DU honors Arkansans

Ducks Unlimited honored Jim Ronquest of Stuttgart and Sen. John Boozman on Friday at the 84th North American Wildlife and Natural Resources Conference in Denver.

DU awarded Boozman, R-Ark., its Senior Federal Official Award, and it awarded Ronquest its Conservation Communications Award.

The Senior Federal Official Award recognizes Boozman’s work with the Senate Agricultural Committee and Committee on Appropriations. In these roles, Boozman has contributed significantly to wetlands conservation and wildlife conservation, Ducks Unlimited said in a statement.

“On the Senate Agriculture Committee Boozman championed voluntary conservation easements through the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program. His support of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) has made significant impact on his home state of Arkansas, helping conserve 77,089 acres of habitat on public and private lands.”

In 2018, Boozman was appointed to the Migratory Bird Conservation Commission, overseeing allocations of NAWCA and Federal Duck Stamp funds for projects across North America. Recently, the commission approved grants aiding the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and its partners in conserving almost 135,000 acres of wetland and associated upland habitats across 17 states.

Ronquest, winner of the 2006 World’s Championship Duck Calling Contest, was honored for his advocacy of wetlands conservation and waterfowl conservation.

“Spreading the conservation message to the public is vital to our mission,” said James Powell, director of communications for Ducks Unlimited. “Jim’s ability to communicate to a wide variety of people, especially within the waterfowling world, makes him an asset for the conservation community.”

Ronquest produces the RNT-V outdoor television show for Rich-N-Tone Duck Calls and makes frequent onair and personal appearances.

“Ronquest’s relationships with wildlife managers and scientists make him a liaison between resource managers and the public,” Powell said. “He educates today’s youth through duck calling clinics where he not only teaches calling but the ethical outdoors lifestyle.”