IRWP Billboard Campaign

2025 Landowner Services Outreach

Billboard Messages, Decoded

  • How Do I Conserve My Land?

    What is conservation? Conservation is the intentional management and protection of natural resources. Ultimately, conservation seeks to balance human, cattle, poultry, land, soil, and water needs. If your streambank is eroding, you may have a clear idea of what conservation could mean to you. If you mange cattle, conservation may look like managing water a little differently, usually to the benefit of all listed above, and we have some ways to help.

  • Rivers Need To Breathe: Preserve Floodplains and Wetlands

    Much like lungs require space to expand within the chest cavity, rivers need adequate room along their banks and tributaries to accommodate fluctuations during volatile rain events. By maintaining a minimum 100-foot riparian buffer—essentially the vegetated areas alongside the creek or river—avoiding the filling in of wetlands, and minimizing development and disturbance in the floodplain, we can effectively protect our rivers from erosion while safeguarding homes and infrastructure from flooding.

  • Wanted: Farmers Ready to Improve the Land and Their Operation

    Rotational grazing is a sustainable land management practice that enhances soil health, increases biodiversity, and boosts farm productivity. By dividing pastures into smaller sections and rotating livestock through these areas, farmers can promote the regrowth of grass, reduce overgrazing, and allow land to recover. This method not only leads to healthier animals but also improves water retention in the soil and minimizes erosion. Implementing rotational grazing can transform agricultural operations, driving profitability. With some changes to how you approach land and water, you can improve the health of your land and the water for your family as well as neighbors downstream.

  • Well... What is a Watershed?

    A watershed is an area of land where all the water that falls as rain or snow drains into a common body of water, such as a river, lake, or ocean. It includes all the streams and rivers that flow into that body of water, along with the land surfaces that contribute to this drainage. Each watershed is defined by a boundary, often created by hills or mountains that direct the flow of water. As you can imagine, water does not flow along with our jurisdictional lines, so this is way to manage natural resources. If you are reading this, you may live or work in the Illinois River Watershed, but no matter where you are, you are in a watershed!

About the Campaign

The Illinois River is designated as a priority watershed, as defined by the 2024-2029 Nonpoint Source Management Plan. Arkansas Pollution Control and Ecology Commission Regulation No. 2 designates the watershed as an ecologically sensitive waterbody; as well as primary contact recreation; secondary contact recreation, and as a domestic, industrial, and agricultural water supply. The Illinois River watershed is considered a nutrient surplus area by the Arkansas Department of Agriculture - Natural Resources Division (NRD). Segments of the Illinois River watershed fail to meet standards and are listed under categories 3 and 5-alt. Multiple reaches, including the Illinois River, Muddy Fork, Osage Creek, Little Osage Creek, Spring Creek, and Moore’s Creek, are listed as impaired on the latest EPA-approved 303(d) list (ADEQ 2020).  

Thanks to a partnership with USDA-NRCS, IRWP has launched a series of billboard messages designed to engage new audiences in conservation efforts and water quality improvement.
“NRCS is proud to partner with IRWP on this campaign. The visuals are intended to encourage broader public awareness of conservation and reinforce that small changes can have big impacts. Together, we can ensure that Arkansas’ resources remain abundant for generations to come.”  said Amanda Mathis, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Arkansas State Conservationist.

The campaign rotates themes quarterly, focusing on different aspects of conservation:

  • First Quarter: Watersheds and floodplain connectivity

  • Second Quarter: Lawn management with native plants

  • Third Quarter: Recreation and connections to the Illinois River

  • Fourth Quarter: Vegetation and generational farm planning

IRWP is utilizing a mix of digital and printed billboards to reach a diverse audience, including Spanish-language messages and efforts to connect with the Hmong community.

The campaign’s messaging was developed through a rigorous, research-driven process. IRWP partnered with the University of Arkansas to study conservation messaging attitudes, conducting two focus groups to gather community perspectives. Insights from these discussions were then distilled into key takeaways to shape the campaign. This effort was led by then researcher, now professor, Dr. Shane White under guidance from Dr. Jefferson Miller, professor of Agricultural Education, Communications & Technology at the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences.

Additionally, IRWP partnered with Big Deal Marketing to conduct demographic research, helping to identify key audience segments and tailor messages to their interests and needs. This intentional approach ensures that the campaign resonates with diverse audiences, including messages translated into Spanish and efforts to reach the Hmong community.

As part of this campaign, IRWP and Lamar of Northwest Arkansas strategically selected billboard locations across the Illinois River watershed to reach key audiences, including agricultural communities and areas where conservation messaging can have the greatest impact. Over the course of 52 weeks, including 26 weeks running a digital billboard on I-49 near the Elm Springs exit, the campaign is projected to receive approximately 19.8 million impressions. In this context, an impression refers to the estimated number of times a person has the opportunity to see the advertisement. Lamar of Northwest Arkansas provides these estimates that come from Geopath, a third-party auditor that analyzes data from each billboard’s location based on multiple factors, ensuring messages effectively reach individuals aged 18 and older across the region.

For more information about IRWP’s Landowner Services Program, visit https://www.irwp.org/landowner-services, call (479) 203-7084, or email contact@irwp.org to get started.