Bridge Provides Access to AGFC Education Center

First posted on 06-17-2010

Last week, Arkansas Game and Fish Commission officials, county officials and local residents celebrated the ribbon cutting and dedication of the new bridge leading to the Fred Berry Conservation Education Center on Crooked Creek.

The center is located just outside Yellville, and is one of four education centers run by the AGFC.

Before the bridge was built, a low-water crossing provided the only access to the center. Marilyn Doran, facility manager for the center said, “We couldn’t get across it when it rained.” Doran recalls the crossing being underwater for weeks after a rain making the center unavailable. In spring 2008, a severe flood left the center inaccessible for three months causing many programs and field trips to be cancelled during the busiest time of the year.

Doran also said the low-water crossing was steep and many bus drivers felt uncomfortable making a trip to the center. “We became a traveling road show, we would take back roads from the center and store materials at my place so we could travel to schools to do programs,” Doran said. Although some programs were able to be conducted at schools, there were still programs that were not possible such as canoeing and fishing.

Last year, the center had to turn numerous people away along with cancelling its workshops for the school year. The business at the center has already picked up since the opening of the bridge. “We are just happy to be able to get people over here,” said Doran.

According to AGFC Chief of Engineering Dale Gunter, the first meeting held concerning the bridge was in February 2009 and the construction project was under a nine month contract. The bridge cost a total of $423,000 which was provided through the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission, Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation and private and corporate donations.

Steve Smith, president of the Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation, was one of the many that attended the ribbon ceremony on Saturday. “It was an awesome day. There were about 250 people who attended the open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony. There were also about 100 people who attended the barbeque lunch held the same day,” Smith said.

The center opened in June 2005 and is made up of 421 acres along Crooked Creek. It is named after local educator Fred Berry.

The center offers educational programs on conservation, habitats, canoeing, and fishing along with many others. There are already programs planned for the upcoming year including teacher workshops, programs for boy and girl scouts, and a family fishing fair in the fall. For more information about the center and its programs, go to http://www.fredberrycec.com.

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