The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded $4.9 million in grants to wetlands restoration projects in Arkansas.
The funds are a potion of $17 million awarded for forestry and wetland restoration projects across more than 63,100 acres of national wildlife refuges and state-managed lands in the Lower Mississippi River Valley. In addition to Arkansas, projects in Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee received grants.
The grants, awarded through the Inflation Reduction Act, fund projects focused on rural areas and communities hit hardest by extreme weather and flooding, which are important habitat for waterfowl, migratory birds, endangered species, and freshwater fish and mussels.
The projects in Arkansas and the award amounts are:
Ecological Forestry to Promote Climate Resilience at Bald Knob, Cache River, and Overflow National Wildlife Refuges, nearly $1.6 million. Partnering with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, Arbor Day Foundation, and the KKAC Organization, which works closely with historically underserved communities, the Service will restore and create healthy forests on approximately 15,100 acres. This effort will enhance outdoor recreational opportunities for the public, especially wildlife observation and photography, benefit wintering waterfowl, birds, and other species, and sequester more carbon, lessening the impact of a warming climate on local communities.
Wetlands Restoration to Create, Enhance, and Protect Natural Environments Across Cache River, Dale Bumpers White River, and Wapanocca National Wildlife Refuges, nearly $2.5 million. Partnering with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service; Arkansas Game and Fish Commission; the KKAC Organization, and Ducks Unlimited, the Service will restore the wetlands’ natural ability to capture, store, and safely release rainwater on approximately 5,200 acres. Refuge levees and water control structures will be removed or adapted to mitigate flooding and other effects of severe weather events. This project will prevent damage to the refuge’s forests, provide beneficial habitat for migrating waterfowl, and improve the water quality around the refuges.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Shirey Bay Rainey Brake Wildlife Management Area Wetland Enhancement Project, $750,000. Partnering with Ducks Unlimited and the Service, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will restore approximately 2,300 acres of critical wetland habitats by installing structures that control the flow and levels of stormwater. The project will enhance the natural ability to capture, store, and safely release rainwater, water quality, and habitat for waterfowl and threatened and endangered species. These efforts will help provide outdoor recreational opportunities for the community and will provide a natural bottomland system and better water quality downstream.
The Arkansas Game & Fish Commission will also partner with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on a project in Louisiana that aims to restore 10,000 acres of wetlands in the Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge. Earthen dam and water control structures will be removed or adapted to mitigate flooding and other effects of severe weather events, preventing damage to the refuge’s forests, providing beneficial habitat for migrating waterfowl, and improving the water quality around the refuges.
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