We have until
August 31st to get our comments, concerns,
suggestions and demands in to the park service.
Go to: http://www.nps.gov/buff/gmp_info.htm for more details.
Saving the Buffalo River (Still!)
By Kirk Wasson
The Ozark Society has for many years been instrumental in protecting the Buffalo River. We recreate on the river and in the backcountry, watch for abuses, reports those abuses and help in restoration efforts. We have many times put our money and labor behind our words. We do not just sit back and tell the National Park Service how to manage the resource. We volunteer for cleanups and restoration projects. We fund research and restoration projects. We attend management meeting on plans and offer advice that protects the river for now and future generations. The OS has been around for over 40 years with members with that much tenure. At over 700 members strong, we remain a consistent and respected source of support for Arkansas most precious public lands.
With that said, it is time to continue protecting the Buffalo National Park. The NPS has started scoping for issues, concerns and opportunities for a revision of the current management plan. The new plan will last for 15 years. We have to make sure it addresses the real concerns about the long term health of the park. It is not about where the next trails will be built, expanding campgrounds and facilities, easier access or how we can make more money off the river. It is about water quality, ecosystems, quality of experiences and survivability of the river and watershed.
There is poor data on how much use the river and corridor is really getting. We hear figures of a million visitors a year but how is that counted? The concessionaires keep track of canoe rentals and there are vehicle counters, but that does little to count how many users are actually on the river and in the backcountry. To ever have a successful management plan, those numbers are vital.
I know first hand that that the use is increasing. We have seen a steady increase of the number of craft on the river, hikers and horse folks in the backcountry. We rarely go on the upper river on weekends because of the hordes of “paddle slappers”. Even on the lower Buffalo, we are seeing increased signs of camping on the gravel bars and the abuses that come with it. We are seeing multiple fire pits with half burnt garbage, cans and plastic. Behind the bushes is dotted with toilet paper as a warning. We are having increased instances of raccoons and other critters in our camps looking for scraps and trying to get into our food boxes. These are all signs of the increasing pressure. Without education and regulation, even the Lower Buffalo will stop being an enjoyable experience.
So what do we do? We must get involved in development of a management plan that has teeth. One that really bites into the problems we are seeing on the river. A plan that monitors, set limits, regulates and enforces the highest quality of protection for the river.
How do we do that? We put aside our personal agenda and concentrate on what is best for the long term health of the river. We must press the NPS into implementing a management plan that is not based on public opinion, revenues and political pressure. It must consist of good science, best practices, adherence to regulations and laws (wilderness), and sometimes common sense approaches of balancing USE and PROTECTION.