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Catfish to return to Buffalo River Friday, Dec 21, 2007 By Joe Mosby Arkansas News Correspondent LITTLE ROCK - Catfish are coming back to the Buffalo River under a four-year restocking program that the state Game and Fish Commission approved Thursday. The program, a joint venture of Game and Fish and the National Park Service, involves more than just putting more fish into the river. It is for research also, with channel catfish fitted with radio tags to be put into the river and their movements tracked. The commissioners committed to $30,000 a year for the project. The scenic northern Arkansas waterway, the country's first national river, is heavily used by canoers and has remained a quality smallmouth bass fishing stream. But its catfish declined. Before the Buffalo became a national river, area residents fished for catfish for their dinner tables for many decades. Also Thursday, the commission approved a policy allowing persons with concealed handgun carry permits to take these weapons along on hunts and other activities outside regular firearms seasons. The policy covers Game and Fish camping areas, boating access areas and field trial areas. It does not affect prohibitions on federal facilities or on private land where owners object to a person having a firearm. The policy was crafted through negotiation with Arkansas State Police and with the Arkansas Concealed Carry Association. Persons with concealed handgun permits will be required to show their permits immediately when checked by a wildlife officer. The carry permits will be revoked by state police if a person accumulates 18 points in hunting offenses under the commission's violation point system. In other action Thursday the commission: -Renamed Bull Shoals Marina Access Area as John Eastwold Access Area, honoring the late marina owner and frequent supporter of Game and Fish activities and tourism in the Bull Shoals Lake area. -Approved purchase of a heavy-duty fish hauling truck and tank to help with increased transport of channel catfish and trout in urban fishing, young people's fishing programs and other needs. The truck, tank and other equipment will cost about $105,000. -Approved purchase of a large truck for handling heavy materials in aquatic habitat projects, particularly in trout areas. The truck will cost about $100,000. -Authorized settling a land encroachment issue on Harris Brake Lake, with a person who inadvertently built part of a house on AGFC land to pay the agency $5,999. -Approved paving all of Devils Fork Park's parking area on Greers Ferry Lake, with funding coming through a $50,000 grant from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. -Approved $32,000 for repairs to roof problems at the Gov. Mike Huckabee/Delta Rivers Nature Center at Pine Bluff. |
