AGFC Begins Second Round Of Elk Management Plan Overhaul
LITTLE ROCK, AR – -(AmmoLand.com)- The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission has started the second stage of writing a new state elk plan this week. This second stage consists of four public workshops. Two of the workshops were held earlier this week in Ponca and Jasper. The two remaining workshops will be held later this week in Marshall and Little Rock. The first rounds of public workshops were held in February.
These workshops will serve as a means to gather public input concerning the draft of the state’s elk plan, according to AGFC elk biologist Cory Gray. “We want as much input as possible before we put the plan together. It’s important that people provide us with comments on the direction they’d like to take our elk herd,” Gray explained. The goal is to gather ideas and suggestions from hunters and the public, to be incorporated with wildlife biology essentials into a new Arkansas elk management plan.
Each workshop participant will be given the opportunity to share what they like or don’t like about the draft plan, Gray said. “These meetings will also be a way to double-check what we heard them say during the February workshops,” he said.
As they did with the February workshops, the AGFC will again use an outside facilitator to help with administering the public scoping workshops.
The new elk management plan will provide goals and set direction for the management of the state’s elk resource. The final plan approval will be the responsibility of the AGFC commissioners.
The workshops are set-up to allow anyone to put forth ideas and suggestions. All meetings will begin at 6:30 p.m. The dates and locations of the remaining meetings are as follows:
The remaining second round of public workshops will be held:
May 7, Marshall Elementary School.
May 8, Arkansas Farm Bureau, 10720 Kanis Road in Little Rock.
An elk summit will be held during the Jasper Elk Festival on June 27.
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The mission of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission is to wisely manage all the fish and wildlife resources of Arkansas while providing maximum enjoyment for the people.