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Bob James, a long-time Ozark Society member, died on Sunday, July 5.  Janet Nye shares her thoughts and memories: "The Legend is gone." This sums up my feelings about the passing of long time Ozark Society member, leader and friend on Sunday, July 5, 2015.  This is a quote from David Hedges, son of Margaret and Harold Hedges, who were co-founders of the Ozark Society and certainly legends in their own right. Bob wore many hats in his military, community and professional life.  He served wherever he was and was a natural leader.  He loved life and people, specifically teaching many of us about the natural and historical details of the places we hiked and paddled.  He was a leader in the Society, serving on the Foundation Board and leading multiple hikes and float trips. Alan and I were so blessed to have backpacked with Bob into Richland Creek Wilderness on a mid-March weekend in the late 80's.  With each step we took we learned more and we felt his soul enriching passion for this amazing place through his warm, soft voice.  When we set up camp above Twin Falls, Bob pulled a St. Patrick's Day clover out of his pack [...]

The Arkansas Natural Resources Commission has scheduled seven public hearings this summer on the agency's state water plan.  Your comments and/or attendance is needed! According to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, the $4 million water plan, funded by the Legislature in 2012, projects groundwater shortages in Eastern Arkansas. The article goes on: “The new plan calls for…storing excess surface water, evaluating the effectiveness of existing tax credits and incentives for irrigation water conservation, and a re-evaluation of the limit on water use for homes or businesses that are not along bodies of water...most of the plan is focused on updating the state's plan use and supply data. Nearly all of the recommendations are things the state already has started doing, but the plan is considered a rule-making process that would be adopted into the commission's official rules.” The Commission will accept written comments through September 3, 2015 at 4:30 pm.  Written comments should be emailed to crystal.phelps@arkansas.gov The Commission will hold public hearings on both sets of rules at 11 a.m. at each of the following locations on the following dates: July 16: Russellville - Pope County Farm Bureau Office, 1805 E Parkway Dr. July 21: Jonesboro - Craighead Conservation District, 3407 [...]

You are invited to Fayetteville's Town Center event site on OCTOBER 23, 2015 for an evening "Celebrating the Buffalo", America's first national river! The Coalition (Buffalo River Watershed Alliance, Ozark Society, Arkansas Canoe Club and the National Parks Conservation Association) is actively planning a fundraiser to support our educational efforts, legal expenses and other projects to protect the Buffalo River from pollution caused by factory-size concentrated animal feeding operations. Celebrate the Buffalo! Invitation and Information Ken Smith will be honored and will be present to sign his books.  The festive, memorable evening will include a sit-down banquet dinner, live music, a silent auction; books, t-shirts and photos for sale;  a video room in which one can record a message about the Buffalo and what it means to you.  The banquet itself will begin in the Town Center Ballroom at 6:00 pm.  The dinner program will conclude at 9:00 pm, but music and socializing will continue until 11:00 pm for those who wish to remain longer. Tables for 8 sell for $1000 (think $125 per person). Public sales for individual seats at tables for 10 are $100. IT IS A FUNDRAISER FOR THE BUFFALO RIVER,  and we know you care. Invite friends to share a table with you [...]

2015 Buffalo River Trip - June 9 To June 13 - CARVER TO BUFFALO POINT. ATTENTION: Flooding on White River has forced us to change the trip.  The starting point has been moved to Carver!!  (Go to Carver on Hwy. 123 at the river) This trip has closed. If you have signed up and paid,  you should have received an Email up date on June 1!  If you did not, send an email immediately to Stewart Noland, bosshq@aol.com,  or Steve Heye, heye@aristotle.net !  LET’S GO ON A FLOAT!!  SEE YOU AT CARVER on JUNE 9TH AT 10 A.M. BUFFALO TRIP -START AT CARVER!!  

Former U.S. Congressmen Vic Snyder and Ed Bethune have written a commentary in Arkansas Business this week. […]

Building the Buffalo River Trail this spring was really a stop-and-go experience. At some time each workweek, it rained. During the three-week effort we had 64 volunteers--college students, experienced "alumni" from previous years, and a few newcomers. They included caring people who generously hosted celebratory dinners for the college kids. The Moore family & friends from Gilbert and the Buffalo National River Partners fed 13 volunteers from Texas State University. The National Park Service, the Searcy County Chamber of Commerce, and Ozark Society members Alan and Janet Nye of Gilbert fed 12 volunteers from the University of Illinois. Also, Kim Little of the University of Central Arkansas was on hand to feed six of her students. There was another major benefactor--OS member Richard McFadden who did good deeds all along for the students, including a visit to Blanchard Springs Caverns. When trail construction got too muddy, we were able to go off and clean up older trails, send students to look at trailside waterfalls, and even have students entertain oldsters at the Senior Center at Marshall. When we could build new trail, it involved a 20-mile drive from camp, followed by a hike from half a mile to a mile or [...]

URGENT REQUEST FOR OZARK SOCIETY COMMENTS: C & H HOG FARM PERMIT MODIFICATION WHAT IS AT RISK? Water quality in the Buffalo National River WHAT IS THE THREAT? Untreated hog waste released from the C & H hog farm in Mt. Judea, Arkansas. Untreated, land applied-hog waste from the C & H hog farm located in Mount Judea, Arkansas runs off into Big Creek. Big Creek supplies much of the surface water flow into the Buffalo River. Runoff from hog waste applied to fields at C & H will enter Big Creek and then flow into the Buffalo National River. WHAT YOU CAN DO: Comment by email or regular mail on the C & H Hog Farm Permit Modification C & H Hog Farm (factory) has applied to ADEQ for a permit modification to allow use of a vac-tanker truck to spread untreated hog waste from storage Pond 2 on surrounding fields. Ultimately, we would like the entire permit to be re-opened for public comment. Please send a brief comment to ADEQ based on the information provided by regular mail or email. The deadline for written comments via email or regular mail is April 17th by 4:30 PM, Central Time. A short [...]

The Environmental Protection Agency has released a proposal to address haze concerns in national parks in Arkansas and Missouri that would require retrofitting six power plants in Arkansas with emission-control scrubbers to curb air pollution at a cost estimated to top $1 billion for utilities. Public comment on the plan ends May 16, and a public hearing will be held April 16 at the Department of Environmental Quality's headquarters at 5301 Northshore Drive in North Little Rock.  Schedule: 9 - 11:30 am - presentation and public comment.  Please take the time to comment if you cannot come to the hearing. Submit your comment in favor of the plan by sending to this email address:   R6AIR_ARHaze@epa.gov .  Put this docket number in your subject line: EPA-R06-OAR-2015-0189. Clean Air and better visibility in the Ozarks (the Buffalo River and Wildernesses, Caney Creek Wilderness and the Ouachitas where all of us love to recreate, is truly important now and into a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. CLICK HERE to see excellent talking points, provided by the Sierra Club, which will help guide your letter writing.

Bobby Stout, our long-time river companion and fellow-paddler, died Friday, March 20. Bobby loved being on the water and especially on the Buffalo. He was a happy camper on many of our annual Buffalo River trips. He was a great storyteller and excellent chef.  He will be greatly missed. His memorial service will be Saturday, March 28th, 2:00 PM  in Clinton, AR at the Roller-McNutt Funeral Home.  It is located on Hwy. 65, next to Walmart. http://www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/services.asp?locid=&page=odetail&id=37507                      

The Highlands Chapter will host the Ozark Society’s Spring Outing by inviting all Ozark Society members, hikers, floaters, and lovers of the Buffalo River to the chapter’s 6th Annual Buffalo River Classic on Saturday, March 21, 2015.  You should pre-register for each event by March 18 - see link below for information. There will be three simultaneous events at this one-day recreational outing:  a long “marathon” hike, several shorter “regular” day-hikes, and a canoe-kayak float.  Participants in all three events will converge at the Ozark Campground Pavilion on the Buffalo River near Jasper AR for a cookout/potluck at 4:00 p.m.  Everyone is welcome to the cookout whether or not they participate in the hikes or the float.  And, everyone is welcome to participate in this event whether an Ozark Society member or not. Camping and Overnighting:  Although this is a one-day Saturday event, participants driving from distant chapters may want to overnight in the Jasper AR/Buffalo River area.  FYI, distances to Ozark Campground from the six OS chapters are:  45 mi from Gilbert AR, 80 mi from Fayetteville AR, 97 mi from Bentonville AR, 146 mi from Little Rock AR, 277 mi from Cape Girardeau MO, and 350 mi from Shreveport LA.  [...]