Conserving Arkansas Lands
See how TNC is preserving Arkansas’ natural heritage through reforestation, restoration and permanent protection.
Arkansas is known as The Natural State for good reason. Its forests, prairies and glades are more than scenic, they’re essential. These landscapes support wildlife, fuel local economies and shape the identity of communities across the state. But today, they’re under growing pressure from development and shifting land use. The stakes are high, and so is the opportunity.
The Nature Conservancy’s Healthy and Resilient Lands strategy is designed to meet this challenge head-on. With your support, we’re restoring native forests, protecting sensitive habitats and using science-based tools to make Arkansas’ lands more adaptive and resilient.
And we’ve set ambitious goals: reforesting 20,000 acres, restoring and maintaining 2.6 million acres, and permanently protecting 30,000 acres of vital land. Achieving these goals takes hands-on work, influence, innovation and strong partnerships. Across the state, we’re working side-by-side with partners to implement prescribed burns, plant native trees and secure lasting protections for the lands that sustain us all.
This work is powered by people. Our burn crew leads cooperative fire efforts across the state, while our ecologists monitor long-term changes to guide restoration. We’re bringing together landowners, agencies and conservation partners to identify and protect the places that are most at risk and critical to a future that supports people and nature.
Public grants help sustain this work, but they don’t get us all the way there. It’s the generous support of TNC members that gives us the flexibility to move forward, innovate and invest in the opportunities that will make the biggest impact.
With your continued support, we’re building a legacy of stewardship that reflects the strength and spirit of the Natural State.
Conservation Easements: A Lasting Legacy for Nature
One way to achieve our goals is through conservation easements that protect the lands and waters most critical to biodiversity and resiliency. Easements can also be a powerful tool for landowners who live in and love these places.
Across Arkansas and beyond, families like Cindy and Tom Rimkus are stepping up to preserve forests, rivers and wildlife habitat for future generations. By working with TNC, Cindy and Tom ensured that their land along the Kings River will remain protected forever.
These kinds of easements help safeguard clean water, biodiversity, and natural beauty—even as development pressures continue to grow. When conservation-minded landowners and organizations come together, they create lasting impact: protecting critical habitats, preserving the character of special places and ensuring that they remain intact for wildlife and for people—now and for generations to come.
Data that Drive Impact
Across Arkansas, restoration practices like prescribed fire and invasive species control are helping improve ecosystem health—and the data we collect are essential to guiding land management and securing grant funding for ongoing restoration efforts. Until recently, these data were gathered manually, using pen and paper.
With your support, we’re modernizing how we monitor restoration through digital tools and field-ready apps. These technologies are increasing efficiency, enabling real-time analysis, and allowing us to layer multiple datasets for deeper insights. They help us meet ambitious goals and make smarter decisions for the land.
Cindy and Tom Rimkus: Protecting a River, Preserving a Legacy
Cindy and Tom Rimkus moved to the Ozarks in 1975, drawn by the natural beauty and the peaceful lifestyle it offered. “We came here for the quality of life and the beauty of the land,” Tom says.
Their property along the Kings River quickly became a cherished part of their lives. Wanting to ensure that it remained protected and inspired by The Nature Conservancy’s efforts to conserve the Kings, they partnered with TNC to place a conservation easement on it. “We’ve always known this is a special piece of land,” Tom says. “Protecting the land is important to the health of the river, and we feel good knowing we are a part of that.”
For others considering a conservation easement, Tom says, “I’d tell them to explore the options and see what fits with their goals and values. Working with TNC was an asset for us. It aligned with our values and helped us protect the land and the river.”
For Cindy and Tom, conservation is about legacy. “We want this to be a place where our grandchildren—and one day, great-grandchildren—can come to connect with nature and call home,” Tom says. “That’s what matters most.”
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