LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Economic Development Commission officials said Tuesday that applications are being accepted for grants allowing Arkansas schools to teach about conservation.
Officials said the $690,000 in grant funding came from hunting and fishing violation fines collected last year. According to AGFC Chief of Education Mary Beth Hatch, grant funding is distributed to each county based on the amount of fine revenue collected there, along with rollover funds from grants that went unclaimed or were not allocated.
Arkansas Game and Fish Commission receives $2.1 million federal grant for waterfowl habitat
“We actually have more than $150,000 from previous years that’s still available; just over $536,000 is from last year`s fine money,” Hatch said. “Some counties don’t have enough schools applying for these grants, and others may not be able to accomplish a proposed education project within the school year; that money rolls back into the next year’s total for their county.”
According to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officials, wildlife and fishing fine revenue collected in Arkansas counties is retained locally through a grant program administered in partnership with the Division of Rural Services. The grants help fund conservation education initiatives, providing schools with resources for programs they might not otherwise be able to offer…