Federal funds improve facilities at wildlife refuge

Hunters and anglers that camp during their adventures are enjoying better facilities at the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge.

According to White River NWR staff, more than 455,000 hunters, anglers, birdwatchers and other outdoors enthusiasts visit the refuge annually. About 90% visit specifically to hunt and fish.

On Friday, I toured campgrounds at Swan Lake and Moon Lake at the White River National Wildlife Refuge with a coterie of dignitaries that included Siva Sundaresan, deputy director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The occasion was to demonstrate how $10.1 million in investments modernizes outdoor recreational access and improves the visitor experience at the refuge.

The funds were authorized by the Great American Outdoors Act for fiscal years 2021-23. So far, 42 projects have been completed at the White River National Wildlife Refuge, and eight projects are ongoing. The total costs of planned projects was $9,855,706. The total consumed budget is $8,991,211.34, with $214,669 allocated for shortfalls. The Great American Outdoors Act allocated $4,268,000 that was used to replace gravel on more than 90 miles of roads within the refuge. Gravel was also used to surface refuge campgrounds.

Additionally, refuge staff have built four boat ramps to provide better access to the excellent fishing available on waters within the refuge.

These are not like the campgrounds at Arkansas state parks. They are merely cleared areas amid the forests next to some of the many oxbow lakes and sloughs on the area. They do not have any amenities, not even fire rings. Originally, they were just open dirt spots that turned to mud in wet weather. Now they contain 6-8 inches of gravel. That translates to about 850 truckloads of gravel totaling about 19,000 tons.

Refuge personnel have also cleared underbrush and hazardous stumps to give the campgrounds a more domestic mien. Compared to state parks, we would characterize the campgrounds as feral. Not domesticated exactly, but not as wild as campgrounds at Arkansas Game and Fish

Commission Wildlife Management Areas.

Also, the refuge employs four heavy equipment operators. Recently, they have cleared fallen trees from interior roads, campgrounds and ATV trails.

It is fun to watch the expressions of people that have not seen the wild parts of the Mississippi River Delta. Sundaresan has a degree in wildlife biology, with a Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology. He said he studied large mammals for many years in many parts of the world.

“I spent most of my time in the U.S. in the Southwest, mostly in Wyoming,” Sundaresan said. “Now in my role, I am interested in and working on issues all across the country.”

Sundaresan asked a lot of questions about the flora, fauna and ecology of Southeast Arkansas, and he marveled at a wood stork that passed overhead. His quick identification of the bird impressed the local refuge folks. Sundaresan might not have the opportunity to see wood storks. Locals see them every day and probably don’t notice them.

“I love these kinds of landscapes,” Sundaresan said. “This is new to me, and it’s not someplace that I’ve been very much, and I’m not very familiar with it. The humidity, the temperature, the warmth, is something I really enjoy. It’s beautiful country. Look at it! How can you not appreciate looking out on the lake and seeing cypress trees and herons, and wood storks, and herons flying above. It’s phenomenal. That’s my first impression.”

Sundaresan said the stories of the work completed and the work in progress at the refuge are inspiring, but he said he is equally intrigued by the mystery of the place, its ecology and the people of the area. He said he appreciates the results that refuge staff accomplish with limited funds.

“What is really delightful for me to see is the kind of investment that the Service, through our partnerships and federal investments are putting on the ground to make it more exciting and fun for people to come out and hunt and fish and to enjoy these resources that we are here to protect and conserve. Isn’t this a great example of what we’re supposed to do?”

Sundaresan said he will cite the Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge in Washington to justify the need for greater investment.

“Hopefully we can use this as an example to make the case for why such investments are the right thing to do,” Sundaresan said.