FORT SMITH — The Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission along with community leaders met at Chaffee Crossing April 10 to announce a $500,000 contribution from Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority to help update and reinvent the vision of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission’s Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center.
Daniel Mann, Executive Director and CEO, said, “The Fort Chaffee Redevelopment Authority Board of Trustees strongly supports the Janet Huckabee Arkansas River Valley Nature Center’s capital campaign. The nature center, along with Wells Lake, are critical amenities for not only Chaffee Crossing but all of western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. This area serves as a cornerstone to enhance the quality of place for the public, current and prospective employees and their families to explore and learn about the outdoors and what Arkansas and Chaffee Crossing have to offer. We are excited about the progress made and look forward to working alongside the Commission and Foundation to bring their improvement plan to fruition.”
Jibbie Tyler, director of development and corporate partnerships for the AGFF said the contribution is the latest, and largest, to the “Reimagine the River Valley” campaign devoted to updating the 14,000-square-foot facility and 170 acres surrounding it.
“With this amazing contribution, we’ll pass the $1.5 million mark, which is roughly half of the campaign’s ultimate goal,” Tyler said. “We almost have enough money committed to allow the AGFC to do some of the more basic renovations, and the more money we raise, the more amazing the end product will be.”