Arkansas rice farmers will have another opportunity to participate in the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s (AGFC) Waterfowl Rice Incentive Conservation Enhancement (WRICE) program, following a $2.1 million federal grant award announced by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).
The grant, provided through the Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, will fund the WRICE initiative for the next three years. AGFC Director Doug Schoenrock explained that the program offers payments to rice producers who refrain from fall tilling and flood their fields, creating wetland habitats that provide critical food sources for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds. The program also allows limited public hunting opportunities on private lands that are typically inaccessible to most hunters.
“With the recent news that a combination of commodity prices and recent weather conditions have eliminated more than 800,000 acres of planted rice fields from Arkansas’s landscape, the need for flooded wetland habitat is critical to maintain healthy waterfowl populations throughout their migration,” Schoenrock said. “This program is one of many steps the AGFC is making with private and federal partners to keep more habitat on the ground when the waterfowl need it most.”
Established in 2018, the WRICE program incentivizes landowners to leave waste rice in fields and maintain flooded habitats during migration seasons. In 2019, the program expanded to allow public hunting through a managed draw system on weekends during waterfowl season. A similar grant award in 2020 enabled the AGFC to grow the program, increasing the number of participating fields from 11 to over 50 and creating more than 3,000 acres of flooded habitat for waterfowl.
“With the help of the VPA grant, we expanded flooded wetland habitat for migrating ducks, geese, and shorebirds while giving Arkansas duck hunters more opportunities to enjoy a flooded rice field hunt than ever before,” Schoenrock said. “With this new grant, we hope to extend this valuable program well into the future for hunters, landowners, and the ducks and geese that have made Arkansas famous.”
According to NRCS Chief Colton L. Buckley, the latest round of funding includes 19 projects across the country. Buckley highlighted the WRICE program as a model for how such initiatives can benefit farmers, landowners, wildlife, and outdoor enthusiasts. “These 19 projects mean more opportunities for hunters, more outdoor access, and ultimately more income streams for American producers in rural communities,” Buckley said. “We’re proud to put farmers and landowners first while expanding wildlife conservation and outdoor recreation opportunities for everyone.”
The WRICE program is coordinated through the AGFC’s Private Lands Habitat Division, with support from private partners such as Greenway Equipment. For more information, visit www.agfc.com/wrice.