Bumpers honored with refuge name

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service renamed the White River National Wildlife Refuge for former U.S. Sen. Dale Bumpers on Friday, in honor of his help in preserving wildlife and forests.

In a news release, Fish and Wildlife Service Director Dan Ashe called Bumpers “a giant among conservationists and a visionary who followed an unconventional path to set aside some of Arkansas’ last wild places.”

Congress voted in January to rename the refuge for the four-term Democratic senator who also served as Arkansas’ governor. A Friday afternoon ceremony was held in St. Charles to officially mark the name change to the “Dale Bumpers White River National Wildlife Refuge.” The refuge was established in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to protect migratory birds, the release states. Its 160,756 acres attract 455,000 visitors each year.