Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources

What Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources does

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Division is a state government entity operating under the State of Arkansas, headquartered at 1 Natural Resources Drive in Little Rock. It is organized into four major program areas: Arkansas Water Plan, Conservation, Water Development, and Water Management. The division oversees 18+ distinct programs including the Arkansas Water Plan, the State Revolving Fund for water and wastewater infrastructure, dam safety inspections, floodplain management, groundwater protection and management, nutrient reduction strategy, interstate water compact participation, and the LAWMS regulatory program (transferred in 2023 via Act 824). The division serves Arkansas's 37,400 farms across 13.7 million acres, water utilities and municipalities in all 75 counties, and private forest landowners managing more than 15 million acres of non-federal forestland. It does not operate as a commercial enterprise; technology infrastructure consists of standard regulatory online portals and laboratory diagnostic services rather than proprietary platforms.

The division generates no commercial product revenue and is funded primarily through Arkansas state appropriations, federal grants, and program fees. Pricing signals include pesticide product registration at $250 per product (~14,000 registrations annually), pesticide dealer licenses at $65 per location, poultry feeding operations registration at $10 annually, and various applicator license fees. The division administers pass-through funding programs, including up to $25 million in grants and up to $20 million for flood risk reduction, which are distributed to Arkansas communities rather than retained as revenue. It maintains core partnerships with USDA APHIS (animal disease traceability, NPIP), USDA FSIS (State Meat Inspection Program), the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture (Cooperative Extension, diagnostic laboratories), and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network. Recent regulatory milestones include maintaining Brucellosis Class-Free and Tuberculosis Free status for Arkansas cattle, plus U.S. Pullorum-Typhoid Clean and Mycoplasma gallisepticum Clean designations for poultry.

Name

Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources

Legal name

Arkansas Department of Agriculture

Website

https://agriculture.arkansas.gov

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Natural Resources Division of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture manages water resources, conservation, water development, and water management programs serving the state's agricultural producers, municipalities, and forest landowners across all 75 Arkansas counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

State Government Natural Resource Regulation

NAICS

Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water & Wastewater Compliance (NPDES/Stormwater, Pretreatment, Drinking Water/SDWA) (EUAHABAB), Watershed/Source Water & Raw Water Quality Monitoring (intakes, reservoirs, groundwater) (EUANAJAH), Water Resources Administration (Watersheds, Rivers, Groundwater) (BPAIAMAE), Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG)

Keywords

• Natural resource management
• Water resource regulation
• Agricultural regulatory services
• Conservation district programs
• Pesticide and plant certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Little Rock

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. State Government Funding: Primary funding through Arkansas state government appropriations for regulatory services, natural resources management, water development, and conservation programs.
2. Licensing and Registration Fees: Fees collected for various licenses, permits, and registrations including pesticide product registration, applicator licenses, dealer licenses, and various agricultural program registrations.
3. Water and Wastewater Funding Administration: Administration of water and wastewater funding programs including the State Revolving Fund, grants, and technical guidance for water infrastructure projects across Arkansas communities.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Natural Resources Division regulates and manages Arkansas's water and agricultural chemical resources, administering programs covering dam safety and registration, water well permitting and construction, surface water permitting, agricultural chemical/pesticide registration, pest management, plant and seed certification, and the state's Conservation District network. It also administers state-funded water, sewer, and solid waste infrastructure grants and loans to Arkansas municipalities, counties, and water/wastewater districts.

Product overview

The Arkansas Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Division is organized into four major program areas — Arkansas Water Plan, Conservation, Water Development, and Water Management — each composed of distinct programs and licensing functions. The Arkansas Water Plan provides statewide strategic water resource planning. Conservation programs cover agricultural water quality loans, beaver control, feral hog eradication, nutrient management, professional soil classifier licensing, and conservation district support. Water Development oversees retail water provider regulation, public water authorities, and the State Revolving Fund for water and wastewater infrastructure funding. Water Management encompasses dam safety, floodplain management, groundwater protection, nutrient reduction strategy, unpaved roads management, interstate water compact participation, wetland/riparian tax credits, nonpoint source management, non-riparian water use certification, and water well construction licensing. The LAWMS Program, transferred in 2023 via Act 824, regulates liquid animal waste systems for confined animal operations. These programs collectively serve Arkansas landowners, agricultural producers, municipalities, and water utilities through regulatory oversight, technical assistance, and financial programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Arkansas Water Plan: State water resources planning and management program ensuring safe, reliable water for Arkansas while supporting economic, environmental, and public health needs

Products and services

• Water Well Construction Permitting & Pump Installer Licensing

Quantifiable outcome

• Brucellosis: Class-Free status maintained for Arkansas cattle
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• University of Arkansas System Division of AgriculturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for research, education, and program delivery. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service provides training locations for NPIP blood tester schools, poultry programs, and diagnostic laboratory services. The Tollett Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory in Fayetteville operates as a branch lab under the department's NAHLN participation.
• USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal partner for animal disease traceability, poultry health programs (NPIP), New World Screwworm response, and wildlife disease monitoring. Operates under cooperative agreements for meat inspection and program disease certification.
• Arkansas Farm BureaumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in the Abandoned Pesticide Program, agricultural education, and farmer support initiatives. Joint efforts support proper pesticide disposal and agricultural best practices.
• Arkansas Division of Environmental QualitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental regulatory partner for the Abandoned Pesticide Program, water quality monitoring, and nonpoint source management. Coordinates on environmental protection and remediation efforts.
• Arkansas Department of HealthmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth partner for zoonotic disease monitoring, groundwater contamination response coordination, and public health protection related to agricultural chemicals and animal diseases.
• USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative agreement for the State Meat Inspection Program, allowing meat products inspected by the state to be sold within Arkansas under federal equivalency standards.
• National Animal Health Laboratory Network (NAHLN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal-state laboratory network providing early detection and response capability for animal health threats. Arkansas Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory participates as a member laboratory.
• Local County GovernmentsmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with all 75 Arkansas counties for program delivery, conservation district support, abandoned pesticide collection events, and local agricultural services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal agency delivering conservation, water quality, and soil health programs on private lands; a core federal partner of state natural resources divisions and a broader incumbent in the same space.

Direct peers

• Texas Water Development Board: State agency administering water and wastewater financing programs (including a State Revolving Fund), aligning closely with Arkansas's Water Development and State Revolving Fund activities.
• Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship: State agriculture department administering comparable soil conservation, water quality, pesticide regulation, and animal health programs — particularly close on conservation district and watershed management functions.
• Iowa Department of Natural Resources: State natural resources agency administering comparable water management, floodplain, groundwater, and conservation programs at state scale — directly comparable mission set to Arkansas's Natural Resources Division.
• California Department of Food and Agriculture: Large state agriculture department offering comparable regulatory oversight of plant health, animal health, pesticide use, and agricultural land stewardship, with similarly broad programmatic scope.
• Texas Department of Agriculture: State agriculture department with comparable regulatory, licensing, and program delivery functions across crops, livestock, pesticides, and natural resources. Closest scale and structure analog among U.S. state agencies.

Regional players

• Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment: Sister Arkansas state agency from which the LAWMS program was transferred to the Department of Agriculture in 2023; operates overlapping water quality and environmental protection mandates within the same state.

Others

• National Association of State Departments of Agriculture (NASDA): Umbrella association representing state agriculture departments; an enabling and coordination body that informs policy and best practices for member agencies like the Arkansas Department of Agriculture.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ARDeptAg
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSUNExyO_lfb9E9apGWRJ4Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/ArkNaturalResources
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/arkansas-department-of-agriculture
• Instagraminstagram.com/ardeptag

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources