Official Comment for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways draft General Management Plan

In this official comment on the NPS' draft General Management Plan for the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways, Environment Missouri urges a plan that will provide the strongest possible protections for the Current and Jacks Fork rivers.

Report

Environment Missouri

On behalf of Environment Missouri’s more than 13,000 supporters, activists, and members, we applaud the National Park Service for releasing a draft General Management Plan that offers the potential for the restoration and protection of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways and we urge them to adopt Alternative “A” in lieu of their preferred alternative.

The draft GMP that the NPS has released shows that they’ve heard what we’ve known for years—that the vast majority of Missourians think that the Current and Jacks Fork rivers deserve the protection and preservation that the NPS promised when they established the park. We urge the NPS to make their first priority in choosing an alternative the restoration of the Current and Jacks Fork to their 1964 conditions.  We urge them to focus on preserving the wild nature of the rivers and traditional Ozarks heritage, as well as fostering deeper communication and understanding between park staff, the locals, and the people who travel from around the world to enjoy the park’s spectacular beauty.

We urge the NPS to adopt Alternative “A”, which provides the strongest protections for the rivers and does the most to establish deeper, more meaningful connections between the NPS, the region, and the park’s visitors.