FROM TODAY'S AR-DEM GAZ (THURS JULY 17, 2025)
Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame set to induct three
The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation will induct three members to the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame during its 34th annual Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug. 23 at the Statehouse Convention Center.
Inductees will be Steve Arrison, Sherrel Johnson and Tom Kennon. The Game and Fish Foundation will also give its Steve Smith Spirit of Giving Award to the Arkansas Master Naturalists.
STEVE ARRISON
During his 27-year tenure as chief executive officer of Visit Hot Springs, Arrison has cultivated Hot Springs as the state's premier destination for outdoor recreation, especially for fishing. Under his watch, Hot Springs hosted the BFL All-American seven times and the Forrest Wood Cup four times.
The 2007 Forrest Wood Cup was the high water mark for professional bass fishing. It was the first of only two events that paid $1 million to the winner.
Lake Hamilton hosted the first Wally Marshall Crappie Expo and an associated tournament in 2019.
Arrison also conceived of the annual Hot Springs Fishing Challenge. It was a summer-long event in which multiple species of fish wearing special prize tags were released in area waters. Anglers catching these fish could redeem the tags for cash prizes.
Also, Arrison helped put Hot Springs bass fishing on the international map with the Pan-American Fishing Championship in 2023 and the World Fishing Championship, coming in 2026.
Arrison was also instrumental in bringing the Bassmaster Classic to Pine Bluff in 1984. That was the breakout event for the most prestigious bass fishing championship, with weigh-ins attended by President George H.W. Bush and Gov. Bill Clinton.
SHERREL JOHNSON
An unsung advocate for water conservation, Johnson's induction into the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame is timely in an age when water is rapidly becoming the new oil.
She formed the Union County Water Conservation Board to address the critical decline in the Sparta Aquifer, which at the time was Union County's only source of potable and industrial water. A successful solution tapped the Ouachita River for industrial water, leading to a demonstrable recovery in the Sparta Aquifer. This restored a vital natural resource that supports a considerable amount of wildlife habitat.
TOM KENNON
One of the founding fathers of whitewater sports in Arkansas, Kennon has been instrumental in making the state a major destination for whitewater enthusiasts.
His guidebooks are as influential for paddlers as Tim Ernst's trail guides are for hikers and backpackers. The Arkansas Canoe Club has long implemented his safety training initiatives in its curriculum, and Kennon has also led many river cleanup efforts.
MASTER NATURALISTS
This statewide network of volunteers contributes significantly to the preservation and appreciation of Arkansas' diverse natural environments. Through education, community outreach, habitat restoration and trail maintenance, the Arkansas Master Naturalists inspire Arkansans from all walks of life to practice environmental stewardship.
The Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet is a major event that gathers all of the state's major players in conservation and outdoor recreation. One of the highlights is a silent auction in which you can bid on firearms, knives, artwork, guided hunting and fishing trips all over the world, hunting ammunition, and about any kind of hunting gear imaginable, including handmade bamboo fly rods and recurve bows made by Arkansas craftsmen.
You can bid online with your mobile device from anywhere in the world. For information, to buy tickets or to obtain the virtual auction link, contact the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation at 501-200-2144.
RANGE REOPENS
The City of North Little Rock officially reopened its archery range at Burns Park on Wednesday.
Upgrades make the range more ADA accessible with paved and covered shooting lines, paved access to targets, arrow and bow holders, and benches. The range offers targets at 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50 yards. Additionally, the range will offer swappable standard targets and 3-D targets at certain times throughout the week. The range is free to use and is open year-round, Sunday through Saturday, from sunrise to sunset.
The Burns Park archery range is an excellent recreational resource, and it also provides a place for bowhunters to sharpen their skills for the statewide archery-only early buck season Sept. 6-9.
Bryan Hendricks has been the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette outdoors editor since 2005. He covers hunting, fishing, camping, and all other outdoor activities in The Natural State, as well as the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission. Bryan has won 30-plus awards for his work, including the Arkansas Press Association Freedom of Information Award, Service to Freedom of Information Award (Associated Press Managing Editors), Reporting on Freedom of Information Issues Award (Society of Professional Journalists), the John Robert Starr Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the Arkansas Wildlife Federation Conservation Communicator of the Year Award.
Note: Awards will be given at the Arkansas Outdoor Hall of Fame Banquet on Aug. 23 at the Statehouse Convention Center in Little Rock.
https://www.agfc.com/news/arkansas-game-and-fish-foundation-announces-honorees-for-the-2025-outdoor-hall-of-fame/