Lake Monticello limits suspended by AGFC

FILE — An Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sign in downtown Little Rock is shown in this 2019 file photo.
FILE — An Arkansas Game and Fish Commission sign in downtown Little Rock is shown in this 2019 file photo.

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission voted Thursday to suspend game fish limits for Lake Monticello and to accept a land donation on the White River near Fayetteville at its monthly meeting in Little Rock.

Ben Batten, chief of fisheries management for the commission, said that 1,472-acre Lake Monticello is being drained in order to repair the dam. To prevent its game fish from being wasted, Batten recommended an emergency suspension of limits on bass, crappie, catfish and bream for 60 days.

Additionally, the commission voted to accept a donation from Carl Magness of Fayetteville of 4.34 acres adjoining the White River in Washington County near Fayetteville. Commissioner Stan Jones of Walnut Ridge, chairman of the commission's property management committee, recommended approval. The commission will spend $5,000 to perform a Phase I environmental property assessment, boundary survey and to cover closing costs.

"This property will be a tremendous access to a unique part of the White River near Fayetteville," Jones said.

In a related matter, the commission approved a land exchange at Lake Conway with Jim Baker of Conway. Marcus Kilburn, the commission's real estate officer, said there are defects in the titles to the land owned by Baker and the Game and Fish Commission. Exchanging properties is the most efficient method to correct the defects, Kilburn said.

In a separate matter, the commission also approved a permanent right-of-way on an existing natural gas pipeline to Enable Gas Transmission, LLC across a portion of St. Francis Sunken Lands Wildlife Management Area in Poinsett County.

The pipeline traverses property that the Game and Fish Commission acquired in 2018 from the federal government, which had granted a 30-year easement to Arkla Energy Resources to build the pipeline. The original easement expired.

The new easement will be the same size as the original. It is 2,680-feet long and 20-feet wide.

John Marks, legal counsel for the commission, said Enable Energy will pay $10 per foot. He also said the new easement has improved requirements to benefit wildlife resources.

Sports on 08/23/2019

Upcoming Events