Frequently Asked Questions Regarding Management at National Wildlife Refuges in Arkansas -- May 29, 2003

Q1: How many acres of land at Bald Knob and Cache River National Wildlife Refuges have been reforested?

A1: At Bald Knob, 4,806 acres have been reforested and another 1,057 are planned for a total of 5,862 acres. Approximately 14,000 acres have been reforested at Cache River Refuge to date. Of the total refuge acreages, approximately 56% of Bald Knob and 95% of Cache River is currently forested.

Q2: How are row crop acreage affected by other land management practices at these refuges?

A2: Row crop acreage continues to be reduced at Bald Knob as reforestation continues. The refuges unharvested share of rice and milo has been reduced from 1,409 acres in 1998 to 832 acres in 2002. The refuges unharvested row crop share will be reduced to approximately 450 acres as reforestation is completed. At the Dixie Unit of Cache River, the refuge row crop share is approximately 100 acres of rice and 350 acres of milo annually.

Q3: What is the relationship between row cropping and hunting opportunities at these refuges?

A3: During last year’s hunting season at Bald Knob, 51% of the refuge’s standing rice and milo was in the hunt area. Twenty three percent of the refuge’s share of row crops at the Dixie Unit was in the hunt area. Standing crops in the hunt area are unique to these two refuges and provide the public with improved hunting conditions, including concealment that increases the opportunity for quality hunts. Loss of row crops would impact public hunt quality and could result in the necessity of limiting hunters and random drawings at Bald Knob.

Q4: How long does it take mallards to consume the rice available on the refuge?

A4: Mallards must consume 3.2 ounces of rice per day just to sustain health/life. There are 45 pounds in a bushel of rice and the average rice production at Bald Knob is approximately 110 bu/ac. A concentration of 200,000 mallards will therefore consume 100 acres in 11.5 days; 400,000 mallards will do the same in 5.7 days; and 600,000 mallards will do the same in 3.8 days.

Q5: How long does it take the snow geese to consume the rice available on the refuge?

A5: Snow geese must consume 4.8 ounces of rice/day just to sustain health/life. Using the same production figures as above, it takes a concentration of 100,000 snow geese 16.5 days to consume 100 acres of rice; 200,000 geese 8.2 days and 250,000 geese 6.6 days.

Q6: What management objectives at Bald Knob and Cache River are accomplished by refuge farmers?

A6: Refuge farmers are independent farmers contracted by the Service to conduct specific farming practices on refuge lands for wildlife management. Refuge farmers accomplish many refuge management objectives. Included in these are production of habitat for the fall migration of shorebirds, habitat for shore and wading birds, growing moist soil crops, reforestation, providing early water for waterfowl and other species, maintaining/replacing the infrastructure of pumps and other equipment necessary to farm and produce habitat for waterfowl and other migratory birds, and providing specialized cropping methods as part of research projects.

Q7: What would happen if the refuge farming program was lost?

A7: Loss of the farming program would result in the loss of all the above habitat management capabilities for waterfowl and other wetland dependent birds including shorebirds. Benefits to deer and other resident wildlife derived from row crops and other habitat management would also be lost. Current funding and staffing constraints do not permit these activities to be accomplished by refuge personnel.

Q8: How are refuge sanctuaries identified?

A8: Areas selected for sanctuaries will be a part of the refuge that will provide some habitat or management capability even during adverse weather/water conditions such as drought years. These are the critical years for waterfowl due to the lack of habitat on a large river basin scale. It would be of very limited or no value to establish sanctuaries with no management capability and would not fulfill the mission of “wildlife first” for refuges.

Q9: What other benefits do sanctuaries have for other wildlife species?

A9: Areas selected for sanctuaries provide wintering habitat and meet refuge objectives for other migratory birds. For example, the sanctuaries at Bald Knob and Cache River provide feeding, resting, and roost sites used by wintering bald eagles. At Bald Knob the mid-winter eagle survey counts range annually from approximately 40 to 60 birds. It has also become a successful nesting site with eaglets fledged annually since the sanctuary was established.

Q10: Why are sanctuary areas not rotated each year?

A10: Rotating sanctuaries is not an effective management practice when working with multiple species of waterfowl, eagles and other migratory birds. The value of sanctuaries would decline if they were moved around. Many sanctuaries are selected due to their unique habitat values and are closed to public access. Once a sanctuary is selected, it is marked with adequate signage, the public is notified, and the area is enforced by refuge officers. This process would become onerous and unmanageable if sanctuaries were rotated each year. Sanctuaries provide feeding areas for row crops, moist soils, invertebrates, and brakes and flooded woods, and a key ingredient of isolation. Sanctuaries provide vital habitat to meet the life history requirements of wintering waterfowl including quiet areas that support molting, pairing and bonding -- all of which help build healthier and bigger waterfowl populations.

Q11: Does waste grain provide sufficient food for waterfowl, eliminating the need for food production on refuges?

A11: Extensive research has recently been done on waste grain in harvested rice fields. At harvest, about 250 pounds per acre is lost. Due to increased efficiency of harvesting equipment and to rice variety improvements, harvest continues to be earlier and a large amount of the waste rice will germinate or deteriorate. By November 1, only 100 pounds per acre is left for waterfowl. Waterfowl will quit feeding in a field when the amount of waste grain falls to about 50 pounds per acre, as it takes more energy to find rice than they get from it. The conclusion: There is only about one bushel of rice per acre left for waterfowl arriving in November in a harvested rice field.

Q12: Why was Bald Knob National Wildlife Refuge established?

A12: Bald Knob was identified and purchased to help fulfill the objectives of the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, and especially to accomplish the wintering habitat objectives for Northern Pintail. The pintail population has not recovered and major concern is growing for this prairie species. Research has indicated pintails are dependent on rice culture, therefore Bald Knob Refuge will continue to grow rice to provide foraging habitat for this species.