help you maximize cost share, combining programs where possible, so you can implement appropriate practices
Learn more about what these technical assistance providers do
To find the technical assistance provider who serves your county, click twice on your county on the map below.
Note: Personnel change frequently. We update names and email addresses annually. Position titles, telephone numbers and addresses remain the same whoever is in the position.
Landowners and tenants who set aside one or more areas for wildlife habitat on their land or who carry out a wildlife management plan on their farm will receive a certificate of recognition as an Arkansas Acres for Wildlife Cooperator. They may also request a sign, "This Is An Acre for Wildlife" or "These Acres for Wildlife" or "Hunting By Permission Only."
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission will provide seed packages to Arkansas Acres for Wildlife cooperators who agree to plant them. Each package contains enough seed to plant a quarter-acre food plot. Cooperators enrolled by early February will, if they want it, receive one or more 5-pound packages of Korean lespedeza seed in early March. This package contains a sufficient quantity of lespedeza seed to seed a quarter-acre to one-third-acre plot or a quarter mile, 10-foot wide woods or field border. The lespedeza and the food plot seed packet distribution rates will vary from one year to the next, depending on the number of requests.
Ducks Unlimited is committed to conserving wetlands in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, including large areas of Eastern Arkansas. Ducks Unlimited's wildlife biologists assist landowners to restore or enhance private land through partners' programs and to encourage management of habitat on private lands. The also are protecting private lands by expanding the existing conservation easement program.
Audubon Arkansas provides technical assistance to landowners to create Important Bird Areas and to protect habitat for high priority bird species. Audubon Arkansas also purchases land and/or purchases conservation easements to protect birds.
The Nature Conservancy, Arkansas Chapter works with private landowners to provide technical assistance and protect/restore habitat in its priority areas. The Nature Conservancy also purchases land and/or purchases conservation easements to protect birds.
Wild Turkey Woodlands Landowner and Hunt Club Programs recognize and assist individuals and corporate landowners who manage their farms, ranches, woodlands, or hunting clubs for wild turkeys and other wildlife.
GreenTrees is a reforestation and carbon origination project designed for landowners who wish to receive short-term economic benefits and leave a long-term legacy of healthy hardwoods for wildlife habitats, recreational use, conservation protection and environmental value. GreenTrees pays Arkansas landowners cash payments to cover planting costs and provides other economic benefits, such as timber, recreational and carbon income, in addition to and independent of their CRP payments. GreenTrees combines cottonwoods and mixed hardwoods for rapid carbon sequestration. This 302/302 inter-planting is now a State-approved tree planting choice for CRP practices designed for hardwood plantings, such as CP 22, 23 and 31. GreenTrees will also coordinate the tree-planting and provide forest management at no cost to the landowner.
The Southern Pine Beetle Program (SPBP) Arkansas Forestry Commission
The Southern Pine Beetle Program is designed to assist landowners in the management of the SPB threat to their pine stands. The SPB remains the most serious threat to pine forests in southern Arkansas . This pest normally attacks stands weakened by over crowding, extended drought or some other stress inducing factor. The most practical management techniques concern reducing stress by reducing stand density. Generally stands in a healthy, thrifty, fast growing condition are not attacked unless SPB numbers reach high levels, usually in stands not in good condition.
Acres for America was created in 2005 as a novel way for the corporate world and the conservation community to work cooperatively to conserve vital wildlife habitat for future generations. Wal-Mart launched the program with a commitment of $35 million over 10 years to permanently conserve at least one acre of priority wildlife habitat for every acre developed for the company’s facilities.
Uses conservation easements and fee-simple acquisitions to protect environmentally important privately-owned forest areas that are threatened by conversion to non-forest uses.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission also has an active land acquisition effort that may be of interest to willing sellers of lands near or adjacent to existing Wildlife Management Areas.
The goal is to reduce the recurring cost of flood damage in areas prone to flooding while restoring or protecting fish and wildlife habitat, especially wetland habitat. The program will accomplish this goal by acquiring perpetual easements from interested landowners and, where necessary, restoring the hydrology and vegetation of the floodplain. NRCS has designated the following rivers or watersheds as priority areas in Arkansas in order to maximize environmental benefits: L’Anguille River and Departee Creek Watersheds, Bayou Bartholomew, St. Francis River/Little River Floodway and Mississippi River, White River, Black River and Buffalo River. L’ Anguille, Bayou Bart, and the Upper White River watersheds are priorities for the 2006-2010 NPS Management Program.
The Arkansas Wetland Mitigation Bank Program is a state-sponsored initiative to re-establish wetland hydrology and vegetation with compensatory funds from Section 404 permit recipients for impacts of approved wetland projects in selected areas that meet program criteria. Within these areas, site selection takes into consideration current and potential contributions to ground-water quality and other factors.
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission acquires fee or easement in land that has rare species, exemplary natural communities or contributes significantly to functioning of ecosystems - both wetlands and uplands. Examples of wetland acquisitions: Bayou Dorcheat (Falcon Bottoms Natural Area), Cache River (Black Swamp Natural Area easement on AGFC WMA). Acquisition is from willing sellers only. Areas to be acquired must have been identified as high priority through agency inventory.
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission implements a program to buy easements on wetlands particularly in the Cache River and Bayou DeView watersheds. The program can be extended to other areas. The Wetland Easement Program is directed at protecting broader wetland values and integrity of wetland systems. To do so, limitations on use are minimized - the basic requirement is to maintain wetland vegetation and hydrology. Wetland does NOT need to have rare species or exemplary natural communities to be considered. Few demands are placed on landowner and thus cost of easement is relatively low.
Other Organizations that Purchase Conservation Easements
Persons with Farm Service Agency loans secured by real estate may qualify for cancellation of a portion of their Farm Service Agency in arrears in exchange for a conservation contract. A conservation contract is a voluntary legal agreement to restrict the type and amount of development that may take place on portions of a landowner’s property. Contracts may be established on marginal cropland and other environmentally sensitive lands for conservation, recreation and wildlife purposes. All details of the contract are worked out and explained to an interested borrower before he or she chooses to enter the contract agreement.
Any taxpayer whose project restores or enhances riparian zones and wetlands can receive a tax credit for a maximum of $5,000 per year for 10 years ($50,000 maximum per project). Private Lands Restoration Committee reviews proposals. Professionals who possess expertise in restoration and implementation efforts should complete the project plans.
The purpose of this tax credit program is to encourage water users to invest in (1) the construction of impoundments to use available surface water, thereby reducing their dependence on ground water; (2) the conversion from ground water use to surface water use; and (3) land leveling to reduce agricultural irrigation water use. Tax credits may pass through partnerships, corporations, etc.
Arkansas Farm Bureau has signed an agreement to participate in Iowa Farm Bureau’s Carbon Credit Aggregation Program, where carbon credits awarded based on carbon sequestering farming practices are gathered and sold. Iowa Farm Bureau will pool farmers’ and ranchers’ carbon credits in Arkansas and 16 other states and sell them on the CCX, much like commodities on the Chicago Board of Trade. The Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) is a greenhouse gas emissions-trading body whose members — companies, utilities municipalities, even universities — buy carbon credits on the exchange.
Power Tree Carbon Company
PowerTree Carbon Company LLC is an initiative sponsored by 25 U.S. power companies to work in partnership with private landowners to plant trees in critical habitats in the Lower Mississippi River Valley to manage carbon dioxide. Member companies have committed more than $3 million for reforestation projects in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi. The projects will restore bottomland hardwoods on marginal agricultural lands, create habitat for birds and other wildlife, and provide other environmental benefits including improved water and soil quality. PowerTree Carbon Company provides technical assistance and financial assistance to landowners. Power Tree Carbon Company has reforestation projects in Bayou Bartholomew and the White River basin.
The nonprofit
UtiliTree Carbon
Company consists
of 40 utilities sponsoring a
portfolio of forestry
projects that manage
greenhouse gases,
particularly carbon dioxide (CO2). UtilTree manages several reforestation projects in Arkansas, including the Mississippi River Delta, Ouachita River watershed, and other sites.
Additional Resources: Websites
Landowner Assistance Finder.
A web site designed to give landowners information about availability of and eligibility for various technical and financial resources is hosted by the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service at www.arnatural.org/landowner_assistance/default.asp
Federal Grants www.grants.gov
Search for federal government grants for individuals, landowner associations, sustainable communities, etc. Compiles grant opportunities from multiple federal government agencies. Sign-up for e-mail announcements when “requests for proposals” are issued for a grant or granting area of particular interest.
Farm Bill
More detailed information on farm bill conservation programs on the web at: www.usda.gov/farmbill
