As he takes leave of the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission in an official capacity, capping off a seven-year run as commissioner including the last two as chairman, Bobby Martin of Rogers leaves behind a legacy of commitment to conservation.
And though his term on the commission may have ended June 30 when he handed the gavel to Stan Jones, Martin will continue to be a voice for conservation in Arkansas.
As a commissioner, and then as chairman, Martin prioritized conservation. He grew up duck hunting the public lands and greentree reservoirs of the Arkansas Delta, and that experience instilled in him the importance of natural resources and good stewardship.
“Conservation matters,” he told Arkansas Money & Politics in 2019. “It matters to our economy, to our quality of life, to tourism. It matters to our personal enjoyment of nature and the relevance of having ourselves connected to it. When people think of Arkansas, they think of the outdoors. And it takes a network of partners to make it work.”
As a commissioner, Martin was always a vocal proponent of conservation. But as chair, he found a platform that allowed him to spread the message of conservation to a wider audience. People may not resonate with “conservation,” he once told AMP, but “they can resonate with clean water, abundant wildlife, quality habitat and access to their version of outdoor recreation.”
As a successful business leader, Martin always appreciated the economics behind conservation and good stewardship. Currently serving as executive chairman of Gap Inc., Martin also is an operating partner with the The Stephens Group, the former CEO of Walmart International, a former executive with Dillard’s and a former chair of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, the commission’s fundraising auxiliary. And for good measure, in addition to many other awards and accolades, Martin was voted to AMP’s 2022 Influencers of the Year list.
AMP looked back at past visits with Martin about the importance of conservation, its sometimes-not-so-obvious impact, and the role of the commission to foster a spirit of stewardship.
Here are some of our favorites:
On protecting bottomland hardwood forests
“There’s no other way to say it: We are clearly in a serious fight to save one of the most vital wildlife habitats that we have. And that is our bottomland hardwoods. They’re very much critical and key to the migration and wintering of mallards and other duck species. And so much of it is already lost.”
On working to restore much of Arkansas’ lost natural habitat
“The early settlers of Arkansas just about wiped out everything that made The Natural State. Yet through generations of private landowners, legislators and conservationists, we’ve been able to bring back a lot of what we lost. But the work of conserving our wildlife and wild places is never done.
“As we balance recreational use with sustaining the resource, each generation is met with new challenges. Working together to invest in Arkansas’ green timber legacy will certainly be one of the greatest challenges this generation of conservationists and the AGFC has encountered.
“But it is our collective responsibility to effectively respond in support for all generations.”
On the commission keeping the next generation engaged in the outdoors and addressing declining sales of hunting and fishing licenses
“We’ve got to be sharper in where and how we communicate our message. Anglers and hunters — the hook and bullet crowd — have represented the largest funding source of our conservation body. We have to double down on marketing and social media and how we reach the public. We’re losing a generation, losing potential conservationists, and we can’t let that happen.
The people we serve are changing, and the way we serve has to change. People enjoy the outdoors differently today. It’s not all about hunting and fishing anymore; it’s about natural resources. We need to make sure the next generation stays engaged with the outdoors in some capacity, and we need new folks to engage into conservation.
“It doesn’t have to be hunting or fishing, but they need to know the importance of hunting and fishing in conservation. We cannot, we must not, lose that generation.”
On the challenges of reaching youth
“If we have children who have never even climbed a tree or walked in the forest, how can you ever get to understand or be curious about nature? Most of today’s parents likely grew up closer to nature, enjoyed unstructured play … played in the rain, chased lightning bugs, and know the simple and healthy joy of this play that in turn shaped how they see the world.
“We’re losing a generation. We’ve got to bring them back and get them reconnected. They need to know what it means to be connected to nature. It is critical for the future of conservation that we must not let that happen [lose that generation].”
On Arkansas as ‘The Natural State’
“We live in a state that is one of the most rich and diverse in natural resources than anywhere in our country. I don’t know an Arkansan that doesn’t light up when they tell others about life here in The Natural State. From the unique beauty of the Grand Prairie region in east Arkansas to the incredible vistas that overlook the Boston Mountain range in Northwest Arkansas, we enjoy some of the best there is in the outdoors.
“Whether you are a sportsman or woman who is reveling in our world class hunting and fishing or vast opportunities for outdoor recreation in it, I think we all have that sense of pride and ownership in one of nature’s best places on earth. It has always been hard for me to not feel a sense of responsibility to it, to protect and do what I can to enhance it. I like to believe we all encounter that feeling each time we retreat into nature. We are truly blessed here in Arkansas.”
On the economics of conservation
“While most likely hunters will remain among our highest contributors to conservation initiatives, it is time for all of us to stand up and do our part. Keeping our wild places wild and abundant is important to all outdoor recreationists. It is in the DNA of this state, a source of pride, and a path to even greater economic prosperity. But, in order for Arkansas conservation partners to continue to make a significant impact, a more diverse user group will need to rise up and stand in the funding gap.”
And finally, from his closing remarks as commission chair, Martin said he wished more Arkansans could sit in his seat so they could appreciate the invaluable role the commission plays.
“It’s people you’re most impacted by in this experience. In the last seven years, I’ve learned what the people of the AGFC do, and I’ve come to truly appreciate it,” he said. “So often, the work they do is totally misunderstood or missed completely, but they continue doing this work with conviction that it’s the right thing to do.”
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