Courtesy of Ryan Askren
For Landowners
About Us
The Future Depends On You
With nearly 90% of the state in private ownership, the future of our forests, grasslands, wetlands, and the species that rely on them is shaped every day by the decisions landowners make. From family farms and working forests to backyard woodlots and recreational land, private lands form the backbone of habitat across The Natural State.
Healthy wildlife populations don’t happen by accident—they thrive where land is cared for with knowledge and intention. Whether it’s restoring native grasses, improving forest structure, managing for pollinators, or protecting streams and wetlands, even small actions can create major benefits for birds, deer, quail, amphibians, and countless other species. When a growing number of landowners take steps like these, the impact ripples across the entire state.
What You Can Do
No matter the size of your property, you can create meaningful habitat for wildlife. Whether you manage a working farm, a family forest, a hunting property, or a few acres behind your home, small changes can make a big difference.
Ways to Take Action
- Restore native habitat — Plant native grasses, wildflowers, shrubs, and trees that provide food and cover for birds, pollinators, and other wildlife.
- Improve forest health — Use thinning, prescribed fire, or selective harvest to create the open, structurally diverse forests many species need.
- Enhance wetlands and streams — Protect riparian buffers, stabilize streambanks with native vegetation, and restore natural hydrology where possible.
- Manage for pollinators — Create nectar-rich meadows, reduce mowing, and avoid pesticides that harm beneficial insects.
- Control invasive species — Remove non-native plants that outcompete native habitat and degrade wildlife value.
Every action you take builds healthier habitat and contributes to a stronger, more resilient Arkansas.
Where to Find Help
You don’t have to navigate wildlife habitat management on your own. Across Arkansas, a network of conservation agencies and nonprofit partners offer free, on‑the‑ground support and technical assistance to help landowners take voluntary actions that improve wildlife habitat on their property.
Whether you’re restoring a forest, enhancing a wetland, managing a farm, or simply wanting to make your acreage more wildlife‑friendly, expert guidance is available at no cost. These professionals can walk your land with you, help identify opportunities, create a habitat plan, and connect you with cost-share programs that fit your goals.
Below, you’ll find the organizations ready to help you take the next step toward healthier land and thriving wildlife.
The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC) is Arkansas’ state wildlife management agency. Through their Private Lands Habitat Division, AGFC employs a statewide staff of private lands biologists working in every county in Arkansas.
They work with landowners on a wide range of wildlife goals, including deer management, prescribed fire, waterfowl programs, and more.
View a map to identify the AGFC private lands biologist working in your county at https://www.agfc.com/education/private-lands-habitat-division/.
Arkansas Ducks Unlimited (DU) is the state chapter of the national nonprofit organization. DU works with landowners to protect, enhance, and restore wetlands, grasslands, and forests to benefit waterfowl habitat and other species. Because Arkansas is within the Mississippi Alluvial Valley, the eastern part of our state is a high priority for waterfowl conservation.
DU works with landowners where the project is a fit to their mission and as determined by staff to be viable from a biological, engineering, and financial standpoint.
For information and inquiry details, visit https://www.ducks.org/arkansas#contacts.
Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) in Arkansas is the state office of the federal agency within the United States Department of Agriculture.
Arkansas NRCS is committed to “Helping People Help the Land“. They work statewide, assisting farmers, ranchers, forest owners and all private landowners interested in restoring and enhancing our natural landscapes. NRCS offers financial and technical assistance to help landowners make and maintain conservation improvements on their property through such programs as the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), and more.
To identify your local NRSC office and start working with a conservation planner, go to https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/conservation-basics/conservation-by-state/arkansas#programs.
Quail Forever (QF) is the quail conservation division of Pheasants Forever, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation.
In Arkansas, QF staff work with private landowners in 32 counties across the state based on priority upland habitat ecosystems. While the primary focus of QF is to restore Arkansas’ bobwhite quail populations, their biologists work with landowners to improve the overall health of their land for wildlife, pollinators, and clean water.
QF staff in Arkansas work with funding and support from Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (AGFC), and Arkansas Quail Forever Chapters to provide technical assistance and help landowners navigate conservation program applications and access other resources for their land.
To learn more and to contact a QF biologist in your county, search by zip code within the interactive map at https://quailforever.org/Habitat/findBiologist.aspx.
Migratory Bird Joint Ventures are cooperative, regional partnerships that work to conserve habitat for the benefit of birds, other wildlife, and people.
There are currently two Joint Ventures active in Arkansas, the Lower Mississippi Valley Joint Venture (LMVJV) working in tandem with the American Bird Conservancy (ABC), a national nonprofit, and the Central Hardwoods Joint Venture (CHJV).
Joint Ventures connect landowners with technical and financial opportunities to improve habitat on their properties through such actions as prescribed fire, invasive species management, forest improvements, and more.
To learn more about joint ventures in Arkansas and contact a private lands specialist, visit https://www.lmvjv.org/ and https://www.chjv.org/.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a federal agency dedicated to conserving, protecting, and enhancing fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats. The Arkansas Ecological Services Field office of the USFWS is located in Conway, AR.
Through the USFWS Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program, biologists provide free technical and financial assistance to landowners for customized habitat restoration projects. Priority is placed on areas of conservation concern, such as upland forests, wetlands, native prairies, rivers, and streams to benefit migratory birds, endangered, threatened and at-risk species.
To get started, visit https://www.fws.gov/office/arkansas-ecological-services and contact the Arkansas Field Office at (501) 513-4470.