The Natural State
Arkansas to benefit from new law
Arkansas is widely known for its scenic mountains, beautiful lakes and rivers, and its systems of state parks, natural areas and wildlife management areas. Recreational travelers love the variety of opportunities Arkansas has to offer. From fishing, to world-class biking trails, to backcountry aviation, to a simple walk in the woods, there are adventures available for all, from beginners to thrill seekers. Nature in all its glory can be found and enjoyed in Arkansas.
The recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act gives the Natural State much to celebrate. With President Trump’s signature, a longterm commitment to conservation of our most precious natural and cultural resources was signed into law. Now, Arkansas stands poised to receive significant federal funding that will provide critical resources for ensuring Arkansans and our guests enjoy the Natural State for years to come. Our sincere thanks should go to our entire federal delegation for unanimously supporting this timely and impactful legislation, something not all states were fortunate enough to experience.
The possibilities of better-maintained national parks, rivers and forests and additional natural areas and outdoor opportunities will be good not only for outdoors enthusiasts and conservationists. It also will be good for the Arkansas economy.
Tourism is the second largest industry in the state, and one of our main draws is the abundance of beautiful outdoor opportunities we offer. In 2018, travelers to our state spent $7.37 billion in total expenditures, $408 million in state taxes and $161 million in local taxes. Nearly 68,000 Arkansas jobs are directly related to the travel industry. And while more difficult to measure, there is no question that access to nature increases the quality of life we offer in our beloved state.
The legislation benefits Arkansas in two main ways. First, it provides up to $9.5 billion in funding over five years for deferred maintenance at systems administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Bureau of Indian Education, with $6.5 million specifically set aside for national park units.
In Arkansas, we are blessed with seven NPS sites, almost three million acres in national forests, and 10 National Wildlife Refuges that enhance and complement our state conservation and wildlife systems. These resources will be timely as the total deferred maintenance for the NPS sites in the state was estimated in 2018 at $42,599,845. The iconic Buffalo National River sees 1.5 million visitors a year and has an estimated economic impact of $55 million, but has a deferred maintenance backlog of over $15 million. Likewise, the deferred maintenance backlog at Hot Springs National Park is similar at just under $15 million. In 1904, Hot Springs National Park recorded 101,000 visitors. In 2018, it saw an estimated 1.5 million visitors, with estimated visitor spending in the local economy topping $97 million.
Clearly, increased federal funding will provide long-awaited support for these treasured resources.
Secondly, the act makes funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) permanent, by guaranteeing $900 million per year in perpetuity and paid for by royalty payments from offshore oil and gas drilling in federal waters. The LWCF has been America’s principal funding source for protecting, preserving and acquiring land for conservation and recreation purposes since it was established in 1964. Unfortunately, funding for the LWCF has frequently been diverted or reduced, often to less than half of what it will now receive.
LWCF grants have done some very important work in Arkansas. The Delta Heritage Trail being developed along 73 miles of abandoned Union Pacific Railroad right of way through Phillips, Arkansas and Desha Counties in eastern Arkansas has received over $2 million in LWCF grants to create a trail that will provide hikers and cyclists beautiful views of Delta landscape and wildlife. The Walton Family Foundation announced a $20 million matching grant to complete the portion of trail from Lexa to Arkansas City.
A $1.2 million grant has gone to the Northwest Arkansas Nature and Education Center in Springdale, which is near opening, and will highlight the natural resources, outdoor activities and ecosystems that are native to the Ozark Plateau region.
An $821,000 grant helped acquire Rattlesnake Ridge Natural Area, a tract that is part of the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission’s System of Natural Areas, the watershed divide between the Big Maumelle and Little Maumelle rivers, and home to three species of state conservation concern: the Southeastern Bat, the Western Diamondback Rattlesnake and Wright’s Cliffbrake, a western desert fern. It is also a popular hiking and rock-climbing spot.
The enhanced opportunities made possible by the Great American Outdoors Act will mean that even more projects like these will come to fruition and affirm Arkansas’ reputation as the Natural State.