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Spring Meet at Tyler Bend, April 25-27
By Laura TimbyThe Buffalo River Chapter at Marshall is hosting the Spring Ozark Society Meeting the weekend of April 25-27 at Tyler Bend on the Buffalo National River. The chapter members are planning an enlightening program and some fun outings both afloat and afield. After all, this is the Buffalo River Country in the full flower of spring! It just doesn't get any better than that!
For our newcomers, Tyler Bend is located about 9 miles north of Marshall on U. S. Highway 65 in Searcy County and west of Silver Hill. Turn left at Silver Hill before you cross the Buffalo River Bridge and follow the signs. Tyler Bend is the location of the National Park Service's beautiful Visitor's Center and its excellent interpretive displays.
As usual, we will be meeting in the pavilion at the campground. Registration will begin in the pavilion at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning and the meeting will begin at 10 a.m. Refreshments will be provided throughout registration.
The group campground has been reserved for Friday and Saturday nights at a rate of $2 per person/per night. Several cabin rentals are also available in the area as well. Here are a few for you to consider: Buffalo River Outfitters (870) 439-2244, Buffalo Camp & Canoe (870) 439-2888, Buffalo Bo's, (870) 448-2015, Restor-ation Homestead (870) 448-5043, and Anna's House (800) 448-5725.
Bob Stout and Richard McFadden are in charge of canoeing activities and hope to get on the water both Saturday and Sunday.
Farrell Couch has some excellent hikes planned to some of his favorite places, and he knows a lot of them!
Our guest speaker will be David Kampwerth of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, who will have a presentation on karst Ñ a region of limestone with underground drainage and many cavities and passages caused by the dissolution of the rock. The name comes from a limestone region in the northwest of the former Yugoslavia, but the Ozark Region is also known for its karst topography.
Also, for craft oriented folks, Rich Hughes will provide bat house kits to assemble, and Millie Phillips will be there with her incredible and educational "Bone Detective" program that is great fun for kids of all ages!
Wendy Hughes and Tamara Couch are the steering committee to set up a Dutch Oven Cook-off an emotional event that always stirs the competitive juices of our Dutch oven fanatics, while providing a dining treat for the rest of us! There will be a $5 registration fee to enter and two categories are planned: Dessert and Main Dish. They have some great prizes lined up, so here is a chance for all the Dutch oven chefs to,"put their money where their mouth is."
Best of all, the rest of us will get to partake of all the entrees at Saturday evenings' potluck! The evening potluck will be followed by some outstanding musical entertainment provided by Dave Smith and Kathy Sutterfield. Dave and Kathy are Ozark Society and Buffalo River Chapter members, as well as talented musicians and folk artists. It promises to be a full evening of good food and great music and song. You won't want to miss it! The Spring Ozark Society meeting is always held at the peak of the wildflower and float-tripping season and this year promises to be exceptional! So, mark your calendars now for the fourth weekend in April at Tyler Bend on the first "National River" to be included in America's wonderful National Park System thanks largely to the Ozark Society!
CURRENTS BUFFALO NATIONAL RIVER "ACCESS STUDY"
By Alice Andrews, President, The Ozark Society
In our Buffalo River fantasies, we often think this uniquely beautiful river is ours alone; that we may experience the rare pleasure of discovering an unknown bluff, shoal or waterfall beyond the next bend. Seeing other boaters wakes us from the dream. Seeing large and noisy numbers of boaters - well, snap out of it..... fantasy over!
Large crowds on the upper river in April and May diminish everyone's recreational experience and cause both safety and resource impact concerns. With a growing fear, private boaters have speculated for years that eventually some regulation of usage could occur on the Buffalo such as the "permit" system on popular western rivers. Thankfully,this has not happened on the Buffalo. I want to tell you about changes which may be coming in the near future. All of the following information is from the "Buffalo National River Access Study", Final Recommendations and comments by the BNR superintendent. My paraphrasing is less than skillful, so with apologies to Mr. Conable, here goes. In February of this year, I received a copy of this study funded by the National Park Foundation through the Proud Partner Transportation Scholar program sponsored by the Ford Motor Company. The grant recipient and author of the study is Nathan R. Conable who did the research and wrote his recommendations to improve park operations. Information was gathered from park staff, concessioners, by site visits, field observations and due to a lack of current statistical data on private visitor use, some anecdotal information was used.
Mr. Ivan Miller, superintendent of the Buffalo National River, tells me that the purpose of the study was "to put transportation professionals in national parks to research and recommend solutions for park transportation issues". Mr. Miller stated that "the NPS will consider Mr. Conable's recommendations but might not implement all or any of them" and that public input would be needed before any major changes are made. He said that this document will be used in their planning efforts, and to support funding requests for studies and/or implementation of some of the recommendations. His staff assistant in charge of the "Concessioners" on the river told me that some of the recommendations in the study could be tested this summer. The report is river access specific and lengthy, so only the changes at Ponca will be discussed. The entire report is available.
The study includes all developed access points within the BNR used by boat concessioners and private canoeists for float trips except those in the Lower Buffalo Wilderness area and the Boxley Bridge near the Upper Buffalo River Wilderness.
There are three study goals:
1. Enhance and protect quality of visitor experience at river accesses.
2. Minimize impacts on park resources from river access development and use.
3. Maintain and improve safety at river accesses.
In the upper Buffalo, recommendations include stricter management of activities on peak season weekends, April and May in the western half of the district (Ponca to Erbie) and in the eastern half (Erbie to Carver). This could include limiting access through parking changes; encouraging visitors to use access "more efficiently" (i.e. decreased parking spaces would mean parking at concessioner lots or designated overflow lots and using a shuttle service) or choosing other access points. During peak season, Concessioners are not allowed to put in at Ponca on Saturdays because of limited capacity. This creates (in some views) an unfair situation whereby concession customers have less access to the most popular put in point (Ponca) than do private boaters. The recommendations include: the possibility of removing the historic Ponca low water bridge and relocating the loading and launch area upstream of the existing parking area; lifting the existing restriction on Saturday morning concessioner use (pending removal of the bridge and moving of the launch area); limit of two trailers per concessioner in the access at one time Saturday from 9:00 am to 12;00 pm during April and May; after parking spaces are filled, concessioners must park their customer's cars at their place of business and once the parking spaces are filled, private boaters must go to a different access or arrange parking and transportation service with a concessioner.
Safety is a major consideration on the Ponca bridge between pedestrians and vehicles. Design changes would place permanent barriers along the road shoulders and around the tree island to prevent "out of bounds" parking and would split parking between private users and concessioner customers on Saturdays during April and May. Access would be managed by an attendant employed by the Park Service on Saturdays from 8:00 am to 1:00 pm in April and May.
Impacts noted: Currently, it is estimated that on Saturdays in April and May, 83 % of all Concessioner put-ins are at Steel Creek while 1-2 % of put-ins are at Ponca. With the suggested changes, it is estimated that Concessioner put-ins at Steel Creek would range from 35-45 % and Ponca from 30-40 % . The increase in concession use at Ponca would be partially offset by reductions in private canoeist use.. There would be a minor impact on the cost of operations for concessioners if they had to hire more personnel to shuttle canoe trailers to and from access points as they are unloaded.
Impact to natural resources from the recommendation to remove the historic bridge would allow the river to return to its natural channel, reduce flooding of access facilities and remove a man-made structure from the landscape. The study also suggests that removal of the bridge could reduce the amount of sediment being swept from this access into the river.
Last, impacts to park resources would include the need to hire a seasonal employee to manage the access on peak season Saturdays. The employee would work about 8 Saturdays or 64 hours. Maintenance costs for materials would be reduced if the bridge is removed because of the anticipated reduction in flooding.
There are also safety, resource impact and quality of river experience problems at Steel Creek, Kyles Landing, Hasty Low Water Bridge and Hasty Campground on the Upper River; Baker Ford on Middle River and North Maumee, Dillard's Ferry and Buffalo Point on the Lower River.
Estimated capital and annual labor cost estimates were developed for each of the recommendations. The estimates took into account the potential for significant changes in costs that may occur as a project goes from planning into design and construction. The capital cost estimate total is $342,062.00. The annual labor cost for Park Service new staff, recommended at several access points, would be $2,387.00 Total annual cost for concession operators in the Lower District would be $1,280.00. (At Dillards Ferry, it is recommended that parking be managed by two attendants provided by the boat concessioners from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm on Saturdays between Memorial Day and the weekend following July 4th.)
A priority list was developed based on the level of visitor use, severity of existing operational problems and safety concerns. Highest priority for implementing changes are Kyles Landing, Hasty Campground, Dillards Ferry and Baker Ford, followed by Ponca and Buffalo Point as medium and Maumee North and Hasty Low Water Bridge as low priority.
Initially, only Concessioners and Park Service Staff were asked for comments regarding commercial operations of the park. Mr. Miller noted that "in the next year they will begin the first stage of a new General Management Plan for Buffalo National River and that public input will be requested during this four to five-year planning process." He assured me that they will keep our names and addresses on file to ensure that we have an opportunity to participate in the development of the General Management Plan.
The Uneasy Chair
By John Heuston, Communications Chairman
Our affiliate, the American Hiking Society, warned conservationists in March to protest a Bush Administration proposal that would "gut critical forest protections." The proposal dismantles regulations implementing the National Forest Management Act (NFMA) Ð a landmark law passed in 1976, which guides landscape level planning on our 155 national forests.
For example, the proposal essentially exempts (or "categorically excludes") the forest planning process from the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), the nation's premier environmental law requiring federal agencies to review the consequences of proposed actions and to consider alternatives. The proposal diminishes protections for wildlife; limits scientific review and public involvement in forest management decisions; reduces the priority of ecological values; downgrades protection of roadless areas; and presumes national forest lands are generally suitable for commodity development (e.g. grazing, mining, logging, etc.) and other environmentally damaging activities, such as unrestricted off-road vehicle use. You get the picture.
The AHS also has some good news: Forest Service Recreation Management received a modest increase; National scenic trails, including the Continental Divide and Florida Trail, received crucial operations and construction funding. The Florida and Pacific Crest Trails received $3 million each from the Land and Water Conservation Fund for critical trail protection projects. All Forest Service construction money, land acquisition money, and Fee Demo funds diverted to fire suppression in FY 2002 will be restored.
As this edition of P&P is being compiled, the issue of fire as a "management tool" in wilderness is undecided, but it has a certain spooky Vietnam era connotation that makes some of us a tad uneasy, "We had to burn this village to save it."
Conservation Observations
By Michael Farar, Conservation Chairman
This is my first column as Conservation Chairman of the Ozark Society and the first thing I want to do is extend my thanks to former Chairman Paul Means Ð a busy professional and environmentally concerned citizen who has done a great job for us for many years.
I hope to uphold the honor of this position, acting as a bellwether for conservation issues, bringing many timely issues to the attention of our Ozark Society.
For example, on March 10 Federal District Judge Bill Wilson issued a summary judgment motion on part of the case brought by the Ozark Society against David Melcher/ U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Judge Wilson ruled that because the Corps had revoked the permit for the Searcy County Water District to build a dam on Bear Creek, prior to the suit filed by the Ozark Society, that the issue pertaining to the founding statute (enabling legislation) of the Buffalo National River was moot. In brief, we won. The lawsuit was dismissed in late March.
Now, as a universal backdrop to be mindful of in our daily lives, consider this: It's been scientifically calculated that prior to Homo sapiens appearance on Earth, the average extinction rate of animal and plant species was one every four years. But due to human activities, there are (conservatively) 50,000 species extinctions per year out of a total of 10 million to 100 million existing species on the planet. Fifty percent of the earth's species will have vanished in the next 100 years.
Mankind is using almost half the available energy to sustain his life on the planet and in the next fifty years the world population will double to ten billion, further threatening the complex fabric of life and Homo sapiens themselves. Some 39 to 50 percent of all available land on Earth has been degraded by human activity. We use over half of the world's accessible surface fresh water. Wetlands are among the most important ecosystems on Earth, yet over half of our nation's wetlands have been drained.
There were five other major extinctions in the four billion year history of life. The first was 450 million years ago shortly after the evolution of the first land-based plants and 100 million years after the Cambrian Explosion of animal life beneath the seas. The second came 350 million years ago, causing the formation of coal forests. Then two mass extinctions during the Triassic period, between 250 and 200 million years ago. The firth mass extinction, probably caused by a giant meteor collision, occurred 65 million years ago, at the end of the Cretaceous period which ended the dominance of reptiles on Earth. This led to our current mammalian/Homo sapiens domination.
Humankind impacts species three ways: direct exploitation, introduction of alien species to new ecosystems and destruction and fragmentation of habitat. Due to these activities, studies have indicated numerous extinctions worldwide and other extinctions are surely below our level of awareness. They all add up to a situation where factors created by Homo sapiens effect the existence of the human race itself,
Species extinction is a natural process, but extinction rates are now 100 to 1,000 times the rates of the past few million years. As human numbers proliferated, one-quarter of the planet's bird species were driven to extinction. By 1995, 66 percent of marine fisheries were extinct, over-exploited, or at their limit of exploitation.
There are opposing viewpoints to this subject that declare that the rate of extinctions is not as dramatic as this doom and gloom scenario. Nevertheless, there still remains a substantial level of extinctions. There are arguments that state that the human race, through science, can curb the tide of these occurrences and stave off catastrophe. Bit it is still the meddling of man, which promotes the spiraling down of Nature that will ultimately affect our very existence.
Therefore, we must question the actions of governments, private interests and industry in regard to how they impact this space ship we call home.
After all, it's the only one we have.
Colorado Outing July 27-August 1
Colorado High Adventure Trip Leader Stewart Noland reminds us that campground reservations have been made for the Mt. Princeton Campground near Nathrop, Colorado for the Ozark Society's July 27-August 1, 2003 Colorado High Adventure Outing (rafting, fishing, hiking and sightseeing) in the Arkansas River area of the Rocky Mountains.
Veterans of the Colorado outing know all about the Mt. Princeton Campground, so what follows is information for newcomers. Mt. Princeton Campground is situated in the Collegiate Peaks/Arkansas River area of the beautiful San Isabel National Forest. The campground is located west of Nathrop on County road 162.
Participants should plan to arrive at the campground by late afternoon on July 27. The first group meeting will be dinner that evening, and all meals through the evening meal on Friday August 1, will be provided as part of the trip. Persons who prefer motel accommodations to camping should make reservations at the nearby Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Lodge, 15870 County Road 162, Nathrop, Colorado, 81236. The telephone number for the Lodge is (719) 395-2361. Meals at the campground will be provided for all trip participants, regardless of whether you are camping or staying at the lodge.
As usual, we will have a variety of outings to choose from: rafting on the Arkansas River, hiking, canoeing, fishing, mountain biking, horseback riding, and just plain sightseeing in the beautiful countryside.
Want to bring a friend or two? Sure, but those friends must become members of the Ozark Society. Therefore, at least $15 for a basic individual and family membership is required and must be included in your trip fee for those persons who are not already members. Incidentally, a $25 contributing membership would be welcome, and life membership at $200 is a real bargain these days!
Participants can confirm their places on the Colorado outing by sending a check for Ozark Society dues, if applicable, and a trip fee of $ 115 for campers, or $90 for the non-camping lodge dwellers (for camp food only), to Financial Chairman Bob Ritchie at 707 Pleasant Valley Dr., No. 10, Little Rock, AR 72227.
If you have any questions concerning the Colorado outing, please contact trip leader Stewart Noland of Little Rock, AR at (501) 666-2989. His e-mail address is bosshq@aol.com.
Buffalo River Canoe Trip, June 10-14
This summer the Ozark Society is again offering a group outing to the Buffalo National River of northern Arkansas.
The Ozark Society's 60-mile float trip down the Buffalo National River will depart from Tyler Bend at noon, after lunch, on June 10 and will end on Saturday afternoon June 14, at Buffalo City on White River, according to trip organizer Bill Steward. The group will paddle about 8 miles Tuesday and Saturday, and 12 to 15 miles the other days.
There will be a johnboat to carry community gear for each 20-24-person cooking unit. However, you should leave room in your canoe for one community ice chest. Participants will be responsible for their own canoe and camping gear and everyone will be expected to help with the cooking and camp chores. If you need a canoe, one will be available from our outfitter, Wild Bill's (1-800-554-8657).
What's more, any individual, or couple, who is interested in running a johnboat, can earn themselves a FREE TRIP, if they can furnish a suitable outdoor motor to run the johnboat! Bill also will pay them $150. That's a good deal! Contact Bill Steward if you are interested (501-835-3390).
The Buffalo River trip is limited to 60 people (no pets, PLEASE!) The trip fee for Ozark Society members is $150 for adults and $125 for children under age 18. If you are not currently a member, the annual individual/family membership is $15. The trip fee includes all meals, the shuttle and johnboat expenses, ice, T-shirt, bandana, etc.
If you can float only part of the trip, you are welcome to paddle along and camp with us Ð we just can't feed you! In fact, you can paddle the whole trip with us, but you must be self-sufficient and do your own cooking, shuttle, etc.
To secure a spot NOW, send Bill a check for $50 (made out to the Ozark Society) and forward the balance of payment to him by May 1.The address is Bill Steward, PO Box 15188, Little Rock, AR 72231, and telephone (501) 835-3390.
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