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State of Arkansas 1
95th General Assembly 2
Fiscal Session, 2026 HR 1034 3
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By: Representatives K. Moore, Torres 5
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HOUSE RESOLUTION 8
TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR ARKANSAS POULTRY PRODUCERS IN 9
THE ILLINOIS RIVER WATERSHED AND TO URGE A RETURN TO 10
GOOD FAITH NEGOTIATIONS. 11
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Subtitle 14
TO EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR ARKANSAS POULTRY 15
PRODUCERS IN THE ILLINOIS RIVER 16
WATERSHED AND TO URGE A RETURN TO GOOD 17
FAITH NEGOTIATIONS. 18
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WHEREAS, a significant portion of the Illinois River Watershed lies 20
within the State of Arkansas, including in Northwest Arkansas where poultry 21
production is a cornerstone of the regional economy; and 22
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WHEREAS, agriculture contributes more than twenty-five billion dollars 24
($25,000,000,000) annually to Arkansas’s economy, and poultry production, the 25
state’s largest agricultural sector, serves as a primary economic driver in 26
many rural communities and supports thousands of farm families and jobs; and 27
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WHEREAS, litigation involving nutrient management in the Illinois River 29
Watershed has persisted for approximately forty (40) years, creating 30
prolonged uncertainty and concerns about precedent that could negatively 31
impact agricultural producers across Arkansas and beyond; and 32
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WHEREAS, Arkansas poultry producers have demonstrated a longstanding 34
commitment to environmental stewardship through significant investments in 35
conservation practices, including nutrient management plans and other 36
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science-based best management practices; and 1
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WHEREAS, agriculture is a foundational industry in Arkansas, and 3
farmers must be able to continue lawful operations without undue 4
interference, consistent with the state’s commitment to protecting private 5
property rights; and 6
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WHEREAS, meaningful and lasting progress is best achieved through 8
cooperative, science-based solutions developed through good faith 9
negotiations among all affected parties; and 10
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WHEREAS, Arkansas met the forty percent (40%) total phosphorus load 12
reduction in 2005 as set forth by the Arkansas-Oklahoma Arkansas River 13
Compact Commission and has maintained a seventy-five percent to eighty 14
percent (75%-80%) reduction over the last decade; and 15
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WHEREAS, poultry producers, cattle ranchers, Arkansas municipalities, 17
and poultry companies have invested over seven hundred fifty million dollars 18
($750,000,000) in wastewater treatment plant improvements, phosphorus-based 19
nutrient management plans, the removal of excess litter from the Illinois 20
River Watershed, and poultry processing facility improvements to reduce the 21
phosphorus discharged and land applied, or both, resulting in significant 22
phosphorus concentration declines in the Illinois River, which are 23
approaching the thirty-five thousandths milligrams per liter (0.035 mg/l) as 24
recommended and agreed to by the states of Arkansas and Oklahoma in the 2016 25
Joint Study Committee and Scientific Professionals final report, 26
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NOW THEREFORE, 28
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL 29
ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ARKANSAS: 30
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THAT the House of Representatives: 32
(1) Express the House of Representatives' strong support for 33
Arkansas poultry producers operating within the Illinois River Watershed; 34
(2) Recognize and commend the conservation efforts and 35
environmental stewardship demonstrated by Arkansas poultry producers; 36
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(3) Affirm the importance of protecting the right of farmers to 1
operate and produce food and fiber while continuing to advance responsible 2
environmental stewardship; and 3
(4) Reaffirm the House of Representatives' commitment to both 4
environmental protection and the continued viability of agriculture as 5
Arkansas's leading industry. 6
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