Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission

Below is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting held August 17-18, 2006 in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. If you have any questions, please contact Jana Greenbaum, communications manager, at (501) 682-7606.

Executive Director’s Report

Highway Safety and Enhancement

Representatives from the Greater Eureka Springs Chamber of Commerce presented concerns regarding a section of scenic Ark. 62 entering Eureka Springs from the west. The Commission passed a resolution supporting safety and traffic enhancement of Ark. 62 from the Eureka Springs city limits to the first intersection of Ark. 187 and Ark. 62, a 2.55-mile section. The Planning and Research Division of the Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, completed an Ark. 62 Improvement Study in September of 2005 that studied this 2.55 mile segment. The report indicated a need for improvements and upgrades at a estimated cost of approximately $5 million. For more information, phone (479) 253-8737.

Water Quality

The commission also approved a resolution supporting water quality standards in Arkansas. It requests the Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission to consider all the ramifications of rule making proposed that could degrade water quality and could reduce Arkansas’s inventory of Extraordinary Resource Waters. For more information, contact Richard Davies at (501) 682-2535.

Leadership Arkansas

Paul Harvel, executive director of the Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce, asked for commissioner support of the Leadership Arkansas program. This statewide program offers a leadership continuum that builds a sense of community by identifying and training individuals with the passion and commitment to become personally engaged in issues, programs and activities aimed at building a better Arkansas. It informs and trains participants on a wide variety of issues that impact the state, including tourism; state government; timber, oil and gas industries and south Arkansas economy; agriculture, economic development and northeast Arkansas economy; and, education challenges and economy of the northwest. For more information, phone (501) 372-2222 or visit www.ascc-aia.org.

State Parks Division

Old Davidsonville Dig

Kathleen H. Cande with the Arkansas Archeological Survey reported on the ongoing archeological research at Old Davidsonville State Park in the Ozarks. So far, the dig has yielded numerous and significant artifacts, including ceramics from England that pre-date 1820, glass plates from Austria, glass beads from Venice, hand-painted wares, English wine bottle, glass flask, chestnut flask, stoneware, hand blown medicine bottle, mouth harps, coins, thimbles, and buttons made of shells, wood, bone, pewter and brass. This is the third year of grant funding from the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Council. The survey plans to produce a publication with photos explaining what artifacts have been found at the site, which once contained an old tavern. Cande said the finds are indicative of the presence of Native Americans at what is now Old Davidsonville State Park.

The Survey has excavated 23 two-meter by two-meter units on the 35 acres of the former town and expect the dig to be a multi-year project. "Davidsonville is really a pure site and because it’s a state park it’s been protected from development, farming and looting," Cande said. "We have a lot of firsts as far as the artifacts we’ve found." For more information, phone Kathleen Cande at (479) 575-3556.

Proposed Calendar Year 2007 Fees and Rates

After evaluating fees and reviewing staff recommendations, the commission approved state park rate changes for the calendar year 2007. The action is tentative approval as the public meeting and final approval for the fees and rates will be during the September Commission meeting in Rogers. For more information, please contact Greg Butts at (501) 682-7743.

Capital Improvements Projects Report

The Commission approved a Capital Improvements Program proposal for fiscal years 2007-2009, to be funded from the 1/8 cent Conservation Tax (Amendment 75). The proposed list of capital improvements for three years based on projected revenues and includes phase one development of Mississippi River State Park. For more information, please contact Greg Butts at (501) 682-7743 or Stan Graves at (501) 682-1633.

Land Acquisition

Commissioners approved the fiscal year 2007 Arkansas Natural & Cultural Resource Council land acquisitions for one tract at Lake Catherine (60 acres), one tract at Arkansas Museum of Natural Resources (18 acres), and five tracts at Old Washington (totaling approximately 4.5 acres) . For more information, phone Connie Gardner or Stan Graves at (501) 682-1633.

Tourism Division

Radio Recommendation

The commission approved the fall in-state radio recommendation to spend $20,000 on a three-week campaign using 39 radio stations and targeting the 20 counties that receive the least amount of broadcast television coverage.

Television Post-buy

The commission approved the 2006 spring/summer television post-buy. Of the 15 markets purchased as part of the spring/summer 2006 schedule, all but three posted at 90 percent or better. The overall average across all markets was 97 percent with six markets coming in at or over the 100 percent goal. The three markets that performed below the industry standard were Dallas/Fort Worth (82%), Memphis (89%) and Monroe/El Dorado (83%). As a result of the post-buy analysis, the under-performing stations in these three markets that are included in the fall/winter 2006-2007 campaign will run under delivery schedules concurrently to make up the deficit.

2006-2007 fall/winter Television Summary

The commission approved the television spots for the fall/winter campaign. The 11-market buy targets a primary audience of adults ages 25-54, reaching primarily Baby Boomers and Gen-Xers.

Internet Report

Aristotle reported that in keyword searches, Arkansas naturally ranks well for hundreds of terms. Some terms of interest that bring significant traffic to the site include scenic drives, fall foliage, waterfalls and Arkansas birding.

July highlights for www.Arkansas.com:

Ranks No. 4 among the 50 state tourism sites - out performed in July by Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Virginia

Ranks No. 1 among contiguous states

Ranks No. 143 (out of 6,399) among Travel-Destinations and Accommodations

Ranks No. 317 (out of 10,526) among Travel sites; and
Is the 7,727th most visited site (out of 1,057,318).
Arkansas.com accounted for over 76.42 percent of traffic to the site followed by Google.

For more information, phone Jonathan Eudy at (501) 374-4638

Agritourism

Richard Davies, Nancy Clark, Joe David Rice and Donna Perrin participated in the "Agritourism In Arkansas: A Strategic Conversation" at the Winthrop Rockefeller Center July 27-28. The key presenter was Harrison M. Pittman, research assistant professor of law and staff attorney with The National Agricultural Law Center, University of Arkansas School of Law. The conference was attended by winery owners, farm bureau members, corn maze operators, extension service personnel, farmers and others. The department will continue to research agritourism possibilities and work with people in the agriculture field to develop and promote those activities. For more information, phone Donna Perrin at (501) 682-1926.

Regional Media Days

A total of four media day events will take place in January and February of 2007 during an All About Arkansas Expo. Tourism related businesses will exhibit, and local, regional and national media will be invited to attend. Pre and post-fam tours will be offered in conjunction with the expo. For more information, phone Jana Greenbaum at (501) 682-7606.

Regional Report

Lynn Berry, executive director of the City Advertising and Promotion Commission said a turnaround of festivals in the city is a great forward movement for Eureka Springs.
During the calendar year 2005, Carroll County had $168,338,409 in total travel expenditures and 868,044 visitors (person-trips). An estimated 2,979 jobs were supported by tourism, with a payroll of $36,088,262. Travel-generated state tax amounted to $10,692,024, and local tax $3,213, 204.

It ranks sixth among the 75 Arkansas counties in terms of total travel expenditures and number of visitors. The only five counties with more (Pulaski, Garland, Washington, Sebastian, and Benton) are major population centers with significant "visiting friends and relatives" and business travel in the mix.

Carroll County ranked fourth in the category "counties of final destination" of travelers in the 2005 Arkansas State Welcome Center Survey. Over 19 percent of the 1,095 different brochures currently approved for distribution in the State Welcome Centers represent tourist facilities, activities, and events in and around Eureka Springs, a good indicator of its importance in attracting visitors to Arkansas, and lengthening their stay after they arrive.