July 2011 State Parks, Recreation & Travel Commission Summary

The following is a synopsis of the Arkansas State Parks, Recreation and Travel Commission meeting at Lake Dardanelle State Park, July 21, 2011 in Russellville. For questions regarding this report, please contact Gloria Robins, executive assistant, at 501-682-7614. The next Commission meeting will be held at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View on August 18, 2011.

STATE PARKS DIVISION

The Commission gave preliminary approval of the proposed fees and rates for CY 2012 for Arkansas State Parks. A public hearing will be held in August followed by a final vote by the Commission. For additional information contact Greg Butts at 501-682-7743.

The Commission approved an amendment to a previously approved land acquisition at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park for additional acres to square up the park boundary and preserve the view shed from the park’s overlook area. For additional information contact Mitchell Johnson at 501-537-9871.

Hindmall Hall, located at Prairie Grove Battlefield State Park (PGBP), celebrated its Grand Re-opening event on June 18, 2011. With Civil War history and preservation the primary focus of the PGBSP, this state-of-the-art facility will offer numerous options for enjoyment and education for students, residents and visitors in the area. For additional information contact Park Superintendent Jesse Cox at 479-846-2990.

Greg Butts reported that there will be a diamond exhibit at the Pink Palace Museum in Memphis from July 23 – October 16, 2011. The Crater of Diamonds State Park portion will include exhibits about diamonds and diamond mine here in “our backyard.” For additional information contact Jay Miller at 501-682-6928.

Greg Butts reported a great success from ASP partnership and a school’s unique program to boosts Benchmark scores. When Benchmark scores in science were below state average, Monitor Elementary Principal Childress and Hobbs State Park-Conservation Area (HSPCA) staff, developed a year-long program for 5th graders to “see and feel” science at the park via monthly field trips. Childress says Benchmark scores went up 19 points since the program started in November. In less than one year of working with HSPCA they’ve cut the gap by more than half. Not only do they plan to keep going with program but plan to expand to other grade levels as well. For additional information contact Jay Miller at 501-682-6928 or Park Superintendent Mark Clippinger at 479-789-5000. Consumer requests for travel information year-to-date continue to be below last year’s totals for the same time period. The Lake Village Welcome Center was honored by the local Chamber of Commerce as Business of the Year. Four employees at the West Memphis Welcome Center were commended for extraordinary service to two out of state visitors.”

TOURISM DIVISION

The Commission approved an Event Sponsorship Policy for the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism. For more information, contact Joe David Rice, Tourism Director, at 501-682-1088.

The Commission endorsed the Arkansas River Connections, “Good News Cruise Flotilla” which will take place October 20 – 29, 2011 along the Arkansas River.

Jefferson County completed a Tourism Attraction Feasibility Study and Planning Report for an “Outdoor Historical Drama—Saracen in Pine Bluff.”

The City of Hot Springs completed a Tourism Attraction Feasibility Study for a “Sports Complex.” The feasibility study and request for payment for half of the project ($10,000.00) were delivered to the Tourism Division on March 11.

The Fall/Winter Calendar of Events forms were mailed in late March. Event sponsors have until April 29 to submit events that will occur between Labor Day weekend and February 29, 2012. Reminder cards will be mailed mid-April. All events posted to date may be proofed online at www.arkansas.com/calendar.

Consumer requests for travel information year-to-date continue to be below last year’s totals for the same time period. The Lake Village Welcome Center was honored by the local Chamber of Commerce as Business of the Year. Four employees at the West Memphis Welcome Center were commended by the Commission for extraordinary service to two out of state visitors.

The Tourism Division hosted the “Tales from the Rock ‘N’ Roll Highway” event as part of the Clinton Presidential Center’s speaker series, “A Little More Conversation.” During this event the Rock ‘N’ Roll Highway video podcast series was premiered. These podcasts can be viewed at www.arkansas.com/podcast. For more information, contact Dena Woerner at 501-682-7606.

The Commission approved the creative for the new Welcome Center billboards.

Joe David Rice reported that Arkansas.com was ranked #2 out of all 50 state tourism websites for the second month in a row.