2019 Private Lands Conservation Champion

Ronnie Strickland - Fowl Play Lodge

Fowl Play Lodge LLC owns roughly 2,000 acres in Chicot County that is actively managed for wildlife. Before and during any habitat enhancement projects they seek recommendations from biologists with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and the US Fish & Wildlife Service. One of the most impressive steps the landowner took to provide long-term, quality wildlife habitat was to not flood his Green Tree Reservoir (GTR) for a winter. This is one of the toughest choices landowners with GTRs make, but it shows a long term commitment to quality wildlife habitat. Since this time, and as a result of following through on this action, the overall health of the trees has improved significantly. There is very little crown die off in their GTR today. They are in the process of implementing a thinning to promote a healthier forest similar to a Desired Forest Condition (DFC) cut.

The landowner has also undertaken a 140-acre moist-soil enhancement project on a permanent WRP easement. This project set back succession in a moist-soil unit that had become dominated by woody vegetation, namely Baccharis, willows and buttonbush. Working with the USFWS, AGFC and the NRCS, Fowl Play Lodge was able to utilize WRP maintenance funds for a heavy offset disk to remove the woody vegetation and to promote herbaceous annual plants. Ronnie and Fowl Play Lodge provided all the diesel, funding, and lodging for the contractor to ensure the project could start as quickly as possible—again showing they are fully committed to long term quality wildlife habitat. This project started in the summer of 2013, and Ronnie actively works this 140 acres annually to maintain it in the condition it was designed to be in. The site will provide an additional 1 million Duck Energy Days, or support roughly 8,000 ducks per day for 120 days when completed.

Ronnie Strickland and Fowl Play Lodge are champions of wildlife conservation on private Lands. They maintain critical bird habitats that benefit shorebirds, wading birds, waterfowl, and neotropical migrants. These habitats are protected either permanently through the WRP program or through agreements with NRCS and USFWS. Ronnie is constantly visiting adjacent landowners to provide insight on management, as well as gather ideas for their property. Ronnie and Fowl Play Lodge have also facilitated several field visits for colleges and NRCS staff for educational purposes. Ronnie and Fowl Play Lodge strive to go above and beyond for wildlife conservation.