Pack and Paddle Summer 2002

CURRENTS

By Stewart Noland, President

The Ozark Society

     The Arkansas River was low, but floatable, according to reports we received before we left our homes for the 2002 Ozark Society Colorado High Adventure outing near Nathrop, Colorado.

     The reports were accurate, and after two days of river running, the group dispersed to take advantage of a wide range of activities.

     Three 14,000-foot peaks were scaled (Autero, Yale, and Belmont), numerous mountain trails were taken, the open boats had a field day and overall the trip was fun for all. A record 75 people participated in the outing, including Ozark Society members of all ages, representing all chapters.

     I want to particularly thank Craig and Phyllis Watson and Catherine Hill for helping with the food and equipment hauling.

     Plans are to return again next year to the same area and we can all hope for more water.

     Ozark Society records indicate that many of our members have not renewed their memberships for this year. If you have overlooked sending in this year’s dues, please do so now. The Ozark Society wants and needs your support if we expect to continue to enjoy the high quality of outdoor recreation opportunities we have in our respective states.

     As our founder, Dr. Neil Compton, forcefully reminded us – “the challenge goes on.”

     Chairman Sally Stone and the Highlands Chapter members are hosting our Oct. 4-6 Fall Meeting atop Mt. Nebo near Dardanelle, one of several mountaintop state parks in Arkansas. Mt. Nebo is located just west of Dardanelle off of Highway 22 and is easily accessible from Interstate 40 near Russellville. The Highlands Chapter promises plenty of fun, and I hope you can attend.

     The weather should be very pleasant and Mt. Nebo has one of the most beautiful CCC era pavilions in Arkansas to offer as our meeting place.

  The well-planned banquet and presentations of Neil Compton Awards to Sen. Dale Bumpers and Editorial Cartoonist George Fisher was an event I wish all of our members could have attended.

     We had about 80 people on hand at Cajun’s Wharf in Little Rock to attend the show and both recipients were appreciative of the awards they so richly deserve. All of the members who pitched in to make this event a spectacular success deserve our heartfelt thanks.

     The success of the Ozark Society’s work is best measured over the long term, and both Sen. Bumpers and George Fisher have made long-lasting contributions to various conservation measures and causes supported by the Ozark Society. It was an honor to recognize these two great Arkansans and have them in our presence.

     As the weather cools and the rivers rise, remember to get out there and enjoy to the fullest what our magnificent Ozark and Ouachita Highlands have to offer. They are two of the many natural assets that make Arkansas a great state to live in and explore.

Conservation Observations

By Paul Means, Conservation Chairman

     In the waning days of his administration, President Bill Clinton undertook several initiatives to protect the environment.

     One of these initiatives was a Roadless Area Conservation Rule to protect remaining pockets of roadless areas in our national forests. This rule went into effect on Jan. 12, 2001.

     Shortly after becoming President, George Bush moved to delay or repeal many of the rules enacted in the last days of the Clinton Administration. On Jan. 29, the new Secretary of Agriculture, Anne Veneman, signed an order delaying the effective date of the new Roadless Area Rule.

     Meanwhile, a total of six lawsuits were filed by states, tribes, and various other interest groups opposed to the rule. It did not help that in their haste to get things done before George Bush took office, the Forest Service designated as roadless 2.5 million acres of land that actually had roads. Seizing on such arguments as this, on May 12, 2001, the U.S. District Court of Idaho enjoined the Forest Service from implementing the rule.

     After the usual press coverage of the new Republican administration being anti-environmental and Idaho being anti-federal government, the whole issue dropped from public view.

     The lack of media coverage does not mean the issue is dead, and in fact the Forest Service has been quite active. The Judge’s order permitted the Forest Service to propose amendments to the rule to correct the deficiencies he found in the original rule. In July of 2001, the Forest Service issued proposed revisions to the original rule and invited public comment. The major focus of the proposed amendments was to invoke the local collaborative planning process to designate roadless areas in each national forest.

     There may be a sheep in wolf’s clothing here!

     In 1999, the Forest Service of Bill Clinton announced a radical new approach to forest planning. The primary objective of national forest management would be sustainability. To achieve sustainability, the Forest Service would rely upon scientific data and a collaborative effort between forest service employees, environmental groups, and local interest groups.

     The Forest Service on George Bush’s watch retained this process to evaluate roadless areas for protection under the new rule. In the interim, while the new rule is under development, the Forest Service will refrain from building roads in potential roadless areas absent a compelling need.

     On June 26, 2002, the Forest Service issued a summary of all the public comments received regarding amendments to the Roadless Rule. This report is available at http://roadless.fs.fed.us/http:roadlewss.fs.fed.us/

     Whether the courts ever allow the Forest Service to implement the rule may become irrelevant in the next year. With the revisions to the National Forest Management Plans underway, each national forest will incorporate plans for roadless areas as part of its overall management plan. Maps of the possible roadless areas in our region’s national forests are available at the above-referenced website.

     If any members of the Ozark Society have a special interest in roadless area protection, they can write to the Supervisor of their national forest and volunteer to participate in any collaborative planning groups for roadless areas.

A ROUGH SORT OF BEAUTY

     The University of Arkansas Press has just released a new book of special interest to Ozark Society members,

    “A ROUGH SORT OF BEAUTY” is an anthology of more than 50 persons writing about their experiences on Arkansas’s rivers and land. Almost half of those persons have ties to the Ozark Society.

     Edited by longtime Ozark Society member Dana Steward, the book was written to underscore how deeply rooted Arkansans are in nature, how much we value what we have and want to see it conserved. UA Press calls it “a love-letter to the Natural State.”

     Steward says impetus for the book came from reading old Ozark Society Journals and the Congressional Wilderness hearing minutes, filled with eloquent testimony to a natural Arkansas. She balanced that rhetoric with stories and poetry of hikers, canoeists, farmers, hunters, rangers, and teachers, who speak for a natural Arkansas.

     The book is now available in major book stores and through the University of Arkansas Press.

The Uneasy Chair

By John Heuston, Communications Chairman

     The U. S. Forest Service has cleaned up its act considerably since the public outcry in the Seventies over excessive clear-cut forestry practices

     However, the news that President George Bush plans to ask Congress to “relax” environmental laws so that our benevolent timber industry can “rescue” our national forests from the current wildfire plague out West-- by more timber cutting -- has raised the eyebrows of conservation organizations nationwide. It has also reminded us that this federal agency, heavily lobbied by the timber industry and local “purchasing councils,” still warrants close scrutiny by the public.

     The proposed plan reportedly would “remove more brush, small trees and undergrowth from public lands to make them less susceptible to blazes.”

     That’s interesting, because what may be just “undergrowth and brush” to a logger is often “wildlife habitat” to sportsmen and wildlife biologists who are concerned with managing deer, turkey and other game and non-game animals and endangered plant life.

     However, what concerns conservationists most is that the Bush Administration and its allies in Big Timber apparently want permission to chainsaw a lot more than just “brush.” The plan initially outlined by Interior Secretary Gale Norton and her cohorts would give loggers more leeway to cut larger more “commercially valuable” trees as well as the so-called “worthless brush.”

     More importantly, it would also deny conservationists the legal tools they have used to block such end runs by loggers in the past. That’s scary. President Bush is even expected to waive provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), initiated in 1970, to streamline approval of what advocates of this plan call “a necessary forest thinning."  

    Forest “thinning” to help control wildfires may well be a necessary and valuable tool – if done properly. However, conservationists have a right to raise questions and seek clarification. Sierra Club spokesman Allen Mattison was quoted as warning that Bush’s plan might “open the door to runaway logging” in areas now protected. Past history indicates that this is a legitimate concern.

On the home front

     Closer to home, we have a good example of why we need to stay in touch with officials of our Ozark-St. Francis and Ouachita National Forests and pay close attention to the forest planning process. In the June issue of the Buffalo River Chapter’s newsletter, Ainslie Gilligan describes how citizen criticism of proposed extensive use of a fish-killing herbicide in the Draft Environmental Assessment for the 6,000-acre Ridge Pine Project in the Mulberry River watershed brought about needed changes.

     “The hikers, kayakers and rock climbers who visit the Mulberry River watershed spoke up about the Ridge Pine Project, and it helped. The district ranger chose the no-herbicide alternative, and it’s hard to believe all the criticisms had nothing to do with his choice. Moreover, he suddenly decided to specify 150-foot riparian buffers for several water bodies.”

     Yes indeed, public involvement in forest planning on lands that belong to all of us, not just the timber industry, can return big dividends.

Fall Meeting: Oct. 4-6, Mt. Nebo State Park

By Sally Stone, Chairman, Highlands Chapter

      Be sure to circle the dates of Oct. 4-6 on your calendar because that’s the long weekend of our Ozark Society Fall Meeting at Mt. Nebo State Park near Dardanelle.

     The pavilion is reserved for us for Saturday and we have a group campground reserved for Oct. 4-5. There are also cabins and other facilities available for rent on the mountain, and I’m sure many of you have already done that. If not, and you’re not campers, then lodging is available in nearby Dardanelle or Russellville.

     The Highland Chapter crowd will be your hosts – and we’re planning for it to be an action-packed fun weekend!

     We’ve already scheduled hikes, building birdhouses, a scavanger hunt, and a nature walk for the kids (of all ages!). We are planning activities for participants young and old.

     Refreshments will be available, beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday morning, at registration in the pavilion.

     While the grownups are attending the morning meetings, there will be activities for the kids. Activities will be available all Saturday afternoon.

      The famous Ozark Society Potluck Dinner will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, so bring your favorite dish to share and a hearty appetite.

      The really big event will follow the potluck, when the Wildflower Porch band will entertain us. So bring your dancing shoes and tune up your vocal chords for a great evening of family fund!

     For those of you who can stay Sunday morning, we have plans for you. So be prepared for a busy morning!

     Mt. Nebo towers 1,350 feet above the valleys of west central Arkansas, affording outstanding views of Lake Dardanelle, the Arkansas River, and the surrounding mountain ridges. Hiking trails abound, and the “Rim Trail” is famous for its views.

     Stone and the Highlanders are preparing an interesting program and we’ll have more details on that in the fall issue of Pack & Paddle.

     Here is what you need to know NOW!

     Mt. Nebo has both ten rustic and five modern A-frame housekeeping cabins located at scenic points around the mountain, equipped for year-round comfort and convenience. We will probably meet in the enclosed pavilion.

     For cabin reservations ONLY, call 1-800-264-2458. For other information, call (501) 229-3655. The park gates are open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., seven days a week. The e-mail address is: mountnebo@arkansas,com. Their mailing address is Mt. Nebo State Park, #1 State Park Drive, Dardanelle, AR 72834.

  NOTE: Campers must register at the Visitor Center before occupying a site. All sites are assigned; limited reservations available. Please, NO PETS in the cabins.

If you are feeling adventurous, Mt. Nebo also offers 10 hike-in campsites, for tents only, located along the “bench” and they are accessed by well-marked trails.

     Campers have access to a wooded campground with 25 camping units; all are equipped with tables, grills, water and electricity. A modern bathhouse is located near the campground. If you can’t find lodging accommodations you like on the mountain, Dardanelle and Russellville are not far away. Make your plans soon.

     Self-contained camping units may use the sanitary dump station at nearby lake Dardanelle State Park free of charge (best check that situation out before heading up the mountain!) It is not recommended that trailers or RVs over 24-ft. long attempt the curvy climb up the mountain. They also suggest using low gear and turning off the air conditioner to avoid overheating.

The park’s Visitor Center has a small store stocked with camping and picnicking items, plus gifts. You can rent bicycles at the Visitor Center.

AHS Seeks Support for Trails

     The Ozark Society is a member of the American Hiking Society (AHS) and their August-September news magazine contained more news on hiking issues nationwide that we could cover in a dozen issues of Pack & Paddle. However, here’s a sampling of some items of interest during what has been a very busy years for AHS members – and it’s not over yet!

     Arkansas hiker Martha Doty of Royal, AR was one of 44 AHS members in 45 states to receive a “Volunteer of the Year Award” for 2002 for her work at maintaining trails. Congratulations to this hard-working Arkansan!

     Among their many achievements, the AHS celebrated the 10th National Trails Day with tens of thousands of trail lovers at hundreds of events across the nation. The AHS also met with The White House Council on Environmental Quality to discuss AHS priorities for the coming year, including fully funding trails programs, managing unauthorized and inappropriate motorized trail use, and clean air in our parks and forests.

     AHS held hiking trails conference in the Southern Appalachians to develop a vision there for a 5,000-mile trail system in the southeast.

     The AHS also sent 160 volunteers on 22 “Volunteer Vacations” projects in April, May, and June in 17 states. The projects ranged from trail construction and repair in Denali National Park, Alaska, to repairing trail in the King Range along California’s “Lost Coast, and attending the national summit supporting the Land and Water Conservation fund hosted by Americans for our Heritage and Recreation.

     The AHS is asking us to contact our senators by phone, fax, or email and urge them to support “willing seller land acquisition authority” for the National Trails System.

     In late July, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee approved S. 1069, the National Trails System Willing Seller Act, amended to provide willing seller land acquisition authority to the North Country, Ice Age, and Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trails. The bill gives these three trails the ability to buy land from willing sellers to protect and enhance those trail corridors. The bill will go to the full Senate for a vote in September and then to the House for passage or possible amendments.

     H.R. 834, the House-version of the bill, which included historic trails as well, passed last year by a 409-3 vote.

     Willing seller authority will help protect critical natural and cultural resources along these premier hiking trails as well as restore basic property rights, as landowners along the affected trails are currently denied the right to sell land to the federal government. Without it, trail managers’ hands are tied when development threatens important links in the wild landscapes of the national scenic trails.

     The AHS advises that to write your Senator directly via email, visit http://www.americanhiking.org/policy/write.html>, adding a paragraph if you choose to personalize your request. Or, use the letter as a sample and email or fax in your own copy. The AHS extends a “thank you” to all trail advocates who helped willing seller bills advance this far.

     For more info on AHS activities, log on to www.AmericanHiking.org.

   Highlands Boosts NC Fund

     Members of the Highlands Chapter of the Ozark Society in Northwest Arkansas pledged a donation of $2,500 for the Neil Compton Scholarship Fund at their June meeting, according to Chapter Chairman Sally Stone.

     “The pledge was made possible by a long time member of our chapter, Lester Lewis,” Stone said. “She believed very strongly in the goals of the Ozark Society. After her death last year, the Highlands Chapter received $10,000 from her estate to help us continue with the Society’s commitments to conservation, education, and recreation. We are pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to the scholarship fund on her behalf.”

     We still have a long way to go to reach our $25,000 scholarship goal, but donations like this one from the Lewis family and the Highlands Chapter put us much closer to it!

     As this is written, the scholarship fund now has grown to approximately $8,500, including the Highlands Chapter contribution, according to Financial Chairman Bob Ritchie.

Harry and the Marshallites

By John Heuston

     When I began to review my more than 40 years of association with the Ozark Society to prepare for our “historical review” at the Spring meeting, I realized that it wasn’t the Battle of the Buffalo that I remember most, but the unforgettable people I met and the many friends that were made along the way.

     Take Harry Pearson, for example.

     Harry was a dark-haired, stocky, and very savvy investigative reporter for the Pine Bluff Commercial -- back in its glory days when Ed Freeman was publisher and the incomparable wordsmith Paul Greenberg was its editor.

    Harry was a complex individual, a tough interviewer who could also become as moody as a pouting child when things didn’t go his way. He lived in a small upstairs bachelors’ apartment at Pine Bluff that he had transformed into a Hi-Fidelity music box with a bed. Harry liked his music LOUD.

     His job at the Commercial involved probing into the often-bizarre antics of the Arkansas Legislature, and he didn’t mind criticizing their actions. Needless to say, he was not one of their favorite journalists. One day some legislators gleefully took his desk out of its spot in the Capitol and hid it, sending Harry into a tearful rage.

     As best I can recall, my first real contact with Harry came when he telephoned me at the old Arkansas Democrat, then an afternoon daily, where I worked for the late and great Sports Editor, Jack Keady, as the Democrat’s first full time staff outdoor writer.

      “My name is Harry Pearson,” a stranger’s voice said. “I’m a reporter for the Pine Bluff Commercial and I want to canoe the Buffalo River and do a story on this Gilbert Dam issue. I hear you are a canoeist. Can you take me on a float trip?”

     I didn’t know Harry at the time except by reputation, and I couldn’t go canoeing that weekend, but I promised to fix him up with someone who could. I don’t remember who it was, but suspect it was Dr. Neil Compton and/or Ken Smith.

     What I do remember is that I got a phone call at work early the next Monday morning. It was Harry. In a hushed voice, trembling with emotion, he simply said.  “John -- I think I’ve just had a religious experience!”

     As we all know, the Buffalo River can have that kind of effect on people.

      Harry then began to spend his spare time probing every cranny of this fascinating river, with its multi-hued bluffs, hidden valleys, caves, and individualistic inhabitants. He “crashed” regularly at the Compton’s home, and mine. We both bummed homemade pies and coffee off of Mrs. Orphea Duty at Boxley, a veritable living library of Ozark folklore, and mining stories from Fred Dirst at Rush.

     Harry was smart enough to do his first interview with James Tudor and the leaders of the pro-dam Buffalo River Improvement Association (BRIA) at Marshall. He probably sensed he might not be welcomed back. He then interviewed Dr. Neil Compton at his home and received a heavy helping of Buffalo River lore from Neil and other early Ozark Society members.

      Eventually, his famous six-part series on the Buffalo River controversy appeared in the Pine Bluff Commercial, sparking criticism from pro-dam advocates at Marshall and delight from river lovers everywhere.

     The Marshallites (Harry apparently coined that term too) no doubt expected his article to highly praise the virtues of Gilbert Dam. They were outraged when Pearson’s series in the Commercial objectively covered both sides of the story, as a responsible journalist should.

     The leadership of the BRIA, which would have fit in perfectly with the cast of “Oh Brother Where Art Thou,” never did forgive him.

     Harry later was instrumental in organizing and leading the Delta Chapter of the Ozark Society in Jefferson County. This Gung Ho chapter, with leaders like Harry and Jane and Howard Stern of Pine Bluff, enthusiastically introduced canoeing to an area of lowland bayous that hadn’t seen much canoe paddling since the Quapaw and Caddo tribes faded into history. Delta members also conducted day hikes and backpacking trips into remote crannies of the Ouachita Mountains and canoe trips on the Caddo and Cossatot rivers.

     Pearson eventually followed his journalistic calling to New York City, where he did hard-hitting environmental reporting for Newsday. I’ve been told he also established a successful magazine for Hi-FI music buffs and made himself a comfortable living. At last report, he was still in New York.

     Unfortunately, after Pearson’s departure, the Delta Chapter slowly faded away for lack of leadership. And that’s a shame, because the Mississippi River Delta Region of Arkansas is a fascinating place that shelters a lot of hidden wonders.

     Today, this type of Delta river conservation is now being carried out by the hard-working Bayou Bartholomew Alliance, and they will need everybody’s help if the world’s longest bayou is going to escape becoming just another Corps of Engineers’ irrigation ditch from here into North Louisiana.

     I suspect that Harry Pearson, wherever he is now, wouldn’t like that idea much at all.

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