Arkansas is well-deserving of its title of The Natural State. Yet, were it not for the efforts of dedicated Arkansans who want to protect and conserve the state’s natural beauty, it would not have remained that way. Human intervention has done a great deal of damage to habitats and wilderness, but human intervention is also what is allowing the wilderness to bounce back. Where once the elk were driven entirely from the state and the black bears nearly all killed, reintroduction programs and careful protection have seen these populations return to levels where responsible hunting is possible. As the amount of conserved land has increased, so has the public’s access to that land.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) stands at the forefront of those conservation efforts, and every year, the AGFC Foundation honors those who have worked to do the same, at the Foundation’s Hall of Fame Banquet. This year’s banquet, held on Aug. 27, was a rousing success. The main event was, of course, the induction of five new conservationists into the Hall of Fame, as well as the presentation of a Legacy Award – but the banquet was also a record-breaking fundraiser with a fruitful auction, the proceeds of which go towards supporting the year-round work of the Foundation. Though the average turnout for the banquet is about 1,500 attendants, this year was packed to the gills, at around 1,700.
Following introductions by emcees Steve “Wildman” Wilson and Trey Reid, and a welcome from the two co-chairs of the event, Randy and Amber Milligan, videos were shown to honor each of the new inductees, interviewing them about their story and achievements.
Photos courtesy of ADPHT
First was Duane Hada, a great fly-fisher and internationally known artist – primarily a watercolor painter – who has long done incredible work in capturing the beauty of his native Ozark Mountains. Growing up in the Ozarks, Hada explained in his video, “Hunting and fishing were just part of my livelihood. We had access to all kinds of woods and waters.” His family also had a bicycle and horse, which he could use to go far beyond their property and down to the Buffalo River. “The creeks and streams are just what made me who I am,” he said.
Duane Hada
Combined with his love of art, it was only natural that he became one of the state’s finest wildlife painters. In 1987, the AGFC commissioned Hada to create a trout stamp, which got his name out and jump-started his following. In 1998, he got a very different opportunity – to be the coach of the first U.S. youth team for an international fly fishing tournament held in Wales. Hada’s team won silver out of a lineup of 18 countries. In 2014, he joined Cross Trail Outfitters, where he continues to help children experience the outdoors and tries to shape them into future conservationists.
“When I guide on smallmouth streams, I’m fishing on waters I fished as a kid, so that takes me back. That’s why I’m so passionate about it, I want to see this preserved,” Hada explained. “I want to take my grandsons and granddaughters and wade the same stretches and catch fish and know that it’s still in good health and quality.”
Bob Butler
Bob Butler and Jeff Lawrence were both leading figures and organizers at Arkansas Ducks Unlimited, with Butler currently serving as Arkansas Senior Regional director. Both started out as young outdoorsmen, with fishing and squirrel hunting, before graduating to duck and deer. Lawrence got involved with Ducks Unlimited in high school, selling tickets to DU events in North Little Rock. Butler first became involved after college by running the silent auction at a DU banquet. Both rose through the ranks and have seen great changes come to Ducks Unlimited, such as a program that began in 1984 called, “Matching Aid to Restore State’s Habitat,” or the MARSH program.
Jeff Lawrence
Over the years, those early investments by Ducks Unlimited have blossomed into a strong and enduring partnership with the AGFC. “In fact, we’ve got some huge projects going on right now,” said Lawrence in his video with Butler, “in I think three different WMAs (Wildlife Management Areas) in the state. Since that initial project in ‘84, I think we’ve conserved 360,000 acres, just in Arkansas.”
“The work that Ducks Unlimited does impacts entire ecosystems, from a bug to a tadpole to a songbird, all the way up to whitetail deer and beyond,” said Butler. “So even if someone doesn’t hunt, they benefit. If they like to go out to bird watch, they benefit.”
Brad Wimberly
Brad Wimberly, a native of Louisiana, vividly remembers childhood experiences of hunting frogs at night in the swamp with his father. He made a trip to Arkansas, where he fell in love with the Mulberry River and the Ozark National Forest. He purchased, restored and expanded the iconic Turner Bend Store, preserving it as a mecca for outdoor enthusiasts.
To help protect his beloved Mulberry River, Wimberly organized a cleanup day. “I was hoping to get maybe a dozen people. I would say there were 80 people who showed up.” This was the beginning of the Mulberry River Society, which to this day works to keep the area clean and accessible by building landings on the Mulberry River and at Indian Creek. Throughout his conservation career, the AGFC has been there to assist.
J.D. Simpson III
Lastly was J.D. Simpson III, winner of the 2022 Legacy Award. A former AGFF board member, and current trustee of the Arkansas chapter of The Nature Conservancy, Simpson has made great contributions of time and treasure throughout his lifetime to support conservation efforts. A native of Little Rock, he spent much of his free time in his youth at a family camp called the “Tuf-Nut Hunting Club,” where he still spends time with his prized black labs.
“I knew some of the [AGFC] directors,” said Simpson. “I knew they did good work, so I gave them a little money every year. If we didn’t have a good Game and Fish, we’d be a burned-out state.”
The Banquet also celebrated 40 years of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation’s work in supporting and augmenting the work of the AGFC. For example, the Foundation was instrumental in the passing of Amendment 75, which created a 0.125% sales tax that has provided millions of dollars in funding to the AGFC. Through events like the Hall of Fame Banquet, it secures yet more funding and helps to put that money to good use on nature centers, shooting complexes and programs to educate new generations of Arkansans on our great outdoors.
Another award, the new Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award, was presented to Bennie Westphal in recognition of his years of support and willingness to be leader in the AGFF’s new “Leaving a Legacy” program. This was followed by a speech from Austin Booth, director of the AGFC. He listed a few of the AGFC’s accomplishments over the past year, made possible by the support of the Foundation, including stocking over 12.5 million fish and adding over 1,000 acres to WMAs. Booth also discussed some of the Commission’s major plans going forward, called “Natural State Tomorrow,” such as creating a private lands division, a recreational shooting division, improving transparency and accountability within the commission and adding 5,000 acres to the WMAs.
“So that’s The Natural State, tomorrow,” Booth said. “And the reason we’re doing it is because we have many challenges. We’re losing habitat at an unprecedented rate. Our agency infrastructure and business processes are often behind the times. And there is waning participation in the outdoors by Arkansans.” The work of the AGFC, and the assistance provided by the Foundation, are more important now than they have ever been.
And the requested support was not long in arriving. Between donations, a raffle and a silent auction, a record amount of money was raised at nearly $600,000. The auction included everything, from a knife set to a $7500 Sissy’s Log Cabin gift card to a duck hunting blind and even entire boats, like an XPRESS HD16DBX Boat with motor and trailer included. Fun experiences were also up for action, such as a stay at Rusty’s Roost Cabin at Fat Possum Hollow, a chance to join AGFC biologists on a black bear den visit to see how they collect data on the state’s black bears, a Halls Quail Preserve hunt in Damascus, and even a 5-day hunting trip in New Zealand.
In all ways – from honoring conservationists to raising funds to a delicious meal of catfish and chicken – this year’s Hall of Fame Banquet was a success. Most importantly, it has ensured that the following year will be another successful one for the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, and by extension, all Arkansans who love the outdoors.
