The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has tabled planning efforts on its proposal to expand the acquisition boundary of Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge in central Arkansas.
“After careful consideration, we will not pursue a major boundary expansion at this time because we are focusing our future acquisition efforts in Arkansas at Cache River and Felsenthal National Wildlife Refuges,” said David Viker, Southeast Regional Chief of the National Wildlife Refuge System. “We will devote the efforts of our talented staff on continuing to manage important habitat for hundreds of thousands of waterfowl and other wildlife for the enjoyment of the American people.”
The proposal would have allowed for the purchase of lands within the expanded boundary from willing sellers only. It also would have enabled the conservation of bottomland hardwoods and helped connect several state and federal conservation areas together over time expanding hunting, fishing, and wildlife-related activities like photography and wildlife observation.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Visit the Service’s website at http://www.fws.gov or http://www.fws.gov/southeast/.
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