A red fox is featured on the new Arkansas Game and Fish Commission conservation license plate. It's No. 18 in a series of plates featuring wildlife art, which began with a white-tailed deer in 2000.
The $35 plates raise money for conservation efforts, about $913,000 annually in the last 15 years and roughly $14 million overall. A new design is issued each January. The red fox has a run of 3,000.
The program became law in 1999.
"The design use contribution of $25 shall be deposited to the Game Protection Fund to be used by the Arkansas State Game and Fish Commission for the purpose of sponsoring college scholarships related to the field of conservation, funding land purchases for the benefit of the public, and for conservation education programs," the authorizing act reads.
Several artists have worked on plate designs over the years The red fox was created by Greta James, a Game and Fish graphic artist.
Jim Payne of the state's Office of Motor Vehicles said 137,950 conservation plates were sold from the first design in 2000 through last June. At the end of November, 42,873 plates were legally registered. Although a motorist may buy a plate and renew it year after year, these totals reflect the numbers of plates sold, not the number of years they were renewed. In other words, if someone buys a black bear plate and renews it four times, it counts as one plate sold, not five.
Fifteen of the 18 designs are available, although some of them remain in very small quantities. Plates can be viewed on the Game and Fish website.
Wildlife pictured on the plates includes northern cardinal, largemouth bass, fox squirrel, ivory-billed woodpecker, black bear, wild turkey, mallard and others.
Sports on 01/03/2017