Commission bans bringing firewood to WMAs

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission approved an emergency order Thursday banning the transportation of firewood onto commission-owned wildlife management areas.

The order went into effect immediately and prohibits hunters and campers from bringing firewood from home or elsewhere onto WMAs.

The ban is intended to slow the distribution of emerald ash borers from southwest Arkansas. The Arkansas State Plant Board has implemented an emergency quarantine already on certain types of wood in 25 Arkansas counties. The AGFC's ban applies to all types of wood. Martin Blaney, the AGFC's habitat coordinator, said this is necessary because many people cannot distinguish cut ash from other hardwoods.

Hunters and campers will be allowed to collect and burn downed wood already present on WMAs.

The commission also voted to issue a financial grant of $679,127 to the Arkansas Department of Education. The money was collected from game and fish violation fines. The education department will distribute it back to the counties from which it was collected. It will be used for conservation education programs in schools.

In fisheries business, the commission voted to spend $40,000 to add gravel to the Webb Lake access road on Wattensaw WMA in Prairie County.

The commission also approved trout importation permits in Boone County for Bear Creek Springs Trout Farm and for John W. and Yvonne M. Bieth. Mark Oliver, chief of fisheries for the AGFC, said there is no threat of released trout surviving outside their approved release areas on Bear Creek and Cheatham Creek, respectively.

In wildlife management business, the commission approved spending $48,750 to combat white-nose syndrome, an affliction that affects cave-dwelling bats in the Ozarks. The money came from a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service endangered species recovery fund grant. It will be used for monitoring, to buy supplies, and to build a cave gate to minimize human disturbance of an Ozark big-eared bat maternity colony.

The AGFC will issue a $17,950 sub-grant to the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.

The commission also approved spending $20,000 to enhance wildlife habitat on White Rock WMA, and $10,000 to enhance wildlife habitat on Wedington WMA. The money is from a U.S. Forest Service cost-share grant.

Sports on 09/19/2014

Upcoming Events