|
Comment deadline extended to September 11, 2009 (see below)
There are times when we are called to stand for what, once lost, cannot be reclaimed. This is one of those times. You have an opportunity to be a important voice in a series of public meetings the National Park Service is hosting.
The Ozark National Scenic Riverways (The Riverways) is Missouri's most important piece of public land. Over 40 years ago, the federal government designated the Current and Jack Fork Rivers as the first protected riverways, preserving for future generations 80,000 acres along 134 miles of the pristine rivers.
Because of its magnificent, clear, spring-fed waters, the Riverways' use as a recreational retreat has increased to a level that now threatens the health of the waters. The waters are not as clear as they once were and many are troubled by the area's deterioration.
The National Park Service is entrusted with the long-term care and protection of the Riverways, but has failed to implement appropriate measures to stem the tide of overuse. We want the Riverways to be clean, healthy, and safe for today's Americans , and for future generations. It is time to recommit to the vision.
The original management plan called for limited access points, but there are hundreds of trails and roads leading to straight the water's edge. Each additional access point means more people, more footprints.
Off-road vehicle and ATV use has the potential to completely devastate a natural area by compacting soil, destroying plants, increasing runoff and pollution. Vehicles plowing through sandbars and shallows, and motor boats, also impede use by those who seek a truly natural and safe environment for canoeing, fishing, swimming, and camping.
Many of those who love the Ozark wilderness enjoy it on horseback. But in excess, even this can cause damage. When as many as 3,000 horses and riders access the waters in a single weekend, their waste can overwhelm the capacity of natural systems making certain areas unsafe for swimming. This level of use can also impact banks, increase sediment, cause erosion, and harm wildlife habitats.
Conservation easements that are in place at taxpayer expense to preserve the historical and scenic landscape, have been unenforced, leading to violations that have altered the landscape and threaten the beauty of the Riverways.
Other National Parks that safeguard natural resources, like the Buffalo National River and Yellowstone National Park, have management plans that balance recreational use and sustainable natural resource standards. At long last, the Parks Service is seeking public input for a new Ozark National Scenic Riverways General Management Plan.
Please review the plan and submit your comments in support of better management practices including implementation of appropriate usage standards. Every comment counts, so please make yours. You may also submit comments in writing and, most recommended, electronically. For examples of comments, you may download this PDF document. You can also download a PDF of the Coalition's comments. Comments are due by September 11, 2009.
To learn more, you can view and share a new Missouri Parks Association and Friends of Ozark Riverways documentary entitled Why We Must Save the Current River, Again. For the first time ever, it tells the story of the Riverways from the conservationist point of view. It reminds us all of those who went before and why they saved the Current and Jacks Fork rivers, and why we must follow their example, and save the rivers, again.
| 
What We Do 
