Game and Fish fines become 240 grants to schools

$537,209 given in 67 counties

A total of 240 grants worth $537,209 have been awarded to kindergarten through 12th grade schools in 67 Arkansas counties as a result of wildlife fines collected by the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.

The Arkansas Economic Development Commission’s Division of Rural Services awarded the grants.

DeWitt Elementary in Arkansas County, for example, is receiving $6,563 in funding to purchase various items for their pollinator garden, such as birdhouses, bee houses, hummingbird feeders, bird food, bat houses, books, and craft materials such as paint and colored pencils.

Lakeside Middle School in Chicot County, another example, is receiving $15,737.87 in funding to purchase equipment such as poles, bait, coolers, tables, chairs, pop-up tents and water.

Meanwhile, Cedarville Elementary School in Crawford County received $4,456.38 in funding to purchase items for an outdoor classroom. Those items include outdoor study stumps, as well as a chalkboard, art panel, science learning kit, rolling cart, paint, smocks, sensory sand, play sand, mixing table, various learning kits — with math and language lessons — and bat houses.

The Game and Fish Commission does not use money generated by wildlife violation fines for facilities or operating expenses. Instead, the money — packaged as grants — is distributed to schools and conservation districts to further conservation education.

“The best way to prevent future violations is to instill a love of the resource in our future hunters, anglers and outdoors enthusiasts and teach them why it’s so important to follow the regulations,” agency Director Austin Booth said in announcing the grants.

“Every hunter is faced with the decision to follow the rules or cheat the system every time they put on a pair of waders or hunter-orange vest. The things they learn today through increased conservation education programs could be the very thing that molds them into the ethical sportsmen and sportswomen our wildlife resources deserve.”

All schools in the state are eligible to participate in the program, but only money collected in the county where the violation occurred may be used as grant funds for that county, according to the Game and Fish Commission.

Schools have used the grants to create and maintain archery, fishing, and competitive shooting sports programs.

Schools also have used the money to help improve wildlife education by purchasing educational materials, materials for the creation of indoor and outdoor habitats, lab supplies, and field trips to Arkansas Game and Fish Commission nature and education centers. Conservation districts have used the funding to help promote wildlife conservation awareness in the communities by hosting environmental education days and fishing derbies for children of all ages.

The list of recipient schools and their grant-funded projects is available