Arkansas funds agriculture programs and restricts Pine Tree land sales

The law appropriates state and cash funds for the Division of Agriculture and its Soil Testing and Research Program. The appropriations support the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, including its Soil Testing and Research Program. Spending must follow state fiscal and procurement laws and the purposes tied to the appropriations. The appropriations cover the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027.

The university’s trustees may not sell Pine Tree Research Station to a private person or business, but may sell it to a qualifying nonprofit. These rules cover Pine Tree Research Station in St. Francis County, which the university acquired from the federal Forest Service in 1978. A nonprofit buyer must have a main mission of keeping the land open for public use and must have been organized and operated for at least five years. The section gives conflicting start and end dates, so its effective period is unclear.

The station must remain open for public use, including outdoor activities such as fishing, hunting, and hiking. The rule applies to Pine Tree Research Station in St. Francis County, except for the specified row crop land. Land that was in row crop cultivation in 2020 is exempt from this public access rule. The section gives conflicting start and end dates, so the public access rule’s effective period is unclear.