Why Protect Land, Water & Wildlife in NWA?

Public Benefits of Land Conservation

Permanently protecting priority landscapes ensures future generations will always have:

• Clean Drinking Water and Healthy Lakes, Streams, and Rivers

• Local Farms and Rural Landscapes

• Wildlife Habitat

• Outdoor Recreation Opportunities and Easy Access to Nature

Our Role in Green Infrastructure

Green infrastructure is an interconnected network of “green space”, including waterways, woodlands, parks, farms, forests, and other natural areas. It’s our region’s natural life support system and is the catchall priority that captures all other conservation values.

The preservation of interconnected green space is critical for maintaining healthy ecosystems and the flood control, water purification and clean air that they provide. Green infrastructure also links parks, trails, urban centers and neighborhoods while preserving scenic views and the livability of our region.

While some cities are incorporating connective greenways into their planning process, natural areas are being rapidly consumed in Northwest Arkansas, fragmenting ecosystems, scenic areas, and wildlife habitats. We are committed to working with developers, municipalities and regional partners to fill knowledge gaps and encourage a more thoughtful, collaborative, and strategic approach to land use planning.

Land Protection = Water Quality Protection

There is a direct link between land use and water quality. The loss of protective natural buffers, the filling of wetlands, the disturbance of stream banks, and the development of floodplains have an immediate, negative and lasting impact on water quality. We work to protect our watersheds, such as Beaver Lake and the Upper White River basin, and the Illinois River, by providing conservation easements and encouraging green infrastructure planning.

Beaver Lake is the primary source of drinking water for Northwest Arkansas, and the keystone of our economy. The White River and its watershed have been nationally recognized as the lifeblood of our Ozark region, critical for our wildlife-related economies. The Illinois River, which begins in Northwest Arkansas, flows eastward through fertile farmland before reaching Oklahoma where it is recognized as a scenic river. Together with our partners, we work to engage landowners in the restoration and permanent protection of priority lands within these watersheds.

The Importance of Preserving Our Rural Landscapes

Step just outside the urban corridor of Interstate 49 and you are immediately treated to quality-of-life-enhancing views of family farms, forested ridgelines and those iconic Ozark vistas. These rural landscapes are the backdrop of our lives. They are the productive lands that feed us, the fishing holes we get away to on weekends, and the views we brag about to visitors. And they are rapidly disappearing.

We are committed to preserving the agricultural and scenic landscapes that define our region. By working with landowners to conserve their land, and with developers and city planners to define development boundaries, we strive to ensure that our farms remain working, our views remain unspoiled, and the places we love remain unaltered.

Keeping a Place for Wildlife

The Ozarks are a wildlife-related economy. Billions of dollars are pumped into our state each year for wildlife-related activities such as hunting, fishing, birding and nature observation. Wildlife is important not only to the economy, but for healthy ecosystems as well. Each species plays an important role in maintaining the natural integrity of our region.

There is an intrinsic value to wildlife as well. The sense of connection and elation that people feel when they spot a fawn in the grass or an eagle in the air cannot be measured.

To keep a place for wildlife, we place top priority on the preservation of endangered habitats, such as wetlands, prairies and glades. These special places are disappearing, and so are the species that depend on them. We also value the protection of large forested habitats and the connectivity of land to provide safe passage between habitat hubs for wildlife migration and seasonal movements.