Game-law fine money goes back to county where collected
LITTLE ROCK — When the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission collects fines from game-law convictions, the money goes back to the county where it was collected. The money is used to fund educational programs focused on fish, wildlife and conservation in the counties where the offenses occurred.
During fiscal year 2014, more than $681,500 was collected in fines. The highest amount of fine money went to Drew County, with just over $28,000. The next highest amount went to Arkansas County with more than $25,900 in fines.
Each county’s quorum court allocates all fine money to the count’s school districts and conservation districts. The AGFC and the Arkansas Department of Education do not have a role in determining which programs are funded. School and conservation-district officials must contact their local quorum court with requests for fine revenue and suggestions concerning the best method of distributing funding.
Fine money may be used only for AGFC programs. The Arkansas Department of Education and the AGFC have established school programs for fish and wildlife conservation and for other purposes consistent with the AGFC’s mission.
The following AGFC programs meet the criteria for funding:
• Arkansas Has It All Workshops and Professional Development for teachers;
• The Arkansas Stream Team Program;
• The Arkansas Youth Shooting Sports Program; • Boating Education; • Hooked on Fishing, Not on Drugs; • Hunter Education; • On Target for Life-Archery PE Program (additional matching money is available through the AGFC);
• School Yard Habitats Site Development; • Underwater Arkansas; • Watchable Wildlife; • Project WILD Workshops; • Wings Over Arkansas; • 4-H Responsible Environmental Stewardship Quest (RES-Q) — for more information, contact Joel Gill at C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center at (501) 821-6884; and
• Specialized AGFC conservation education or educator training workshops focused on the programs above (a partnership with county conservation districts). Contact AGFC Project Coordinator Pat Knighten at (870) 917-2085 for more information.
Funds also may be used by educators to take students on field trips to AGFC nature centers and conservation education centers.
Fine money by county in the Three Rivers Edition coverage area includes Cleburne, $6,232.80; Independence, $5,862.87; Izard, $4,982.05; Jackson, $3,741.15; Pulaski, $7,590.02; Sharp, $4,524.02; Stone, $1,928.89; White, $ 20,595; and Woodruf f, $7,800.80.