were found during routine testing conducted by the Arkansas Department of Health. According to Corps officials, the high bacteria level could be the result from run-off following heavy rains which is typical in agricultural areas. The Corps has posted signs and swimming will not be allowed at this location until test results indicate it is safe to do so. For more information on the status of other recreation areas along the Arkansas River call the Russellville Project Office at 479-968-5008, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Little Rock District news and recreation information can be found at www.about.me/usacelittlerock.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 13
Pipeline Issues by Ethan Nahté Issues with pipelines is something that Arkansas is all too familiar with, especially within the past year after the Exxon Mobile Pegasus disaster in Mayflower which caused the evacuation of an entire neighborhood and the pollution of waterways around Lake Conway when a 20” pipeline burst, spilling thousands of gallons of oil. A May 2014 report from the Transportation Department report states the federal agency responsible for making sure states effectively oversee the safety of natural gas and other pipelines is failing to do its job. In the report the inspector general says the federal effort is so riddled with weaknesses that it’s not possible to ensure states are enforcing pipeline safety. The report states the federal Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) isn’t ensuring that key state inspectors are properly trained, inspections are being conducted frequently enough and inspections target the most risky pipelines. The report came just days before a 20-inch pipeline burst in the Los Angeles area, spilling approximately 10,000 gallons of crude oil into the streets of Glendale, shutting down a section of Atwater Village. According to reports, gushes of oil spurted into the air, landing on the exotic dance venue The Gentleman’s Club and causing the evacuation of the patrons. In addition, four people from a local medical business were evaluated for respiratory complaints and two others were hospitalized. For anyone that traveled through, or near, the Mayflower, Arkansas area within the first couple of weeks after that incident can attest to the overpowering smell that permeated the air, sickening many. The findings come more than three years after a gas pipeline explosion and fire killed eight people, injured 58 and destroyed much of a subdivision south of San Francisco. Accident investigators cited weak state and federal oversight. The pipeline in Glendale runs from Bakersfield, CA to Texas. The Pegasus pipeline in Mayflower runs from Patoka, IL to the Corsicana, TX area, its route traversing Missouri as it enters northeast Arkansas before cutting across the central portion of the state. The pipeline travels past Lake Maumelle, which supplies water for much of central Arkansas, right through Hot Springs National Park where the naturally occurring hot water flows from underground. The water can actually be bottled by residents and visitors to drink. The pipeline then flows on down through the Texarkana area. The Keystone XL pipeline that seemingly most of Arkansas’ state politicians want to approve, many insisting that it will be a safe pipeline and remarking that accidents such as the accident that happened to the Pegasus pipeline won’t occur with the Keystone XL, begins in Alberta, Canada. It’s roughly 2,000 miles of transcontinental pipe currently running to three destinations within the U.S.: the Gulf of Mexico via Texas, northern OK, and Patoka, IL. The pipeline will supposedly support the United States almost exclusively, the XL standing for “eXport Limited.” But at what potential environmental cost to The Natural State? The current administration is still evaluating Phase IV which could potentially bring yet another pipeline through the mountains, forests, and waterways of Arkansas. On May 12 th the Keystone XL was one, if not the only, item that political rivals Cong. Tom Cotton (R) and Sen. Mark Pryor (D) agreed upon. They appeared together at an event held at Welspun Pipes (Little Rock) to show their support, announcing the amount of jobs and money that the pipeline would bring to Arkansas. Yet, somehow, the new Carbon Rule that Obama approved, which most environmental groups seem to be in favor of, doesn’t seem to be a viable option according to a lot of those same politicians wanting the pipeline. A lot of the politicians claim that the pipeline will bring jobs. Will jobs not also be available if Arkansas was to utilize more wind or solar energy? The infrastructure for building these alternative energy projects won’t be feasible without people working to build them. Hopefully, if it is being built in or through Arkansas, then the majority of the laborers will be from Arkansas. A combination of energy sources is probably the only real answer and not the reliance on just one energy source. No solution is going to be one hundred percent perfect, but choosing to use one solution one hundred percent is definitely imperfect.
Exxon Assists After Disaster By Ethan Nahté
The ExxonMobil Pipeline Company found themselves dejected on May 9, 2014 by Federal Judge Kristine Baker after she refused a request to dismiss the federal-state lawsuit filed last year against the oil giant over the pipeline break that spilled heavy crude in the Mayflower area. The pipeline company argued that the lawsuit failed to state a claim. The judge said the parties had made sufficient factual allegations to pursue claims for violations of several federal and state environmental laws. The court ruling was only one day after ExxonMobil donated $250,000 to help recovery efforts for the tornado that had recently devastated the Mayflower & Vilonia area April 27th. The EF4 tornado killed 15, and injured many more in addition to destroying many structures. The Red Cross and the damaged communities will benefit from the donation, and the residents seemed grateful for the assistance that ExxonMobil and other individuals, churches and local companies provided in their time of need.
Is Recycling Against Human Nature? by Ethan Nahté Recycling, that process that doesn’t take much time or effort to help give back some of the resources that humans utilize daily. It’s an effort to prevent filling up our landfills too quickly and to help conserve the natural resources used to manufacture the products we use. If humans don’t recycle, we will consume our resources that much quicker and possibly be living in contaminated squalor. I can’t think of anyone who would purposely want that dystopian future, but I can think of several, and I mean in the dozens if not the hundreds, of people who couldn’t care less about recycling. It seems to be
too much effort to divide plastics, metals, clean paper, cardboard, etc. from trash. Is it because it takes up too much room? Is it because you have to haul it out to the curb to a recycle bin or, if you don’t have recycling in your neighborhood, driving it to the recycling center? I bring all this up simply for the fact that the recycle bins in the post office are literally right next to the trash can. There are signs that even suggest you recycle your junk mail and other unwanted mail. Yet time and time again I see people reach directly for the bland-colored trash door instead of the brightly colored recycle bin and dump their mail. Both containers are secured so it can’t be for security reasons. It simply must be human nature – a habit that has grown out of control in a throwaway society. It’s a habit that needs to change.
In Memorium Jim Moore
from the Searcy Board of Realtors
14 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
This is article #3 in a series of interviews that is examining turkey decline and habitat changes in Arkansas.
Joe Fox is the current Arkansas State Forester and Director of the Arkansas Forestry Commission (AFC). He is a graduate of North Carolina State with a BS in Forestry/AG Econ. He has also spent the past 20 years in the family lumber business, WS Fox and Sons/Arkansas Oak Flooring Company, a hardwood based company. For 11 years he was Director of Conservation Forestry for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Little Rock. The following is our interview: Kevin: Are there more forests in Arkansas now than there were 30 years ago? Joe: The answer is an emphatic yes. In 1978 there were 17.3 million acres of forest lands and the latest survey of 2012 shows 18.9 million acres. This is based on the 50 years of permanent sample plots in the Forest Inventory Analysis project of the US Forest Service (USFS). The AFC now contracts the USFS to measure 5,000 plots every 5 years. For pinewood, from 1996-2005 we grew an average of 550 million cubic ft. per year and cut 540 million cubic ft. per year. We grew more than we cut, also for pine, from 2006-2012. We grew an average of 750 million cubic ft. per year and cut 500 million cubic ft. per year. We grew way more than we cut in those years. We also grew more hardwood than we cut in those years. So we are not running out of forests or forest land because we have 1.6 million more acres than we used to. A large part of these 1.6 million acres are from the conversion of marginal agricultural fields to forestland in eastern Arkansas through the federal Wetland Reserve Program and Conservation Reserve Program that have been operating for over a decade now. The numbers show that most of this was planted in hardwood.
“On the Turkey Trail”
(Part Three) Kevin: What is the landscape of Arkansas? Joe: A good estimate would be 56% timberland, 37% Farmland/pastureland, 3% water, 2% population centers The north part of the state is the Ozark Mountains, which are a sandstone and limestone karst cave system. They are uplifted plateaus that are now eroded. These soils are less fertile than others, but trees are a vital part of this system. To the south are the Ouachita Mountains. They are the oldest system in the state running east to west. They are uplifted and folded, possibly an extension of the Appalachian Mountains. Some of the south-facing slopes are pretty good for growing timber. South of the Ouachita is the Gulf Coastal Plain which was once a part of the Gulf of Mexico. Lastly, on the east side of the state, is the Mississippi River Alluvial Plain; the youngest system in the state. It is very fertile and covers 1/3 of the state. Kevin: What has changed or is pressuring the forest landscape? Joe: 30 years ago the timber industry owned a large portion of the forests of the Ouachita and Gulf Coastal Plain in south Arkansas, in the range of 35 and 40%. The larger companies have pretty much sold all their timber lands in Arkansas. International Paper Co. was the largest with 1.7 million acres. Today they own 0 acres. Georgia Pacific was the second with over 1 million and they have spun off those lands to a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) named Plum Creek. Weyerhaeuser was third and changed all their lands to a REIT for tax purposes and spun some small tracts off to private REITs and Timberland Investment Management Organizations (TIMO). The ownership and business of timber land has changed. Many of the TIMOs and REITs are run by absentee owners who are making the timber decisions. TIMOs and REITs still own about 37-38% of the timberlands in the south and central Arkansas.
From a study by TNC, out of a slice of 3.4 million acres in south central Arkansas, I believe 1.4 million acres has been harvested and converted from natural pine stands to pine plantation from 1973 to 2004. So there is a good chance that somewhere around 30-40% of the Big Piney woods has been converted to pine plantation. All of the big pine forests in south Arkansas have not been harvested completely, but easily 30-40% are now pine plantation. Kevin: The ownership has changed over the past 30 years. Have the REITs and TIMOs timber harvest practices changed also? Joe: The AFC manages and maintains the voluntary “Best Management Practices” (BMP’s) adopted by lots of forest partners. The AFC has monitored behind the logging jobs all over Arkansas for the past 20 years. Currently those loggers, in all parts of the state, are 89% in compliance with the BMP’s, including Streamside Management Zone (SMZ) width. If someone is leaving no SMZ they are in violation. We do get an average of one valid complaint of BMP nonconformance, every two months, statewide. I think 89% is very good. Kevin: Was there a lot of pine sawtimber harvested in south Arkansas, when prices were at their all time high, just before the housing bust of 2008? Joe: Yes, a lot of pine sawtimber was cut, but the numbers show we never cut more overall cubic ft. than we grew. Kevin: Is there still hardwood in south Arkansas? Joe: There is some wonderful hardwood still there. To grow quality hardwood, the best way to do it is in smaller patch clearcuts, which is the management practice that I tend to agree with and is good for wildlife habitat. The point is, the same
study, by TNC, showed that of this same 3.4 million acres of forestland in south central Arkansas, 20% is still in bottomland hardwood as of 2004. In the coastal plain many of the private landowners in the other 60% timberland ownership have mixed pine-hardwood stands, and some manage their timber for wildlife. One of the problems in all of the state is many private landowners do not have a forest management plan or actively manage their forest lands. Kevin: Are pine plantations poor habitat for turkey and other wildlife? Joe: They can be good habitat, if done correctly. Wildlife needs several different conditions. Open spaces, transition zones to open spaces, in some cases closed canopy forests, in some cases open forests with grass. All those different conditions are good. Straight pine plantations, when the canopy is closed in the 8-15 years, are not terribly productive for wildlife until they are thinned. But it is temporary. Kevin: North Arkansas has had quite a bit of mortality and cutting due to the Red Oak Borer infestation and ice damage on the USFS. What is the state of the forests of north Arkansas? Joe: The best way to manage forests in general, whether north or south, for wildlife; including turkeys, is to thin the forest and use prescribed fire. Those two tools are preeminent. The Red Oak Borer epidemic, a native insect, got out of proportion a little more than ten years ago and killed many oak trees. It did so because our native hardwood stands, up in central and north Arkansas, had not been thinned and had too many trees per acre fighting for the same resources (water, minerals and sunlight). The insects took advantage of so many trees in a weakened unhealthy as-
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 15 pect. Thinning helps keep forests healthy so that individual trees are strong and ward off disease and insect attack. Kevin: The AFC has the responsibility of controlling and protecting from wildland fire, in Arkansas. Why then, is prescribed fire good? Joe: Foresters in general, wildland fire managers and firefighters, know that prescribed fire underneath the tree canopy opens up the forest floor for grasses that insects love and in turn that turkeys love. It lets new native plants, in the cycle of life, to express themselves in the forest. It also consumes forest fuels on the ground. Take the 2009 ice storm which left broken tops and limbs all over the forest in north Arkansas. The best way to get rid of those fuels is to burn that fuel up, in smaller prescribed, intentional fires. It is a huge wildfire prevention tool. As a secondary benefit it is helping the wildlife. Prescribed fire is a win/win. It gets rid of fuel so acres don’t burn on high fire danger days and is good for all sorts of wildlife. Kevin: Is prescribed burning being conducted in the spring during the turkey hatch season in north Arkansas? Joe: Yes, I am certain that it does go on. I am not a wildlife expert. I am a forester, but it has to affect population numbers. However, I agree with Arkansas Game and Fish Director Knoedl that it is such a good rush of green material that the surviving bird population does not suffer. Well folks to sum up, Joe gives the numbers to show that we have more forest than we used to and that the forests have changed. We will examine turkey trends and habitat during the peak population years in my next interview with former AGFC Wildlife Turkey Biologists John Gallagher and Bob McAnally who have “boots on the ground” experience. Keep reading my future interviews with The Nature Conservancy, the US Forest Service on cooperative efforts, and finally, NWTF spokespersons in “On the Turkey Trail.” Thanks for all the reader responses. I will try to make sure I address your questions and get the information you are interested in. If you do have questions you want to ask regarding turkey habitat or want to read past articles, please email kevintuckfield@gmail.com.
Art Awards Ceremony by Ethan Nahté The Witt Stephens Jr. Central Arkansas Nature Center was hustling and bustling with the sounds of excited voices on the evening of May 3rd as families and educators weaved their way through the art display featuring the winners of this year’s “Wildlife of Arkansas” Student Art Contest. Co-sponsored by AWF and Creative Ideas, the contest proved to be successful and showing growth as the number of entrants nearly doubled for the second year in a row, growing to 1,110 entries of which 52 winners are chosen, 4 in each grade. A large majority of those winners, their friends, families, and art teachers (180 in total) made it to the AGFC facility to accept their awards. A larger number had originally been expected, but the tornado that unleashed so much destruction on Mayflower and Vilonia just a few days before affected several of the winners from the Art School of Conway. A few other winners from around the state were also unable to attend the event. Creative Ideas’ president, Sharon Hacker, introduced the evening’s festivities. Other special guests included AWF’s Wayne Shewmake (president) and Lola Perritt (regional director); AGFC’s Neil Curry (facility director); and two of the three art judges, Bryan Massey, Sr. and Sandra Luckett, both of UCA. Woody Arrowood provided the honors of announcing the winners as Hacker and Shewmake presented the awards to the students and posed for photos. This year’s Best of Show winner was a painting of the Arkansas state bird and tree entitled “Common Beauty.” It was painted by Joseph Gomez (12th grade – Jacksonville High School). His art is on the cover of the 2015 calendar and all of the winning art is featured in the interior. The calendars are available through Creative Ideas. The art stayed on display at the Witt Stephens Center throughout May where over 15,000 visited during the month then proceeded to the Forrest L. Wood Crowley’s Ridge Nature Center (Jonesboro). The art can be seen free of charge at the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center (Fort Smith) until July 25 before moving to
the Governor Mike Huckabee Delta Rivers Nature Center (Pine Bluff) from July 27 – August 22. The art will also be on view at the Conservation Achievement Awards Ban-
quet at The Center of Bryant on August 23rd. You won’t be disappointed when you see the wonderful job the students of Arkansas have done once again.
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Photos provided by Wayne Shewmake, Kyla Kane and Johnny Sain
18 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
A Gathering of Waters
by Bob Morgan In late September or early October, the first snow falls in the mountains of Southern Colorado and Northern New Mexico. At first, the snow melts before the next storm hits. Eventually though, snowfall exceeds melt. As the weeks go by, storm after storm hits the mountains. The snow stacks up to 10, 20, even 30 feet in places. A tremendous amount of water is stored on top of the mountains! When spring arrives, days warm above freezing and the snow starts to melt. For several weeks, new snow more than makes up for the melt. But as spring progresses and temperatures warm, melting wins out. What once formed a white layer for as far as the eye could see begins running downhill. The melt water flows in sheets over land, then it comes together to form small rills. Rills merge and form riverlets. The riverlets flow downhill, all the while slowly eroding canyons and valleys into the mountainsides. Riverlets join riverlets to form streams. Streams join streams to form rivers. And eventually, all the water from the watershed merges together and flows to the sea in one, single mighty river. It is a gathering of waters. At least that is the way it is supposed to work. In the desert southwest of the United States, water is scarce and water use is heavy. Some of our rivers no longer reach the sea. The Colorado River has been the poster child of overuse. It has been decades since water regularly flowed all the way to the Gulf of California. An interesting experiment was started this spring to re-establish flow to the Gulf through controlled release of water from the giant reservoirs on the river. We will see how that works out over the next several years. The Rio Grande, which starts in southern Colorado and flows through New Mexico on its way to the Gulf of Mexico like the Colorado River, at times goes dry before it reaches its destination. Last year, a group of people in New Mexico decided to restore the flow of the Rio Grande. They wanted to see that at least some water in the river made it to the Gulf. A canteen was carried to the headwaters of the Rio Grande and partially filled. Then the canteen was carried downstream. At each confluence with another stream, the original group of people met other people who had a small amount of water of that stream’s headwater. The waters were mixed in the canteen. All the way down the river, people brought water from tributaries to the canteen. Eventually, the canteen was carried to the mouth of the Rio Grande where the contents were poured into the Gulf of Mexico. The gathering of the waters of the Rio Grande was complete. Sharon and I had the opportunity to visit the desert southwest and the Rio Grande basin this past April. As it turned out, I had business with the American Water Works Association which required me to be in Denver from March 30 through April 2. And what the heck, if you are going to drive 800 miles you might as well stay a while. By chance, there was a workshop ti-
Bob and Sharon and Chimney Rock tled “A Gathering of Waters: Human Relationship with Water” scheduled for the following weekend at the Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. This workshop was a follow-up to the original gathering from last year. Sharon and I had been looking for the right chance to visit the Ghost Ranch for a couple of years. And this was the perfect opportunity. I could juxtapose the highly technical aspects of my AWWA committee work with the more spiritual side of water. Abiquiu is famous for being the New Mexico home of artist Georgia O’Keefe and the subject of many of her paintings. The Ghost Ranch is a 23,000-acre retreat owned by the Presbyterian Church; it sits adjacent to O’Keefe’s home. Ghost Ranch offers spiritual retreats and workshops on a variety of topics through the spring, summer and fall. Our workshop started Friday evening right after dinner. The terrain around the Ghost Ranch is high desert. It is the kind of country where Wile E. Coyote chased Road Runner through hundreds of cartoons. We arrived shortly before noon on Friday. Since we couldn’t check in until 3 p.m., we took a hike out to Chimney Rock. Chimney Rock is one of dozens of hoodoos, large columnar rocks at the edge of the mesas, in the ranch. It was cool and breezy; the temperature was in the 40’s. We climbed up toward the Mesa. The climb warmed us quickly. No one else was on the trail. The vista just kept getting bigger and bigger, with seemingly dozens if not hundreds of square miles of nothing. At lunchtime, we found a big rock to shelter us from the wind and settled in. The sun kept us warm. We made little burritos out of tortilla, avocados and tomatoes. Shortly after lunch, we topped out on the Mesa and walked over to Chimney Rock. I snapped a few photos and Sharon sketched a gnarly old juniper tree. Then we wandered back down to the ranch and checked in. Accommodations at the Ghost Ranch are, well, rustic, but entirely appropriate for the setting. Our neighbors were also settling in. She was a retired Episcopal priest and an artist. He was retired engineer. We were friends right off the bat. Our workshop started Friday evening with a reproduction of the “Gathering.” We had all been told in emails to bring water from our home. Unfortunately, the email didn’t arrive until Monday prior to the Gathering and we were already on the road. Fortunately, Sharon had a bottle of Beaver Water District water in the car. We put that bottle aside and filled another bottle with Denver water for drinking. During the
introductory session of the Gathering, each of us, in turn, presented our water by describing its origin and something interesting about its watershed. Then we poured our water into a communal urn. In addition to my water from the White River, there was water from Minnesota, Illinois, Colorado, California, New Mexico and Queensland, Australia. Artist Basia Irland brought a bottle of pee that she said represented the way we treat water. (Visit basiairland.com for more about her work.) Fortunately, she graciously declined to pour her bottle into the communal urn, which would be used later in the workshop. I took a short walk out through the desert before breakfast Saturday morning. There is something about the desert southwest that brings out the spiritual side of people. Maybe it is the inherent natural beauty of the desert region. I also find the natural beauty of the Ozark Mountains unsurpassed, but my spiritual experience differs from the mountains to the desert. It’s hard to explain. Maybe it’s the fact that a person is never far from death in the desert. Maybe it’s the solitude and silence. Or perhaps there really is something spiritual going on. Regardless, I’ve concluded that the desert southwest experience is unique unto itself. I suggest you visit there, if you haven’t already, and make up your own mind.
The completed Medicine Water Wheel at Ghost Ranch
But back to my story … . After my walk, we all met for breakfast in the dining hall. Then we wandered over to the meeting room. Not surprisingly since we were in New Mexico, most of the presentations centered on the value of water in a water scarce region. Of particular interest to me were the presentations by Dr. Sue Jackson from Griffith University in Queensland and Dr. Jose Rivera from the University of New Mexico. Dr. Jackson’s presentation was on the significance of water to the indigenous people of Australia. Dr. Rivera gave a discussion of New Mexico’s Asequias. Asequias are hand dug canals that carry water from snow pack in the mountains to irrigated crops. Everybody that belonged to an Asequia was entitled to use water in proportion to the amount of land that they cultivated. The one requirement was that to use the water, you had to participate in the annual cleanout of the Asequia -- no work, no water. Asequias distributed water equably to farmers in New Mexico for centuries. It was a sustainable system governed by local citizens. Continued on page 21...
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 19
First Time at the Annual National Wildlife Federation Meeting by Jared Schluterman Over the past few years I have had the pleasure of attending several regional and, even, national conferences related to the fisheries and wildlife field. One of the more interesting conferences I have had the opportunity to attend was this year’s National Wildlife Federation annual meeting in Baltimore as the alternate delegate representing AWF. As the plane landed in Baltimore I did not know what to expect from this meeting. Most of the meetings I had been to have been based around scientific talks and I was able to go from one talk to another; this was not going to be the case at this particular meeting. Despite my uncertainty on how things would work, I did my best to read over the resolutions and other topics I would be asked to comment on once I was in attendance. After getting checked in at the hotel, AWF delegate Ellen McNulty, who also serves as 1st vice president of the organization, and I made our way to our respective resolution committee meetings. The two resolutions that I got to comment on dealt with increasing the amount of parental involvement in getting children out into nature and the needed increase in the cost of the Federal Duck Stamp to compensate for the increased cost for waterfowl management. Compared to several of the other committee meetings I heard about, the ones I took part in went extremely well. Each resolution was read over and any potential amendments to the resolutions needed were made and then the
committee was adjourned. I had thought this would be a long, drawn out process but the people in my particular committee were very efficient and wanted to make the most out of time we had. After the committee meeting I had some down time while waiting for Ellen to get out of her particular committee meeting. During this down time I was able to do a little exploring of the conference center which was made up the former Baltimore Masonic Lodge. A grand marble staircase, wood paneled walls, high vaulted ceilings, and intricate murals could be found around every corner of the complex. I had never seen such grandeur put into a building, and the detail in the art work was some of the best I have ever seen. To end the evening, all the delegates were invited to the National Aquarium for a meet and greet. After a short introduction by the director of the aquarium, delegates were allowed to spend the next few hours touring the main part of the aquarium. This in itself was a treat. While portions of the aquarium were closed, we barely got to see all the available exhibits. There were five floors of exhibits open to the delegates and those exhibits ranged from a tropical reef focused on black fin sharks to fresh water tanks with North American fish to rain forest tanks that housed eels and other unique fish. By the time I arrived back at the hotel I was exhausted after events of the first day at the meeting. The next morning started off with the delegates attending the opening session. At this session the delegates were treated to a presentation from local students on
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the recycling program they had implemented for a small section of their community. Following the students, several other speakers talked to the delegates and tried to set the tone for the meeting. After the opening session there were regional roundtable sessions. During these sessions, delegates from specific regions were able to meet with their regional representatives and talk about issues pertinent to their state and region. After the regional roundtables a new session deemed “theme roundtables” began. These roundtables dealt with topics brought up by particular affiliates. Of the several session options, I attended the one focused on getting hunters and fisherman more involved in the federation. Those leading this session have heard from hunting and fishing groups that they were being put to the side while other environmental issues were becoming the main focus of the federation. Since the federation was founded on these two stakeholder groups, the leaders of this session felt the federation should try to get these groups more involved in the federation’s procedures. At the Action Fund Luncheon, delegates were treated by a visit from the current Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell. She gave a short speech on what the current administration is doing in terms of getting the younger generation involved in the outdoors. After the Secretary’s talk there was the option to attend some breakout sessions which dealt with invasive species, communications, and water; or there was the option to meet other delegates outside of the formality of the sessions. During this down time I met delegates from Nebraska and Missouri and spent some time with them discussing varying issues with their states. Following the breakout sessions delegates were treated to a presentation on the Hawaiian Monk Seal. This presentation was over a
20 year study being conducted on the preservation and restoration of the Hawaiian Monk Seal. Even though the presentation was not very long, it was a very informative presentation on the trials the monk seals face and what steps are currently being done to prevent the extinction of this species. Following the monk seal presentation the resolution session began. I have been part of other organizations resolution procedures and had prepared myself for a long drawn out debate about every resolution being proposed. However, this was not the case. I was surprised at the efficiency and ease the resolutions were covered and voted upon. What I thought would take several hours to cover the resolutions took just over an hour. After the resolution session Ellen and I decided to try some of Baltimore’s legendary seafood for dinner. We were told about a little seafood place nearby the hotel and, after taking a shuttle to the restaurant, settled down for an amazing dinner. Being in Baltimore we decided to go with the fresh homemade crab cakes. Following the delicious meal we returned to the hotel to attend the Board Candidates Reception. This was an opportunity to meet with potential board candidates and was also an opportunity for the NWF to raise money through raffles. With all the activities that took place I was ready to get back to the hotel room after the reception and crash. Saturday’s business started with the elections of the new board members and the announcement of Collin O’Mara, the new president of the National Wildlife Federation, who succeeded retiring president Larry Schweiger who served 10 years in the position. After a short speech by O’Mara closing statements were made and delegates were released to attend a variety of hands-on learning session hosted by the NWF. Continued on page 23...
20 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Conservation School Days by Al Wolff
Queen Wilhelmina State Park hosted its first Conservation School Days on Thursday, April 17th atop Rich Mountain. Although the morning started out cool and brisk for the nearly 200 students, teachers and chaperones from the Acorn and Mena school districts, the temperatures rose from the ‘mid-40s to the low ‘70s by the time the children descended the mountain to return to school, probably just in time to gather their materials and head out the door for home. Spearheaded by Arkansas State Park Interpreter (Queen Wilhelmina) Yvonne Siribouth, along with the assistance of Arkansas State Park Interpreter (Cossatot River) Shelley Flanary, the event brought together educators from various organizations and agencies to speak with the children about a variety of subjects during the week of Earth Day and Arbor Day. Students from three different elementary schools and a home school group were in attendance. Groups of 25-42 children at a time would go to one of eight stations to listen to an educator speak. Some educators presented a show-and-tell project while others let the students interact to help teach them about conservation. Educators ranged from Sandra Chandler (Arkansas Geological Survey), Chris Morgan (US Forest Service), Jay Jacobs (Rich Mountain Conservation District), Kathy Beck (Polk County Extension Office), Liz Philpot & Erica (Keep Arkansas Beautiful), Phil Osborne (Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality), Harrell Sherwood (Arkansas Forestry Commission), Ethan Nahté (Arkansas Wildlife Federation) and an educator from the Watershed Outreach and Education Section. Most of the same educators returned on May 2nd
Commission sets 2014-15 deer seasons LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission set the state’s deer hunting seasons last week, with modern gun deer season opening Nov. 8, archery season opening Sept. 27, and muzzleloader season opening Oct. 18. The deer season dates are part of the 2014-15 general hunting regulations approved during the Commission’s monthly meeting. SEASON DATES FOR THE 2014-15 DEER HUNTING SEASON:
to do similar presentations for nearly 260 more students from the 5th and 6th grade classes out of Mena. At each event the students took a lunch break, enjoying the outdoors as they ate from their brown paper bags. The educators were treated to burgers grilled by Karen Cook and Deb Needham. Cook and Needham also assisted in bagging over 600 pine seedlings donated by the Arkansas Wildlife Federation (AWF) over the course of the two events. Enough trees were provided so that each student who wanted to were allowed to take a free tree home for planting. AWF also donated more than 200 black walnut and Shumard oak trees to Queen Wilhelmina State Park for their own use. Overall, it appeared that the students not only had a good time, but learned something while getting out of the classroom and enjoying Mother Nature. For a first year occurrence and a first-of-its-kind in the region, Siribouth, along with Arkansas State Park employees Flanary, Jack Faulkner (Queen Wilhelmina State Park Front Desk Supervisor), Paula Magers (Superintendent) and Sarah Jones (Assistant Supervisor) made the two events a success. Hopefully they will repeat the event next year and make it an annual field trip that the students will look forward to attending.
ARCHERY All zones: Sept. 27-Feb. 28, 2015. MODERN GUN: Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 7, 8, 8A, 10 and 11: Nov. 8-30. Zone 4: Nov. 8-9. Zone 5: Nov. 8-9 and Nov. 15-16. Zones 4A, 5A, 14 and 15: Nov. 8-Dec. 7. Zones 4B and 5B: Nov. 8-16. Zones 9, 12 and 13: Nov. 8-Dec. 14. Zone 16, 16A and 17: Nov. 8 Dec. 25. MUZZLELOADER: Zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 4A, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, 8,
8A, 10, 11, 14 and 15: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 13-15. Zones 9, 12, 13, 16, 16A and 17: Oct. 18-26 and Dec. 29-31. Zones 4, 4B, 5 and 5B: Closed. The statewide Christmas holiday modern gun deer hunt is Dec. 26-28. Youth modern gun deer hunts will be held Nov. 1-2 and Jan. 3-4, 2015. A private land antlerless-only modern gun deer hunt in zones 1, 1A, 2, 3, 6, 6A, 8, 8A, 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 16A and 17 will be held Oct. 11-15. The commission also approved the harvest of feral hogs only during bear, deer and elk firearms seasons on certain WMAs. The regulation permits some taking of nuisance feral hogs, without promoting the recreational hunting of feral hogs, on Commissioncontrolled property. *Arkansas Wildlife Federation President Wayne Shewmake presented the AGFC’s Arkansas Stream Team with the group’s Water Conservationist of the Year award. Stream Team Program Coordinator Steve Filipek, as well as Stream Team coordinators Matthew Irvin and Ben Thesing, accepted the award on behalf of the program.
Custom Made Knives, Calls, Scabbards & Display Boxes www.facebook.com/Winelandknivesandcalls
www.winelandknives.com knife@winelandknives.com Phone: 479-264-1337
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 21 ...cont. from page 18 Other presentations included the use of art to spread the message of water, water ethics, and the discontinuities and outright contradictions of New Mexico water law. That evening we watched the video “Watershed,” produced by the Redford Center. (Watch the movie at redfordcenter.org.) Sunday started with another hike. This time Sharon accompanied me and we walked out into a box canyon. The canyon sat between two mesas. Nearly shear walls rose on each side. There was a small arroyo down the middle of the canyon. This arroyo was the source of water for the Ghost Ranch. If you followed the canyon all the way to the end, the two mesas merged to form the “box.” We hiked all the way to the end of the box canyon a couple of years ago, but this time we stopped at the first creek crossing and turned back. Back at the ranch, we gathered for another great breakfast and then headed back out to the box canyon to build a medicine water wheel. The medicine wheel is sacred in Native American culture. The wheels have been used for millennia in traditional ceremonies. The wheel, according to Wikipedia, represents the never-ending cycle of life. That is entirely appropriate since about everything in our ecosystem follows a cycle of some sort. The term “medicine” does not refer to medicine you get from the local pharmacy. The term refers to the vital force of nature and to the personal power within each and every one of us. My understanding of the function of the wheel then is that it focuses the force of nature onto its surrounding area, but only if we use our personal power to activate the wheel. The medicine water wheel is a relatively new phenomenon. The history that we were given was that prior to World War II, medicine men of Native Americans in the Pacific Northwest disappeared into the mountains each spring and conducted ceremonies at the headwaters of important water sources. Those ceremonies
helped to protect the flow and quality of the vital waters in the valleys below. After the war, the tradition was lost. Concurrently, the quantity and quality of waters in the regional streams began to degrade. During the 1960s, elders of the northwestern Native Americans instituted the medicine water wheel ceremony to reconnect mankind to the natural cycle of water. The wheel is an appropriate symbol as water moves in a great cycle around the earth, the hydrologic cycle. According to Marshall Jack (goldeneagleceremonies.com), the purpose of the medicine water wheel is to “energize, celebrate and honor water.” The medicine water wheel is also a place to “deepen our relationship with the spirit of water.” Golden Eagle Ceremonies has initiated a project to “create a web of 172,000 Water Wheels linked together across the planet that serves to renew our sacred relationship with water.” Our medicine water wheel at the Ghost Ranch completed 1/172,000th of the vision. Sunday afternoon our urn of gathered water was carried out into the box canyon and poured into the arroyo where it became part of the Ghost Ranch’s water supply. Then there was a ceremony to dedicate and activate the medicine water wheel. Unfortunately, I had to get back to Northwest Arkansas so I didn’t get to stick around for the dedication ceremony. Next time I will plan better. I personally cannot say what is sacred and what is not. My background is Judeo-Christian strongly influenced by Greco-Roman logic and reductionist science. However, even in my Judeo-Christian heritage, water is frequently used in Christian sacraments and symbolism. I venture out into speculation here, but my opinion is that the biggest challenge we face as water resource managers today is to get people to think about and value water. With that said, one might determine that anything that helps us renew our sacred relationship with water -even a medicine water wheel ceremony -- has got to be a good thing.
Arkansas Wildlife Federation P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215 Telephone: (501) 888-4770
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22 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Fear of the Serpent by Ethan Nahté
Reptiles. Snakes. Serpents. Those slithering creatures that seem to evoke so much fear and loathing amongst the general populous. Nine times out of ten when I receive an email from someone about a snake the question is, “What was this?” and rarely, “What is this?” I’m generally looking at an image of a snake that has been sliced in two or bludgeoned, typically to the point that neither I nor my snake experts can tell what type of snake has been poorly photographed. When the snake is identifiable it is almost always a non-venomous snake. The same goes for Facebook. I see a post of a snake someone has killed and the person posting the image will ask what kind of snake it is. There are always the jokers stating the obvious, “A dead one.” But there are plenty of people hoping it is dead and if it isn’t that it should be. Granted, snakes aren’t cute, fuzzy, cuddly creatures even when they are young. Unlike puppies, kittens, or even bears – an animal that can grow to be quite large and dangerous if one finds oneself on the wrong end of the honey jar, yet no one will say “Oooh, yuck, gross, kill it!” – snakes seem to generate lots of animosity. Is it the cold eyes? The fact that they have no feet and slither? The thought that they are slimy (they aren’t)? That they aren’t warm-blooded? The forked tongue that flicks in and out? The strange ways that snakes can move, gliding across the ground/ floor, water, or through a tree branch? Some or all of these traits tend to make humans believe snakes are evil. I was never one of those children who would grab a garter snake and put it in my pocket to freak out my sister or mom at some later point of time, but I also didn’t go out of my way to try and kill a snake. I learned very early on that generally, if I went my way they would go their way unless threatened, such as almost being stepped upon. I would feel threatened and try to protect myself as well if some creature more than 20 times my size came close to stepping on me. I’ve heard stories and old wives tales about snakes “chasing a person” but I believe the majority of those tales are the product of an overactive imagination. On some occasions snakes will move towards a person but that is typically if the person is between the snake and the snake’s getaway/hole. Once again, unless threatened, provoked or scared, most snakes are aware enough to
know that they aren’t going to eat something as large as a human unless they happen to be a very large python or boa constrictor. Snakes aren’t evil. As a matter of fact they serve an important purpose in the food chain. Their carnivorous diet, both venomous and non-venomous, consists primarily of smaller creatures such as slugs, worms, rodents, insects, scorpions, spiders, minnows, fish, and toads. Sometimes they will eat birds, including poultry and eggs. Excluding the pythons and boa constrictors, larger snakes may even eat rabbits and similar-sized animals. One major dietary source for kingsnakes, which is a constrictor, is other snakes. This includes venomous snakes which the speckled kingsnake is famous for preying upon. Kingsnakes native to North America tend to be immune to the venom of rattlesnakes making them quite valuable to keep around one would think. But the rattlesnake is also just as keen to eat all of the above mentioned. True, they are one of the four types of poisonous snakes (rattlesnake, copperhead, water moccasin/cottonmouth, coral snake) found in the United States. Of the four types, they break down into six venomous species within Arkansas: three different rattlesnakes (western diamondback, timber, and western pigmy), copperhead, water moccasin/cottonmouth are all pit vipers while the Texas or eastern coral snake emits a neurotoxin. The scarlet kingsnake and the milk snake (both have red and black bands touching one another with yellow in between) is the snake most mistaken for a coral snake (red and yellow touch one another), so I see a lot of pictures of dead kingsnakes. According to the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission, if a species is not discussed in a current copy of the Arkansas Hunting Guidebook, there is no open season for that species. (example: It is illegal to shoot a snake, because there is no season listed.) Granted, if a poisonous snake is threatening you, your family or pet, one could hardly blame you for taking the garden hoe to it. Yet again, stepping away and letting the snake be is the best option and most of the photos we receive at AWF are of the non-venomous sort. Plus records tend to show that the majority of snakebite victims, from both venomous and non-venomous snakes, occur when a person is trying to catch the snake. Don’t be a part of the Darwin Awards. Let the snake be unless you are a herpetologist or other authorized personnel and have a valid reason for handling the reptiles. The snakes can go on doing their job of keeping vermin and bugs out of your house and yard and you stand the potential to live another day… or at the very least go without a duo of piercings in your arm or leg.
UPCOMING EVENTS JULY 7-11 Art and Nature Camp for Kids 9:00 AM to noon JULY 18 Gravette Boys and Girls Club Field Trip Watershed Sanctuary and Learning Center JULY 21-25 Watershed Camp for Kids 9:00 AM to noon JULY 23 Walmart and Sam’s Club Volunteer Day Watershed Sanctuary and Learning Center 11:00 AM JULY 28 Temple Shalom Field Trip Watershed Sanctuary and Learning Center JULY 29-30 Arkansas Environmental Education Association’s Annual Expo: “Natural Education Partnerships” For more information about events and programming, please contact Lauren Ray, Education Outreach Coordinator, at mailto:contact@irwp.org.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 23
Dale Bumpers’ legacy stamped on White River refuge ST. CHARLES – Preservation of Arkansas’s rich and abundant wildlife habitat usually takes multiple partners plus an individual driving force. The lesson was made indelible on Good Friday in southeastern Arkansas. Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge is the new name of the sprawling complex of bottomland that hosts enormous numbers of migrating waterfowl in addition to year-round denizens ranging from black bear and white-tailed deer to squirrels, alligators, alligator snapping turtles and a plethora of songbirds. The refuge is an Arkansas treasure. Dale Bumpers is an Arkansas treasure. It took an act of Congress to put his name on the refuge, one of just a few in the nation bearing a human label. Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Mike Knoedl called Bumpers a legend in the state. “His conservation advocacy will leave an indelible mark on Arkansas for future generations. It is fitting and long overdue that he be honored for his work to preserve this unique region,” Knoedl said. Former U.S. Sen. Bumpers was the architect of an unusual and innovative land swap that greatly increased the size of the refuge. The three-party trade was 41,000-plus acres of Arkansas hardwood bottomlands. transferred from Potlatch Corp. to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. in exchange for 17,000-plus acres of Idaho western pine land transferred from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to Potlatch. It took place in 1993. Bumpers had leading roles in other Arkansas environmental developments as gov-
ernor and senator. The battle against channelization of the Cache River turned during his gubernatorial term. The Cache River National Wildlife Refuge, just north of the refuge now bearing his name, was established in 1986 with Bumpers’ actions in Congress. Arkansas State Parks was revitalized and expanded during his governorship. Health issues prevented Bumpers from attending the naming ceremony at refuge headquarters at St. Charles in Arkansas County. Sons Bill and Brent were on hand, along with U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, USFWS Director Dan Ashe and USFWS Southeast Regional Director Cindy Dohner. He (Bumpers) is a giant among conservationists and a visionary who followed an unconventional path to set aside some of Arkansas’s last wild places, Ashe said. “It is fitting that he will be forever linked with the White River.” After unveiling of a sign with the new name, Ashe and Dohner presented a smaller replica to Bill and Brent Bumpers. Bumpers is a native of the small town of Charleston in western Arkansas. As attorney for its school board in the 1950s, he helped it become the first Southern school to take in black students after the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court integration decision. He defeated incumbent governor Winthrop Rockefeller in 1970, won re-election and went on to four terms, 24 years, as a U.S. senator, retiring in 1999. He’s a member of the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame. Editor’s Note: Mr. Bumpers is a member of Arkansas Wildlife Federation and has been a long-time supporter of our organization. We congratulate him on this honor.
...cont. from page 19 The one session I found interesting was the one focused on fundraising. I was a little disappointed when I got to the session because I thought it would deal with getting smaller donations; however, the session focused more on acquiring donors who would be willing to donate large amounts. While I learned some techniques for getting donations, I feel if they would have covered smaller-scale donations it would have been a better use of time of those attending. In the afternoon there was some free time for delegates to enjoy themselves and experience the city. I decided to go to the inner harbor and spend the nice day walking around site seeing. While I was walking around I came across the science center located adjacent to the inner harbor. I spent time seeing what the science center had to offer. After spending an hour or so in the center I made
my way back out to the harbor to explore more of the harbor. I would have liked to have spent more time enjoying the parks and surrounding areas but I had to make my way back to the hotel to attend the awards dinner. The dinner was an amazing experience. Being able to see the remarkable conservation work others are doing around the country was a humbling experience. Though I have been to several meetings over the past few years, and will continue to attend meetings in the future, I will never forget this meeting. The people I met during my short stay in Baltimore I will remember for years to come and I hope I get to meet them again. The information I gained from attending this meeting has helped me better understand why there is a need for the NWF and the good it is trying to accomplish. I hope I will be able to go to the next annual meeting to learn even more about how the NWF works.
24 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
The Elusive RedCockaded
Swim areas closed by ADH do not involve entire lake
by Sharon Denise Stephens
The sun had not risen as I walked the trail at Tall Timbers Research Station near the Georgia/Florida line just north of Killearn Lakes. The morning dew was at its lowest and the humidity was thick. I started to sweat as I made my way to the pine where the elusive Red-cockaded Woodpecker was roosting. Jim Cox, the Director of Stoddard Bird Lab at Tall Timbers, honored my request to see the Red-cockaded Woodpecker (RCW) in its natural habitat. I anticipated what I would observe about the woodpecker that would give me knowledge of the foraging habits of this bird. [Editor’s Note: Though this story takes place in Florida, Arkansas has programs to increase the population and habitat of RCWs as well. See the article in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of AOOD about this near-threatened bird.] I arrived at Tall Timbers at 5:50 a.m. on a Friday morning. RCWs are late risers compared to other birds but humans still have to be an early-riser to view them. The overcast sky distorted my view of the path Mr. Cox and the staff took to get to the woodpecker’s cavity. The bugs stung my head and forearm but the irritation was minimal compared to what I was about to witness. Words cannot describe how delighted I was when I knocked on the tree and the RCW flew out of its cavity. The equipment I held to net the woodpecker was an extendable fiberglass pole with a large net. My first attempt failed, however, because the bird was quick and successful in its attempt to avoid being captured. Mr. Cox, however, succeeded in his attempt to capture a banded RCW for observation. Normally Tall Timbers does not catch RCWs that are already banded but Mr. Cox caught a banded bird so I could get an up-close observation. He handed the bird to me and, as I held it, I knew it was in distress. I was able to feel its heartbeat in my hand. I held the bird only a fraction of a second because I did not want to cause it further distress. As I gently placed the RCW back on the pine, to my amazement it walked in a zigzag formation back up the tree. I had never witness a bird doing this. As I learned from Mr. Cox, RCWs will climb when foraging as opposed to flying away. When the RCW made its way back to its cavity, the breeding female and helper in the group came back. RCWs must drill the outer layer tree bark of solid green pine before it gets to a soft red-heart center. This makes the RCW different from other woodpeckers that excavate dead pines. The cavities drilled by RCWs are used by flying squirrels and woodpeckers that excavate dead pines. And, you will be able to find examples of redheart fungal disease even where the burning has been neglected. Redheart disease serves to soften the pine, which makes seasonal burns crucial to RCW habitat. Midstory and understory responses to fire are important to RCWs. Frequent fire kills small hardwoods before they have a chance to grow tall. When frequent fire ceases, the hardwoods increase in height and eventually reach a point where they may interfere with woodpecker foraging as well as use of cavity trees. Female woodpeckers prefer to forage on lower trees and hardwood midstory is
thought to have more of an impact on them. If hardwoods get much above 15-25 feet and extend over a large portion of the territory, female woodpeckers abandon the territory. According to Cox, “Fire recycles vital nutrients, such as calcium, that can become trapped in plants. Adequate calcium intake is important for breeding female woodpeckers because the outer shell is composed of calcium; and calcium is important for egg production. The release of calcium following a burn can lead to larger clutches the following years afterward. Prescribed fire has other benefits in the southern pine forests as well, such as releasing natural seed banks and reducing fuel that would create scorching wildfires”. In the southeastern United States where Longleaf Pines are in abundance, RCWs thrive because prescribe burning serves as a prescription to restore the aesthetic beauty of the land. Other birds like chickadees, titmice, and bluebirds benefit from cavities excavated by RCWs, making them a key species that have enormous ecological importance in southern pine forests. Nature is restored when the habitat that RCWs create increases and other animals that rely on their ecosystem replenish the forest. To glimpse a sunrise with an exuberant RCW excavating a southern pine tree regenerates the soul because woodpeckers and plants have become one. Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy is located near the Georgia/Florida line north of Tallahassee on Lake Iamonia. The Research Station is a widely regarded information resource for the areas of fire ecology, game bird management, vertebrate ecology and forestry. It’s recognized as the home of the study of fire ecology and is an advocate to protect the right to use prescribed fire for land management. The Land Conservancy is recognized as one of the nation’s leading land trusts, as it has protected traditional land users in north Florida and south Georgia by conserving more than 160,000 acres in this region through conservation easements. Tall Timbers also protects thousands of acres of habitat along the Flint River in South Georgia through conservation easements on private property along the river. The Tall Timbers Land Conservancy is the largest regional land trust in Florida and Georgia. For more information, visit their website at www.talltimbers.org. Author notes: Photos of southern longleaf pines are compliments of Tyler Macmillan of NWFWMD. Jim Cox, of Tall Timbers Research Station, was helpful in preparing this manuscript.
LITTLE ROCK – The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has been receiving calls from the public about swim beaches closed by the Arkansas Department of Health due to the presence E. coli bacteria. These closures only involve specific swimming areas and not the entire lake. Most of the questions have centered on the safety of eating fish from these lakes. Fish in these lakes are safe to eat. Proper cleaning and handling is the key. It’s important both to clean and to cook the fish carefully. Always wash your hands after handling raw fish and don’t prepare any other food in the same area without a thorough cleaning first. E. coli is a type of bacteria that generally lives in the intestines of people and animals. Some E. coli can cause intestinal infection. Symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever. For the latest in swim beach closures go to: http://www.healthy. arkansas.gov/programsServices/ environmentalHealth/MarineSanitation/Documents/ClosedSwimBeaches.pdf.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 25
Prepare for a summer visit to the Crater of Diamonds by Waymon Cox
Banquet Tickets On Sale! By Ethan Nahté AWF’s annual Governor’s Conservation Achievement Awards Banquet is right around the corner and tickets are on sale once again. Bearcat Hollow is this year’s theme and with it AWF will have lots of things to offer in the way of the live auction: hunting trips, both in Arkansas and international; a youth elk hunt permit from AGFC, fishing trips, a vacation to Costa Rica, and more. Plus there will be a lot of cool items in the silent auction. Some of the items and trips can be viewed on the AWF Facebook page or the official website. The “Wildlife of Arkansas” student art will be on display once more. A lot of people seemed to enjoy that new addition to last year’s banquet. AWF members will be available to discuss some our current projects or to sign you up to become an AWF member. Plus there will be plenty of vendors affiliated with AWF on hand to visit from the time the doors open at 4:00 PM until 6:00 PM when dinner is served. This year’s dinner will feature the smoked Cornish hen once more as well as smoked pork loin and pulled pork. There will also be some wild game on hand; fresh, homemade bread; salad; veggies; and plenty of desserts. Last year’s banquet served over 600 people at The Center of Bryant before the awards ceremony began. The awards ceremony will begin close to 7:00 PM. Ron Duncan with AGFC is scheduled to be one of the guest speakers along with Jim Dixon from the USFS. At press time the judging committee was still considering who to award from the nominations that came in for the various categories. After the awards ceremony the live auction will begin and there will be a chance to get in last minute bids on the silent auction items. Plus, if you fill out your name and contact information on the back of your tickets you will be in the running for a variety of great door prizes. Tickets are available through the AWF office and most of the AWF board members. A single ticket is $25 or you can purchase a pair of tickets for $40. Tickets will also be available at the door. All monies raised from the event stay within Arkansas and help AWF continue their conservation efforts. So come enjoy a delicious dinner, have a good time for the whole family (dress is casual), and give a hand to this year’s winners for their efforts in helping to keep Arkansas beautiful through conservation. Contact AWF @ 501-888-4770 or arkwf@sbcglobal.net for more information or to purchase tickets.
Greetings from Crater of Diamonds State Park! Summer is one of the most popular seasons to vacation at the Crater. However, caution should be used when exploring the diamond search area during the hottest months of the year. A few simple steps can help you prepare for a fun summer outing to the Crater of Diamonds or any destination! Protecting yourself from heat exposure begins before you arrive at the park, through proper hydration. When you are outdoors or taking part in any physical activity, such as diamond mining, your muscles generate heat. Your body sweats as a way to keep you cool and prevent overheating, but over time sweating also reduces your body’s water level. Dehydration can result when your body doesn’t have enough water to carry on its normal functions, so it is important to continuously replace fluids lost through perspiration. To help ward off dehydration, begin drinking water as soon as you wake up on a day you plan to be outdoors. Take regular breaks during the day to cool off and drink water. The visitor center and Diamond Discovery Center at Crater of Diamonds State Park sell bottled water, and we encourage visitors to bring along ice chests, stocked with plenty of water for the day. Sports drinks, juices, milk, and tea can also help replenish your body to a point, but they may also contain unnecessary caffeine, sugars, and sodium. In short, water is the best thing to keep you hydrated on a hot day! Another consideration when preparing for a day of diamond searching is sun exposure. Sunburn, accelerated aging, and skin cancer are just a few dangers of leaving skin unprotected from sunlight. The park’s plowed search area features trees, covered picnic tables, and washing pavilions where visitors can escape direct sunlight during the hottest times of day, and many people bring their own umbrellas, tents, and canopies for per-
sonal shelter. We also recommend wearing a hat and sunscreen while outside at all times to limit sun damage as much as possible. Even with these precautions, heat-related illness can be a major concern while outdoors during the summer. Muscle cramps, heavy sweating, cold, pale skin, weakness, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting are all signs and symptoms of heat exhaustion that, if left untreated, can worsen and become heat stroke. For early treatment of heat-related illness, move to a cooler location, lie down, and loosen any tight clothing. Apply cool, wet cloths to as much of your body as possible, sip water, and seek immediate medical attention in case of vomiting. If you experience symptoms of heat-related illness while at the park, alert someone near you and seek help at the Diamond Discovery Center, the building nearest to the diamond search area. Our park staff is trained to help visitors cool down safely and prevent the progression of heat-related illness. Crater of Diamonds State Park is open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. during the summer, and many visitors choose to limit their diamond searching activities to the early morning or late afternoon, while temperatures are somewhat cooler. Kimberlite Café and Diamond Springs Water Park are also open for the season and are great places to cool down after a hot day of diamond searching. If you’re planning a visit to the park over the next few months, we hope you’ll take the proper precautions to make your diamond searching experience a fun and safe one!
Most recent significant precipitation: June 7, 2014 Diamond finds for the week of June 1, 2014 (100 points = one carat): June 2 – Jack Pearadin, Jefferson City, MO, 49 pt. white; 27 pt. brown
June 3 – Adam Hardin, Norton, OH, 3 pt. white, 8 pt. white, 15 pt. white June 4 – Stacy Stafford, Broken Bow, OK, 48 pt. white; Adam Hardin, Norton, OH, 28 pt. brown; Bobby C. Jones, Plain Dealingo, LA, 9 pt. white June 6 – Geon & Hyun Kuk, Iksan-si, Jedlabuk-do South Korea, 21 pt. brown
26 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
AWF Out & About by Al Wolff
Spring is always an extremely busy and hectic time for AWF members, even more so than usual. In addition to all of the regular projects that AWF works on, it’s also that time of year when Earth Day and Arbor Day happen, typically during the same week, and some AWF volunteers go visit schools, parks, and various other locations to talk with hundreds, if not thousands of students and give out thousands of seedling trees from Cloud Mountain Forestry for free, a tree available to any student who wants to take one home at each Arbor Day & Earth Day event. Ethan Nahté (Creative Director) and Lola Perritt (Regional Director) did a presentation for several classrooms at Perritt’s former stomping grounds where she used to teach at Carver Magnet Elementary School (Little Rock). The duo did a slide presentation and show-and-tell for each group as they discussed the uses and importance of trees. Meanwhile, in the River Valley area, Wayne Shewmake (AWF President) and Jared Schluterman (AWF’s NWF Alternate Delegate & former President of ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society) joined with other ATUFWS members for combined tables at Arkansas Tech’s annual Earth Day event. Nahté also made two appearances at Queen Wilhelmina State Park during April and May for the park’s first-ever Conservation School Days (see accompanying story this issue). Between the two events on Rich Mountain Nahté made his annual appearance at Lake Hamilton in Hot Springs along with several other organizations as 600 students split into eight groups rotated from station to station. The event busses in every 5th grader in Garland County. Nahté spoke on the importance of native trees as habitat and forage. After the students made it through the stations they were treated to hundreds of slices of Papa John’s Pizza before planting the annual tree at Entergy Park. This year a selected member from each school helped to plant a white oak. Shewmake, along with members of the U.S. Forest Service, Arkansas Forestry Commission, and Dardanelle Mayor Carolyn McGee did a presentation before the entire Dardanelle Elementary School for Arbor Day. This is another annual event that Shewmake and some others have participated in several times where they educate the students but also plant a tree on school property. Perritt, Shewmake, Nahté, also assisted AWF affiliate Creative Ideas on May 3rd for the annual “Wildlife of Arkansas” Student Art Contest Awards Ceremony (see accompanying story this issue). Just over a month later AWF was co-hosting the second annual Wounded Warrior Bass Fishing Tournament (see accompanying stories). AWF then held their quarterly meeting in Jasper at the Cliff House Inn on the first day of summer before adjourning and going on a float trip on the Buffalo River. Our apologies to anyone who saw last issue’s calendar announcing the meeting in Little Rock. Plans changed after AOOD went to print. The updated event details were posted on Facebook and the AWF webpage. AWF finished out the month of July with Shewmake, Perritt, Jerry Crowe (2nd Vice President) and their families setting up at the Jasper Elk Festival while Ellen & Phillip McNulty made an appearance at the Spring River Sportsman Club in Cherokee Village, AR as the group renewed their affiliation with AWF.
Collin O’Mara Appointed President and CEO of National Wildlife Federation by Miles Grant
National Wildlife Federation, America’s oldest and largest wildlife conservation and education organization, announced last night at the annual NWF Conservation Achievement Awards gala that its Board of Directors has appointed Delaware Secretary of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Collin O’Mara to serve as the next President and Chief Executive Officer effective July 7, 2014. He will succeed Larry Schweiger who is retiring May 2, 2014 after serving for 10 years as NWF’s President and CEO. Secretary O’Mara will be joining NWF from the state government of Delaware where he has led the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control since 2009. In that position, Secretary O’Mara served as the state’s top environmental official, led the state’s efforts to conserve and restore wildlife and fishery habitat, improve air quality and public health, ensure access to clean water, expand outdoor recreation and environmental education opportunities, and enhance the state’s resilience to extreme weather and other climate impacts. When Secretary O’Mara was appointed in 2009, he was the youngest state cabinet official in the nation. Over the past several years, he has spearheaded a range of initiatives, including Delaware’s “No Child Left Inside”/ Children In Nature campaign, a comprehensive strategy to confront childhood obesity by reintroducing children to the outdoors; the First State Trails and Pathways Plan, a multi-year initiative to expand and connect the state’s trail system; and the Delaware Bayshore Initiative, an effort to establish the region as a world-class conservation and low-impact recreation tourism destination for hunting, birding, fishing, hiking, canoeing, and kayaking, as part of the President’s America’s Great Outdoors Initiative. In addition, Secretary O’Mara led the largest investment in environmental infrastructure in Delaware’s history, including more than $200 million in wastewater and storm water systems, beach restoration, dam and dike repair, drainage projects, and park and wildlife area. At the same time, he success-
fully executed the first significant reorganization of the state’s Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control since 1972, to make the agency more effective at implementing strategic priorities and more efficient in carrying out its mission at a time of limited resources. “Collin is a tireless leader with a deep understanding of conservation issues and a strong, entrepreneurial spirit,” said Deborah Spalding, Chair of the NWF Board of Directors. “His track record in implementing innovative solutions to conservation challenges and his experience in managing large, complex organizations with a diverse stakeholder base are key skills that will be critical in taking the Federation forward in the coming years.” “Confronting the pressing conservation challenges of this generation will require that Americans from every corner of our nation and every walk of life work together community by community and state by state to drive change at the national and international level,” said incoming CEO O’Mara. “The National Wildlife Federation has a proud legacy of bringing diverse groups together to protect wildlife, advancing landscape scale conservation, expanding environmental education, promoting outdoor recreation from hunting and fishing to birding, kayaking and wildlife watching, and driving meaningful policy change at every level of government. I look forward to building upon Larry’s inspiring work as we do our generation’s part to leave a healthier and more sustainable planet for all wildlife and future generations.” Secretary O’Mara has served on numer-
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 27 ous boards including as Co-Chair of the Natural Resources and Agriculture Subcommittee of the President’s Task Force on Climate Adaptation and Preparedness, past Chair of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, past Chair of the Ozone Transport Commission, Chair of the Climate and Energy Subcommittee of the Environmental Council of the States, Executive Council of the Chesapeake Bay Program, the Sustainable Energy Utility Oversight Board, State Water Supply Coordinating Council, the Delaware Cancer Consortium, Open Space Council, Nutrient Management Commission, the Center for the Inland Bays, and the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. Prior to his current position, O’Mara served as the Clean Tech Strategist for the City of San Jose, California, where was the primary architect of the City of San Jose’s Green Vision and as the Director of SyraStat for the City of Syracuse, New York, where he oversaw the City’s performance management and accountability program. A native of Syracuse, New York, O’Mara was a Marshall Scholar at the University of Oxford, a University Fellow at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and a Presidential Scholar at Dartmouth College. He is a Catto Fellow at the Aspen Institute, a U.S. Green Building Council LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) accredited professional, and completed Stanford Business School’s Executive Management Program in Environmental Sustainability. O’Mara’s selection is the result of a national executive search undertaken by the NWF Board of Directors with Russell Reynolds Associates. Said Schweiger, “I am pleased that Collin shares NWF’s commitment to addressing climate change, protecting wildlife and connecting kids with nature and I wish him well.”
Letter to the Editor: Hog Stench Ruins Tradition By now, most of Arkansas knows about the factory hog farm of 6,500 pigs located in the Buffalo River watershed on Big Creek in Mt. Judea. You’ve read about the pollution and the threat to America’s first National River. But what you haven’t heard is how the C&H Hog Farm affects local people living at ground zero. Last week I took my mom and aunt to the old Sexton Cemetery in Mt. Judea. It’s a sweet tradition; they gather their whisk brooms and cleaning supplies and go to the cemeteries where their loved ones are buried, and sweep off and wash the headstones, remove last year’s decorations and replace them with their new, carefully selected flowers. They fuss over the flowers, trying to arrange them to their prettiest and secure them so a strong wind won’t blow them away. It’s more precious to me every year, watching their little crooked backs tending the resting places of their family and where they too will rest someday. We arrived at the cemetery, and it looked lovely. It was all mowed and manicured, with the big trees serenely shading the quiet plot of
ground. I like coming here. My father and brother, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandparents, who were the first white people to settle in Big Creek Valley, are all buried here. If you could just take it all in with your eyes, it’d be a perfect scene; but we stepped out of the car to a horrendous and overwhelming stench of hog manure. It turned a wonderful tradition into an extremely unpleasant task. I had to tie a scarf over my face to breathe as we worked quickly to escape back into our car. Ordinarily we would stay a while after decorating and share memories or funny stories of our loved ones, or just quietly ponder and enjoy the sweet smell of blooming honeysuckle. But not this time. It seems our concerns have become a reality — truly sad indeed. This Memorial Day, I mourn not only our loved ones who have passed on, but also I mourn our loss of enjoyment of traditional outdoor activities, which is a loss of life as we’ve known it, in our little valley. Pam Fowler, Jasper, Ark.
MEMORIAL GIFTS & HONORARIUM Remember Loved Ones "Forever"
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MEMORIAL GIFTS: If you would like to remember someone who loved wildlife, and the great outdoors of Arkansas, you can make a gift in that person’s name. What a beautiful tribute to their memory. Your memorial gift will continue the work of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation and keep a loved one’s spirit alive through wildlife conservation.
HONORARIUM GIFT: Are you puzzled what to give friends or family members who “have everything?” Will an ordinary gift just not be enough? Then, consider making a donation to the Arkansas Wildlife Federation in their honor and acknowledge their special day, birthdays, anniversaries, holidays, or whatever they are celebrating. Your gift is a special recognition to this individual or family in support of wildlife conservation programs. Gifts of $ 100 or more will receive wildlife print. All donations will receive a tax deductible receipt.
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28 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
Ty Patterson ends term as a Game and Fish commissioner
TEXARKANA –Ty Patterson needed just three words to sum up his abbreviated term as an Arkansas Game and Fish commissioner: “Short and sweet.” Patterson, of Texarkana, served the final two years of an unexpired term on the commission with June 30 his final day. He was vice chairman of the agency and presided over the May and June meetings of the commission at the request of Chairman Ron Duncan. Reflecting on his term, Patterson said the scope and complexity of the Game and Fish Commission were astounding to him after his appointment by Gov. Mike Beebe. “I had no idea how big the commission was and how many things it was involved in,” he said. “Something that helped me a lot was the other commissioners. We bonded. They are all different people, but the way they come together is impressive. This is something I will always cherish – the closeness and the relationships with the other commissioners.” Patterson touched on a uniqueness of the commission. Seven appointed members from all parts of Arkansas, plus a non-voting eighth one, the scientific member from the University of Arkansas, come together, agree and sometimes disagree then set the policies to steer the conservation agency that will celebrate its centennial next year. “Game and Fish is a $90 million a year op-
Recent Storms Cause ‘Greensnap’ in Arkansas Corn Crop
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Storms, rain and high winds that rolled through Arkansas in recent days damaged parts of the state’s corn crop in a couple of ways. One is “greensnap,” which happens when the corn stalk snaps at a node due to high winds. The other problem is when corn plants blow over but don’t snap. The bigger problem is with greensnap. Blown-over plants are probably the result of roots giving way in wet ground and can often straighten up with minimal impact on yield, said Jason Kelley, wheat
eration. It covers so many different fields,” he said. In Patterson’s tenure as a commissioner, he worked with his fellow commissioners on several major personnel issues, including a change in directors. The ending of a long landmark suit against the federal government resulted in a victory for the Game and Fish Commission. This was the destruction of timber by prolonged flooding on the Dave Donaldson Black River Wildlife Management Area in northeast Arkansas. Also in Patterson’s term, deer hunting successes reached a record high in 2012 and almost matched it in 2013. The multi-year slump in turkeys checked by hunters turned around in the spring 2013 and 2014 seasons. Patterson has interests in several automobile dealerships and especially enjoys duck hunting, turkey hunting and bass fishing on both lakes and rivers. He said, “I’m from southwest Arkansas, and Ron Duncan introduced me to fishing for smallmouth bass on the streams in the mountain areas. This has been special to me.” Patterson has three children – Evelyn, 11, Jackson, 10, and Martha, 6. “The girls are more into fishing than hunting, but Jackson really likes hunting,” he said. He added, “I want to thank the other commissioners for working with me, and I certainly thank Governor Beebe for appointing me to the Game and Fish Commission.” and feed grains extension agronomist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. “The smaller the plants are, the better they will straighten up,” Kelley said. Greensnap most often occurs when plants have been rapidly growing and the stalks are brittle. Arkansas cornfields have experienced good growing conditions and high fertility levels, both of which can increase greensnap problems. Assuming a north wind was blowing, fields planted east and west typically have more damage than north-south fields. “Some fields in northeast Arkansas in isolated areas have been reported to have 75 percent or more greensnap damage,” Kelley said. Most of the plants affected by greensnap from this storm appear to be within a couple
25 hunters win public land elk permits for upcoming 2014 season JASPER – For 25 lucky hunters, the highlight of the Buffalo River Elk Festival was the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s drawing for public land elk hunting permits. The two-segment season will be Oct. 6-10 and Oct. 27-31. Elk hunting on private land is restricted to one zone, consisting of all private land in Boone, Carroll, Madison, Newton and Searcy counties except for a portion of Boxley Valley. The private land hunt will end the evening of Oct. 31, or the evening that the 28 elk quota (8 bulls, 20 antlerless) is met; whichever comes first. PUBLIC LAND ELK PERMIT WINNERS: Rodney Dodson, Fouke, Zone 1, either sex, Oct. 6-10 Olivia Lowe, Conway, Zone 1, antlerless, Oct. 6-10 Brian Smith, Bismarck, Zone 4, antlerless, Oct. 6-10 Kenneth Brown Sr., Magazine, Zone 1, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Adam Carlton, Mulberry, Zone 1, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Kolbey Wood, Clarksville, Zone 2, youth either sex, Oct.27-31 Warner Henderson, Jonesboro, Zone 2, either sex, Oct.27-31 Jay Criswell, Alexander, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Jordan Johnson, Little Rock, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Adam Keeth, Rogers, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Robert Cooper, Concord, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Robert Brown, Cabot, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Jack Keeling, Hot Springs, Zone 3 youth, either sex, Oct. 27-31 William James, Benton, Zone 3, either sex, Oct. 27-31 William Stearman, Waldron, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Derek Mallen, Cabot, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Andrew Guffey, Pangburn, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Michael Dillard, West Fork, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 J John Williams, White Hall, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Jaden Fraser, Vilonia, Zone 4, either sex, Oct. 27-31 Stan Jones, Hoxie, Zone 4, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Bryan White, Mountain Home, Zone 4, antlerless, Oct. 27-31 Rita Foster, Viola, Zone 1, either sex, Oct. 27-31 Bobby Launius, Camden, Zone 2, antlerless, Oct. 6-10 Kent Ruddick, Garfield, Zone 3, antlerless, Oct. 6-10
of weeks of tasseling. Plants at this stage have little ability to compensate since the maximum number of kernels has already been set,” Kelley said. “There may still be a small amount of compensating that a plant can do, but it is not nearly as great as if the damage had occurred earlier in the season. Yield loss associated with greensnap is nearly directly proportional the percentage of plants that broke.” Kelley said there is no good solution for fields that have sustained heavy greensnap damage and suggested that insurance covering such damage is the best-case scenario.
“Fields not covered by insurance become more difficult to deal with since replanting corn or grain sorghum this late in the season is not going to provide optimum yields,” he explained. “If replanting of any sort is done, corn stalk shredding would likely have to be done to be able to plant another crop.” The best option in many fields with moderate greensnap would be to keep the corn crop because a reduced yield due to greensnap may be as good or better than replanted corn or a late grain sorghum crop since nearly all the expenses are already into the corn crop, Kelley added.
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 29
Progress Made to Protect State Waters from Pig Waste by Becky Gillette (Eureka Springs Independent, Reprinted with permission) The Buffalo River Bill that the Arkansas Public Policy Panel’s Citizens First Congress championed in 2013 legislation, and which Rep. Warwick Sabin (D-Little Rock), Rep. Kelley Linck (R-Yellville) and Rep. Greg Leding (D-Fayetteville) sponsored and passed into law, has now reached a major point of implementation, said John S. Whiteside, policy director of the APPP. “Among several provisions, Act 1511 created the Committee for the Study of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Procedures with appointed stakeholders from across the state,” Whiteside said. “That commission met last year several times and eventually published a report and recommended a set of rule changes to improve protections for the Buffalo and every river in Arkansas from the impact of CAFOs.” On May 8, the Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) announced it had filed a Petition to Initiate Rulemaking to adopt all recommendations of the committee. “This is great news not only for the Buffalo River, but also all bodies of water in the state,” Whiteside said. “Alongside our effort to ban all future swine CAFOs in the Buffalo River Watershed, this is welcomed additional good news towards protecting all the beautiful waters of Arkansas.” The first public hearing on the proposed regulations will be at 2 p.m. July 14, at the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission meeting room at 5301 Northshore Drive, Little Rock. Lin Wellford, a Green Forest resident who has been active with several watershed protection groups including the Ozark River Stewards, said it is positive that movement is being made towards protecting all Ozark rivers from the degradation inherent in allowing CAFOs to operate as they are currently configured – open, leaking lagoons, more nutrients than the ground can absorb, no accounting for the lack of topsoil or the fractured substrate right below the surface. The legislation came about after a 6,500-head CAFO swine facility was secretively located near the Big Creek tributary to the Buffalo National River. Because of their fast growth, pigs generate waste in much greater volume than humans. The amount of waste generated by C&H Hog Farms is equivalent to that produced by a city of 35,000. There is no wastewater treatment plant for the waste that smells so bad it can make people feel ill. The waste is stored in sewage lagoons that are legally allowed to have 5,000 gallons per day of seepage into the ground. That contamination is in
addition to the wastewater sprayed out on agricultural lands surrounding the facility. Currently ADEQ has a moratorium on any additional CAFOs in the Buffalo River Watershed. A public meeting is planned on that issue June 17 in Harrison. “This is a chance for people to come and support the temporary ban and insist it be made permanent,” Wellford said. “The comment period for people to go to the ADEQ site and express their views on the temporary ban on CAFOs in the Buffalo River watershed goes until July 1. You can go to the www.BuffaloRiverAlliance.org website to find a link direct to the comment site.” Wellford said while it is encouraging that rules are in the process of being adopted to prevent other CAFOs in the Buffalo River watershed and other sensitive watersheds in the state, as yet there is no clear way to legally shut down C&H Hog Farms. Currently a team led by karst geologist Dr. John Van Brahana is testing groundwater near the farm. “The dye testing is showing clear and fast transmission of groundwater around the farm, but Dr. Brahana’s team has not been allowed to test on the farm itself, and most particularly the leaking lagoons,” Wellford said. “Engineers have stated it appears the lagoons leak at the rate of 3,400 gallons per day, but no one knows where that leakage is going. Because of the convoluted structure of fractured karst, it could take a round-about route, but the nature of watersheds is that all liquid eventually makes its way downhill, so there is little doubt where it will end up.” The Buffalo River Watershed Alliance and Audubon recently did a campaign that resulted in more than 1,500 cards and letters protesting the C&H facility being sent to Cargill, which is contracted to purchase the hogs from C&H. In a letter to Audubon, Mike Martin, director of communications for Cargill, said they are in agreement that nobody wants to see the Buffalo River adversely impacted from any sources, including those that have apparently been impacting it for years. “We believe agriculture and other uses, especially recreation, can continue to successfully coexist in this area,” Martin wrote. “The owners of C&H share that desire and do not want to see the river adversely impacted from any source. They have lived in the area their entire lives, they swim in Big Creek and their children attend the local school in Mt. Judea. “While C&H meets, or exceeds, all state and federal requirements, including environmental safeguards well beyond regulation requirements, we, the farm’s owners and others are exploring additional measures that could potentially further enhance those safeguards already in place. We continue to evaluate options. We will take your comments, and those of your members, into consideration as we continue our ongoing assessment of the situation.” Wellford said the fact that Cargill asked to meet with members of the alliance shows they are taking protests seriously, “But it is clear that we need to continue to keep pressure on them.”
Duck stamp sales in Arkansas reach an all-time high
LITTLE ROCK – Waterfowl hunting last season set a record in Arkansas. The number of hunters was an all-time high, and this doesn’t necessarily mean hunting success was at a peak. Sale of duck stamps is the yardstick used for hunter participation. Federal duck stamps are officially migratory bird hunting and conservation stamps. Arkansas calls its duck stamp a waterfowl stamp. Both are required for any hunter 16 or older to go after ducks and geese. For the 2013-2014 waterfowl hunting season, 97,117 stamps were sold in Arkansas, displacing the previous record of 95,863 posted in the 2002-2003 season, according to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. The past season’s sales were 55,935 for resident stamps and 41,182 for non-resident stamps. In the previous peak of 2002-2003, sales were to 62,405 residents and 33,458 non-residents. Roughly 40 percent of the stamp sales for 2013-2014 were for non-resident stamps, an indication that hunters from other areas continue to find Arkansas a fertile place for their waterfowl activities. This percentage is noticeably higher than in 2002-2003 when less than one-third of the stamp sales went to non-residents. Luke Naylor, AGFC’s waterfowl program coordinator, said, “The non-resident stamp sales this past season were an alltime record for Arkansas. The resident stamp sales were the third highest on record, so this tells us that our waterfowl hunting is highly popular with both Arkansans and with non-residents. Arkansas duck stamp sales have climbed significantly since 1992, a low point in modern times for Arkansas duck hunting. Then, less than 40,000 stamps were sold. The sales climbed steadily until the previous peak in 2002-2003 then dipped a bit for several years until rising again in 2007-2008 The long-term average for duck stamp sales in Arkansas is about 67,000 with a 70-30 ratio for residents and non-residents.
30 - Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014
May/June 2014 POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215
ISSN0884-9145
Arkansas Wildlife Federation Officers and Board of Directors September 1st, 2013 to August 31st, 2014
Arkansas Out-of-Doors
OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE ARKANSAS WILDLIFE FEDERATION Arkansas Out-of-Doors is published 6 times per year by Arkansas Wildlife Federation, P.O. Box 56380, Little Rock, AR 72215. Third Class postage paid at Russellville, AR and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address change to Arkansas Outof-Doors, P.O. Box 56830, Little Rock, AR 72215, or call 501-888-4770. This is the official publication of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Printed matter includes hunting and fishing news, sporting information, articles on pertinent legislation, with special emphasis on environment and pollution problems. All Arkansas Wildlife Federation members are entitled to receive one copy of each issue of AOOD for one year. Permission is granted to reprint any news article or item printed in Arkansas Out-Of-Doors with credit, please. Creative Director ���������������������������������������������� Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief ����������������������������������������� Wayne Shewmake Layout/Design ������������������������������������������Chris Zimmerman ZimCreative Views and opinions, unless specifically stated, do not necessarily represent the positions of the Arkansas Wildlife Federation. Deadline Information: Unless other arrangements are made with the editor, copy for club news, features, columns and advertising must be in the Arkansas Wildlife Federation office by the close of business (noon) on the 20th of the month preceding publication. Thank you for your cooperation.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE President: Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle 1st Vice President: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff 2nd Vice President: Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Treasurer: Gary W. Bush, Marion Secretary: Clay Spike, Benton Executive Director: Vacant Creative Director: Ethan Nahté BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT LARGE Jim Wood, Dardanelle Dr. Charles Logan, Little Rock Bobby Hacker, Little Rock Mike Armstrong, Little Rock Lucien Gillham, Sherwood Jerry Crowe, Dardanelle Jared Schluterman, Russellville Lauren Ray, Springdale Wayne Shewmake, Dardanelle Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Clay Spikes, Benton Gary Bush, Marion REGIONAL DIRECTORS Director of Region 1 (Northeast Region): Pattie Duchene, Augusta Director of Region 1 Alternate (Northeast Region): Linda Cooper, Augusta Director of Region 2 (Southeast Region): Vacant Director of Region 3 (Central Region): Lola Perritt, Mabelvale Director of Region 4 (Southwest Region): Steve Filipek, Little Rock Director of Region 5 (Northwest Region): Mary Lou Lane, Dardanelle NWF Special Projects: Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff NWF Regional Representative: Geralyn Hoey, Austin, TX PRESIDENT EMERITUS AND FIRST LADY EMERITUS: Bob and Rae Apple, Dardanelle
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION DELEGATES: Delegate - Ellen McNulty, Pine Bluff Alt. Delegate - Jared Schluterman, Russellville
Spring River Sportsman Wally Schultz - Cherokee Village, AR
ADVISOR TO PRESIDENT Ralph Oldegard, Mt. Home Larry Hedrick, Hot Springs Charles McLemore Jr., Bryant
White River Conservancy Gayne Preller Schmidt, Augusta
AFFILIATE CLUBS: ATU Fisheries & Wildlife Society Austin Klais, President Russellville, AR Arkansas Chapter of American Fisheries Arkansas Trappers Association Gary Helms, President Texarkana, AR Cane Creek Hometowner’s Assoc. Shirley Beavers, Sec./Treasurer – Scranton, AR Creative Ideas President: Sharon Hacker - Little Rock, AR Friends of Pontoon Park Friends of Bigelow Park Friends of Delaware Park Greene County Wildlife Club Rick Woolridge, President Paragould Little River Bottoms Chapter, Arkansas Wildlife Federation Vickers Fuqua, President Mike Young, Secretary & Treasurer Mt. Magazine Ranger District University of the Ozarks - Clarksville Jamie L. Hedges, Director of Outdoor & Evironmental Experiences
Westark Wildlife G. David Matlock, Fort Smith
Wounded Warrior Project - NE Arkansas Mike Richardson, Pocahontas, AR Yell County Wildlife Federation James Manatt, President – Dardanelle Yell County Youth Conservation Club Randy Cole, Dardanelle, AR
Arkansas Wildlife Federation Staff Creative Director - Ethan Nahté Editor in Chief - Wayne Shewmake Contributing Writers – Wayne Shewmake, Dr. Robert Morgan, Johnny, Sain, Jr., Ethan Nahté, Al Wolff, AGFC, Kevin Tuckfield, Dr. Rita Littrell, Waymon Cox, Jerry Shields, James Manatt, Jared Schluterman, Miles Grant, Hollie Sanders AGFC, Becky Gillette, Sharon Denise Stephens, and Jessica Rainwater Contributing Photographers – Mike Wintroath, Ethan Nahté, Wayne Shewmake, Jessica Rainwater, Lisa Taylor, James Manatt, Geralyn Hoey, Johnny Sain, Jr., Kyla Kane, Andrew Stevens, and Dr. Robert Morgan Arkansas Wildlife Federation Address: P.O. Box 56380 Little Rock, Arkansas 72215 Office: 501-888-4770 // Cell: 501414-2845
Arkansas Out-of-Doors • May/June 2014 - 31
Hidden Jewel in the Ozarks
by Dr. Rita Littrell Arkansas, as The Natural State, is aptly named. In whichever of the six geographic regions you choose to live or travel, you will find very beautiful vistas. Rock outcroppings overlooking winding river valleys. Majestic sunsets over rice fields. Wooded roads passing small family homesteads or forests filled with pines and hardwoods. Water resources include lakes, rivers, streams, and waterfalls. Our natural beauty is truly something of which we should have great pride. Several of our Arkansas Parks, such as Mount Magazine or Lake Fort Smith, have had a facelift and provide upscale family stays or great places for reunions or church outings. Many parks provide fun and educational visits throughout the year. You can learn about history or experience our wonderful outdoors. The options in our state are almost limitless. And something that you, as an Arkansan, will hopefully experience. Are you interested in finding a jewel that is tucked away in the northwest corner of the state? One of our natural treasures of which you may not be familiar is hidden just east of Lake Fayetteville. It is the Botanical Garden of the Ozarks or BGO. This small but remarkable garden truly is a hidden jewel you will want to visit time and time again once it is discovered. Just the other day when I was volunteering in the Butterfly House, a visitor from central Arkansas commented that she had forgotten just how beautiful and ever-changing the gardens were. This small botanical garden provides such an unexpected treat through most seasons of the year. The garden is a collection of 12 themed gardens providing examples and ideas for your own yard. More than 80,000 visitors a year have discovered how relaxing a walk through can be to help you unwind from a hectic and busy life. Connecting with nature can be very therapeutic. In addition to just strolling, guests take educational classes or attend concerts. Special events include Chefs in the Garden where you eat and drink while visiting with your friends and roaming through the gardens. In the summer, concerts are held on the Great Lawn. People bring picnics, chairs and enjoy music in the most idyllic setting around. I challenge you to find anything more peaceful than good music with family and friends
in a gorgeous setting. Children climb and frolic in the Children’s Garden. Vegetable gardeners gaze with envy at the large and beautifully displayed mammoth vegetables. Simply sit on a bench and watch the chickens cluck and peck as they forage for their dinner. Stroll through the shade garden for plant ideas or relax on the porch swing of the Ozark Native Garden. Find the hidden sculptures tucked away in private corners. Some created by local artisans including Susan Regan the director of garden design at the BGO. Currently under construction is the Klingaman Arboretum which will display many species of Arkansas trees. Parents or grandparents, be sure to take your kids to the weekly Little Sprouts program or to the Firefly Fling event in late July. If you are traveling with a group, tours can be arranged. This will be the best $7 you have spent in a long while. And for a better deal or just to show your support, buy a membership which is reciprocal with other botanical gardens in the United States. While there, don’t miss the Butterfly House. This is a fairly new attraction which differs from most butterfly houses. Here you
will find only native species of butterflies. These are what you used to find in your own yard. What you can still find when you trek the Arkansas outdoors in rural areas. Visit the Butterfly House to watch the butterflies fluttering and nectaring on the flowering plants. Observe the butterfly uncoiling the proboscis, it’s built-in straw, and sipping nectar that provides the energy needed to flap its wings over 100 times per minute. Watch the female butterflies glue the fragile eggs onto their host plants. Each butterfly lays eggs on one or two types of plants. So the house is filled with the host plants needed for each species of butterfly. Search the plants for very interesting and diverse caterpillars. Some are brightly colored while others look hairy or spinney. Some have big fake eyes and wrap leaves around themselves for cover. Photographers come back repeatedly to catch the best shots of these beautiful and unique creatures. Classes offered at the BGO help people to understand the importance of maintaining diverse habitats that support the lifecycles of our fluttering friends that, along with bees, serve as pollinators for many of our foods. And if you really want to learn to make a difference, learn to serve as a Butterfly Nanny or
create a butterfly garden at your own home. So, please stop in and surround yourself with Arkansas’ natural beauty in a serene setting. You will leave impressed and eager to create your own natural spaces that mimic our Natural State. Whether you are local or passing through, we hope to see you there. http://bgozarks.org/ (Editor’s Note: The BGO is located @ 4703 N. Crossover Rd., Fayetteville, AR 72764. Visit the Link to Plan Your Visit at their website for directions.)