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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

MAYFLOWER — Anglers in central Arkansas will have a new place to fish during the renovation of Lake Conway. The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is repurposing the nursery pond that feeds the lake, and will open it to fishing with rod and reel beginning Oct. 28. 

The 65-acre nursery pond on Nursery Pond Road has traditionally been used to raise forage and fingerling sport fish during spring with reduced competition for food and predators to supplement natural spawning activity on the lake. AGFC Fisheries Supervisor Nick Feltz said the pond will be managed to maximize the fishing experience for anglers while the renovation takes place. 

“We’ve worked for the last few weeks to collect crappie from Lake Conway and relocate them to the nursery pond, and we focused on high-quality fish for anglers to enjoy,” Feltz said. “We also stocked the pond with adult channel catfish, adult Florida largemouth bass, and forage species like bream, fathead minnows and threadfin shad.” 

In addition to stocking catchable-sized fish, the pond will be fertilized, aerated and outfitted with fish feeders to promote natural growth. The fish feeders and some additional fish-attracting structures will be placed within casting distance of the bank to increase angling success and satisfaction. A recently completed fishing pier from another location on Lake Conway also has been relocated to the nursery pond to increase angling access. 

“We plan to add the fish feeders in spring, and the pier will be moved to a different location on the nursery pond very soon as its original placement was not ideal for anglers,” Feltz said. 

The pond also has a boat ramp that anglers will be able to use, but all boat traffic will be done on a strict “no wake” basis. A small gravel parking lot has been created next to the boat ramp on the northeast corner of the pond. Additional parking and easy bank access is available on the west side of the pond on Greens Lake Road. No parking will be allowed on the levee road on the north side of the pond.

“Hunters, AGFC staff and other visitors use these roads every day, so we need people to pull as far to the side as they can while parking to allow other cars to pass,” Feltz said.  

The pond will follow statewide creel limits, and no length limits are in place for this temporary fishery.  Only rod- and pole-angling is allowed. No passive fishing gear (yo-yos, trotlines, jugs, etc.) is allowed. Once the renovation of Lake Conway is complete, the nursery pond will be emptied back into the lake and will resume its function of raising forage and sportfish for the newly renovated lake. 

“When it is emptied, we hope some of the larger fish that we’ve placed in the pond will add a good initial boost of productive fish to the lake, that’s why we’re stocking the species we plan to focus on for the lake post renovation,” Feltz said. 

Visit www.agfc.com/lakeconway for more information about the project and updates on the renovation.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

AGFC Commissioner Meeting Notice

You are hereby notified that Commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will meet on the following date and times to consider any business that may be brought before the Commission. Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held at the AGFC offices, 2 Natural Resources Dr. in Little Rock.

Friday, July 28-Sunday, July 30, 2023

Attending the Delta Waterfowl Duck Hunters Expo. The workshop will be held at the Statehouse Convention Center at 101 E. Markham Street in Little Rock.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas Game and Fish Commission Director Austin Booth announced the formation of a new branch within the AGFC’s ranks to focus on recreational shooting and the development of shooting ranges and programs throughout The Natural State at today’s regularly scheduled Commission meeting.

“The connection between conservation and shooting is as old, at least, as (the Pittman-Robertson Act), which ensures that hunters and recreational shooters are the most passionate and impactful conservationists in the country,” Booth said. “One of the biggest things that we hear from communities around Arkansas that they want more of is support around recreational shooting.”

Booth said the Recreational Shooting Division will be headed up by Interim Chief Grant Tomlin, who has overseen this aspect of AGFC business for the last 10 years as a member of the agency’s Education Division. Many of the AGFC’s popular shooting sports programs, such as Archery in the Schools and the Youth Shooting Sports Program, have flourished with the help of Education leadership and support and will comprise the foundation of the new division. Establishing facilities through partnerships with local municipalities and entities also will be a major focus of the new direction.

To solidify his resolve toward the agency’s new direction, Booth introduced the AGFC’s desire to pursue a partnership with the city of Clarksville and University of the Ozarks.

In his first presentation as chief of the new division, Tomlin said this partnership will help grow the university’s nationally recognized Clay Target Shooting Program by building an Olympic-level shooting sports facility in Clarksville for students as well as the general public. According to Tomlin, a finalized memorandum of understanding is still being completed for commissioner review and expects it to be presented next month.

According to Tomlin, the AGFC hopes to provide up to $2 million in matching funds to help the university construct the proposed $12 million facility. If approved, the match would be contingent on the university raising the remainder of the required funding.

Both the creation of the new division and the pending partnership with the university are key contributors to accomplishing goals set by the agency and director in The Natural State Tomorrow, the AGFC’s 5-year strategic plan.

Booth explained that today’s announcement was only one of the agency’s many accomplishments in the last year during his address to the Commission. He also highlighted the strides being made in habitat management and conservation on private land through the recently established Private Land Habitat Division, the record-breaking year in construction and infrastructure maintenance to promote access and increased habitat quality, and the evolution of the agency’s Black Bass Program to better align agency actions with the desires of Arkansans.

“When I look at where this agency is going, when I look at the hours that I see on everyone’s timesheets, our new pick from Gov. (Sarah) Sanders for a Commissioner, the most palpable and important thing this agency has going forward is momentum,” Booth said. “Thank you to the staff for your vision and tireless execution and to the Commissioners for your day-in, day-out support.”

The Commission also unanimously voted to lift all length and creel limits on Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir beginning July 21 to allow anglers to catch and keep fish before the lake’s drawdown and renovation. They also heard the first reading of a regulation change to suspend boat dock and fishing structure permit fees on Lake Conway. If passed, the change will still require landowners bordering the lake to obtain and maintain permits under the agency’s official land use policy. The fees associated with those permits will be waived during the renovation process. [LINK TO PRESENTATION]

In other business, the Commission:

• Heard from Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation President Deke Whitbeck and his announcement of Fiocchi as the corporate partner and new presenting sponsor of AGFC recreational shooting programs. [LINK TO PRESENTATION] 
• Heard from Whitbeck and former Commissioner Ross Whipple about the leadership the Ross Foundation and Clark family have forged in the Foundation’s Impact Fund to aid the AGFC and raise more than $500,000 for conservation work in southwest Arkansas. [LINK TO PRESENTATION]
• Removed five items from inventory with an original cost of $30,729 and a current net book value of $0. [LINK TO PRESENTATION]
• Authorized Booth to complete a permanent land easement to allow access to landlocked private property at Lake Elmdale in Washington County. [LINK TO PRESENTATION]
• Authorized an update to the employee evaluation policy in the AGFC Policy and Procedures Manual. [LINK TO PRESENTATION]

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CUTLINES:

Speaker with Logo
AGFC Director Austin Booth announced the formation of the AGFC Recreational Shooting Division at today’s meeting.

Two Speakers
AGFC Chief of Recreational Shooting Grant Tomlin (left) welcomed Richard L. Dunsworth, University of the Ozarks president, to speak about the opportunity to partner with the college’s successful shooting sports program.

Speaker with Commission
AGFF President Deke Whitbeck spoke to the Commission about expanding partnerships with corporate sponsors like Fiocchi Ammunition and nonprofit groups like the Ross Foundation.

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Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

MAYFLOWER — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission unanimously voted at yesterday’s regularly scheduled meeting to lift all daily limits and length limits on Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir.

The AGFC will be drawing down Lake Conway to begin what will be the largest lake renovation in the agency’s 108-year history and the removal of limits will allow anglers to take full advantage of the fish in the lake before it is drained. The lifting of Lake Conway limits went into effect July 21.

According to Tabbi Kinion, AGFC Education Division chief, the agency’s fishing education program and Fisheries Division have teamed up with partners to tag dozens of fish worth $500 each to the lucky anglers who catch them.

“We’re excited to offer this fishing-style treasure hunt on Lake Conway,” Kinion said. “These tags are spread across six different species, so grab your gear and head out to Lake Conway today for a chance to win!”

More than 50 fish of all sizes were caught, tagged and and distributed throughout the lake in the effort. Anglers have until Oct. 31 to report a tagged fish and claim their prize. Visit www.agfc.com/lakeconway to submit a tag and claim your prize.

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LITTLE ROCK — Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders today announced that Brandon Adams will serve as the newest member of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Brandon’s seven-year term will last until July 1, 2030.

“Bryan (Sanders) and I have made no secret that promoting our state’s outdoor economy is one of the top priorities we have. We know that it’s one of the greatest assets that our state has,” Gov. Sanders said. “Brandon Adams, our newest commissioner, is somebody that I am very excited to announce today will be taking that position. He loves his family, he cares about our state, and he loves the outdoors – and he loves the idea of making sure that every Arkansan has access to the great resources we have right in our backyard.”

Adams spoke briefly about his enthusiasm toward the appointment. 

“I am deeply honored to have been appointed by Gov. Sanders to this important position on the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission,” Adams said. “I was born and raised and have spent my entire life hunting and fishing in what I consider the most beautiful and diverse state in America. I believe that the AGFC has played a crucial role in making and keeping it that way. I look forward to doing my part to help continue this mission.”

Adams is the president and CEO of Reliance Health Care Inc., a nursing home company founded in 1998. He also is a partner at Heartland Auto Group and Heartland Pharmacies. Adams is the chairman of the board at Banded Brands/Avery Outdoors, a nationally recognized hunting apparel and accessory company, and co-owner of Prairie Wings Duck Club in Altheimer, Arkansas. He is a Conway native and lives in Fayetteville with his wife, Brandi.

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Keith Stephens

Chief of Communications

You are hereby notified that Commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will meet on the following dates and times to consider any business that may be brought before the Commission. Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held at the AGFC offices, 2 Natural Resources Dr. in Little Rock. 

The post AGFC Commissioner Meeting Notice appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Keith Stephens

Chief of Communications

You are hereby notified that Commissioners of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will meet on the following dates and times to consider any business that may be brought before the Commission. Unless otherwise stated, meetings will be held at the AGFC offices, 2 Natural Resources Dr. in Little Rock. 

The post AGFC Commissioner Meeting Notice appeared first on Arkansas Game & Fish Commission.

Randy Zellers

Assistant Chief of Communications

LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission heard and approved plans at Thursday’s regular meeting to begin the construction of a new spillway system at Craig D. Campbell Lake Conway Reservoir and the subsequent renovation of the 6,700-acre lake in central Arkansas.

A new concrete weir offering increased capacity to manage water levels will replace the existing metal gates that have well exceeded their expected useful lifespan.

Silt and sediment have built up on the lake’s bottom since the lake was created in 1948. This natural byproduct of aging has taken away as much as 3 feet of depth in portions of the lake and much of the lake’s prime spawning habitat. Engineers and biologists estimate that 33 percent of the lake’s original 40,000-acre-foot volume has been replaced with sediment during the last 75 years, leaving many boat houses in the northern quarter of the lake inaccessible. An extended drawdown will let the silt dry and compact, regaining some lost depth.

Additionally, the AGFC plans to conduct many infrastructure projects to increase boating and angling access, including renovations to existing boat lanes, boat launching facilities, bank angling accesses and fish attractor locations.

In addition to authorizing AGFC Director Austin Booth to move forward with what will be the largest lake renovation in the agency’s 108-year history, Commissioners also heard the first reading of a regulations change to lift harvest and length limits on Lake Conway to allow anglers to keep as many fish as they want before the lake is drained. Most of the fish will exit the lake through the spillway and enter the Arkansas River through Palarm Creek, but staff and commissioners want to extend every opportunity for local anglers to enjoy the resource until it is drained. The Commission is expected to pass this regulation at the July 20 Commission meeting.

The renovation was one of three main points Booth focused on as “footholds” in his report to the Commission.

“In climbing a mountain, as you reach a foothold, you rest and use it to propel yourself forward,” Booth said. “It’s a point that you orient yourself off of.”

The first foothold Booth reported was the progress of the agency toward meeting goals in The Natural State Tomorrow, the agency’s 5-year strategic plan. The agency is poised to complete a goal of adding 5,000 acres of land to public opportunity and removing stream barriers, and has seen the renovation of the Jim Hinkle Spring River Fish Hatchery within the first year of the plan, along with many other accomplishments.

Booth’s second foothold was a nod to outgoing Commission Chairman Bobby Martin, whose seven-year term will expire June 30.

“We have to recognize what he has brought to the table during at least the last two years as chairman: energy, momentum, accountability, attention to detail and heart,” said Booth, who became director two years ago. “Just because Bobby is leaving doesn’t mean we are taking a break. As we look at The Natural State Tomorrow and where we are today, we have just begun to orient on where we want to be.

“We have reached a foothold, but we have not yet reached the summit.”

The Commission unanimously elected Commissioner Stan Jones of Alicia as chairman for the next fiscal year and chose Commissioner J.D. Neeley of Camden to serve as vice chairman.

“I wish more people sat in this seat, more people could be an Arkansas Game and Fish Commissioner,” Martin said during his closing address. “It’s people you’re most impacted by in this experience. In the last seven years, I’ve learned what the people of the AGFC do, and I’ve come to truly appreciate it. So often, the work they do is totally misunderstood or missed completely, but they continue doing this work with conviction that it’s the right thing to do.”

In other business, the Commission:

• Heard from Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation President Deke Whitbeck, who presented a specially commissioned knife and journal in memory of Marshall Hughes, a former AGFF board member, to Martin to be passed down to future Commission chairpersons as they assumed the leadership position [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Heard from Jimmy Harris, a representative from U.S. Sen. John Boozman’s office, who presented a commendation to Martin, which will be entered into the Congressional Record [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Amended language in the AGFC Code of Regulations to replace the wording “wildlife officer” with “game warden” in accordance with language passed during Arkansas’s 94th General Assembly [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Authorized Booth to sign an agreement with the AGFF to manage a lasting endowment from the MidwayUSA Foundation to fund the AGFC’s Youth Shooting Sports Program in the future [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Authorized Booth to enter into a lease agreement with the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to manage a property donated to the AGFF for education and promotion of waterfowl conservation and outdoors recreation. The AGFC Simmons Outdoor Skills Farm comprises 237 acres on the Jefferson-Lincoln county line that was formerly a hunting property and lodge owned by the late John Andrew Nelson Simmons. The Simmons estate was donated to the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to be used for outdoor education opportunities [LINK TO PRESENTATION].
• Approved an agreement with the Cooperative Ecosystem Study Unit to align with multiple partners to benefit natural resources management in the state [LINK TO PRESENTATION]; 
• Approved the AGFC’s 2024 Fiscal Year operating budget totaling $132,775,742 [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Approved the 2024 Fiscal Year Black River Restoration Fund budget totaling $1,197,964 [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Approved the 2024 Fiscal Year Gas Lease Funds budget totaling $120,000 [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Approved the agency’s 2024 Marine Fuel Tax Budget totaling $6 million [LINK TO PRESENTATION];
• Approved the transfer of an additional $11,469,173 from the Commission’s Stability and Enhancement Fund to the Fiscal Year 2024 budget to provide money for major construction projects in the coming year [LINK TO PRESENTATION], and
• Awarded Martin his service sidearm after seven years of voluntary service to the AGFC [LINK TO PRESENTATION].

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