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Winners of the Aquatic Landowner Awards were the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists, Brian Nalley and Wayne Gearhardt.

Founded in 2006, the Central Arkansas Master Naturalists have removed more than 16,000 pounds of trash from Fourche Creek and adjacent bottoms using more than 272 hours of volunteer labor. They also have plans for streambank stabilization in several of Little Rock's parks.

Nalley owns 250 acres in Saline County that includes about one mile of riverbank on the Alum Fork of the Saline River, which is home to the federally threatened Arkansas fatmucket mussel.

Nalley is the founder of the Saline River Watershed Alliance and was named a 2021 Champion of the Wild by "Arkansas Wild" magazine.

Gearhardt owns 250 acres in Randolph County that includes about 1 mile on the Eleven Point River. The river is home to the federally endangered Ozark hellbender as well as the coldwater crayfish, which is a state species of greatest conservation need. Gearhardt participated in a project on his property that was funded by a state wildlife grant, two farm bill programs and the AGFC to protect valuable riparian habitat for these and other wildlife species that depend on this location.

Bryan Hendricks
Arkansas Democrat Gazette, June 2, 2022

Full article link  
https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2022/jun/02/agfc-honors-private-landowners/