Tax funds benefit boating access in Arkansas

The Arkansas Game and Fish Commission panel of commissioners unanimously approved at their Jan. 13 meeting a minute order authorizing Game and Fish Director Austin Booth to sign an agreement with the Arkansas Department of Transportation to update the existing Marine Fuel Tax program to enhance public boating access in Arkansas.

"From the community perspective, the two largest things we provide to Arkansans are our game wardens and public access to land and water throughout the Natural State," Booth said. "This modernization can help us better serve Arkansans by not only broadening the aperture on how much money we can invest in this sort of access, but also broadening the aperture of what we can do."

The Marine Fuel Tax program was created in 1970 in cooperation with the state Department of Transportation and Game and Fish to collect a portion of taxes on gasoline purchases devoted to boats and put those funds toward public access on Arkansas' waterways. Traditionally, these funds could be used only on boat ramps, parking areas and roads devoted to those boat ramps. The money was administered by the Department of Transportation after projects were approved by Game and Fish. Local partners were required to contribute matching funds or in-kind contributions to ensure local commitment to the project was healthy.

Chris Racey, Game and Fish chief of staff, said the Marine Fuel Tax program delivers about $1.7 million per year to these construction projects, but there are even more opportunities available.

"We've been able to deliver more than $65 million in access projects through this program since 1970 and that's great, but the formulas used to generate those numbers are based on calculations made in 1967 when the program was being established," Racey said. "We all know a lot has changed since then in how our constituents use our public waters and in the benefits we can offer them."

Racey noted that updated calculations developed by transportation department engineers project the funding for the program could be close to $3.7 million per year.

"The inter-agency working team discussed a lot of things that have changed over time and potential needs that have developed for boating access users since 1967," Racey said. "Recreational boats have much larger motors than in 1967. Additionally, we have boaters with kayaks and canoes who load them up in the back of a truck or on top of a vehicle and drive to those accesses. There are just a lot more ways fuel is being used for boating than the traditional model was designed for."

The modernized agreement not only will increase funding for the Marine Fuel Tax program, but will give Game and Fish and its partners more flexibility in how those funds are spent, Racey said.

"We'll now be able to look at other aspects of public boating access," Racey said. "Things like restrooms, kayak launches, fighting aquatic nuisance species at boat ramps, bank stabilization projects and other projects that can improve people's ability to enjoy our waters."

Upcoming Events