HOT SPRINGS, ARKANSAS – Few issues bring together Hollywood actors, Members of Congress, sportsmen and women, business leaders, farmers, and USA Rice staff quite like stewardship of America’s natural resources. That dynamic was on display recently during a U.S. House Committee on Natural Resources field hearing held at the historic Arlington Hotel, just across the street from the boundary of Hot Springs National Park and its famous Bathhouse Row. With jurisdiction over public lands, wildlife and hunting access, the committee is uniquely positioned to address the intersection of conservation, recreation, and agriculture.
Chaired by Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., and joined by Ranking Member Rep. Jared Huffman, D-Calif., the hearing brought together federal officials, outdoor recreation leaders, conservation advocates, and Academy Award winning actor and director Kevin Costner to discuss the role public lands play in supporting local economies and preserving America’s natural heritage. Witnesses highlighted the success of the original Great American Outdoors Act, that has driven major investments in infrastructure improvements at national parks, wildlife refuges, and other public lands across the country. Lawmakers and witnesses also discussed how aging roads, trails, water systems, and visitor facilities affect access, stewardship, and the long-term economic value of outdoor recreation.
For rice producers, the conversation hits close to home. Flooded rice fields are more than working farmland; they are part of the habitat base that supports waterfowl hunting and the rural economies tied to it.
In Arkansas, more than 100,000 waterfowl hunters head to the state’s flooded timber and rice fields each year, helping generate nearly $1 million in economic activity daily during duck season. With more than 50,000 acres of publicly accessible greentree reservoirs in wildlife management areas, along with a statewide network of rice farms that create valuable wetland habitat, Arkansas offers some of the nation’s strongest public and private waterfowl hunting opportunities.
That connection matters because waterfowl hunting is one of the clearest bridges between urban Americans and agriculture. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service report found that 70 percent of waterfowl hunters live in metropolitan statistical areas, meaning many of the people who travel to hunt in rice country come from cities and suburbs. Their visits generate spending in rural communities while giving them firsthand exposure to working landscapes that might otherwise remain distant from everyday life.
Kevin Costner put that relationship in a broader frame when he told lawmakers, “Nature doesn’t ask much from us. But think about what it does for us, our souls.” In context, he was speaking to the deeper value of public lands, not just as places to visit but as places that restore people and connect them to something larger than themselves.
That idea fits rice country well. The landscapes that support hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation are also working farms, and the benefits flow both ways. Visitors spend money in rural towns, learn more about how agriculture supports wildlife, and see the role working lands play in conservation.
The hearing also reinforced a broader truth: public lands and working farms are not separate stories. They are part of the same landscape, the same economy, and, in many places, the same culture. For rice country, that makes outdoor access more than a recreational issue. It is a reminder that conservation, agriculture and rural prosperity are deeply intertwined.