Eureka Springs Independent Ranger touts forest burn benefits By Becky Gillette – December 13, 2023 The Ozark-St. Francis National Forest Big Piney District Robert’s Gap Project would have many benefits including a “wide variety of needed treatments which would reduce fuel loading, in turn reducing dangers of wildfires, improve forest […]
Eureka Springs Independent Forest Service plan raises hackles of Buffalo River advocates By Becky Gillette – December 13, 2023 The non-profit Buffalo River Watershed Alliance (BRWA) has raised objections to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) Robert’s Gap Project to manage a 40,000-acre tract of land including the headwaters of the […]
Democrat Gazette OPINION | REX NELSON: The perfect storm December 10, 2023 at 2:20 a.m. by Rex Nelson Tourism is the second-largest sector of the Arkansas economy (behind agriculture), and promises to become even more important to the state during the next several decades. That’s because Arkansas finds itself in a […]
Arkansas Times The Waltons, the first gentleman and the future of the Buffalo River BY Debra Hale-Shelton ON December 3, 2023 It was a town hall fit for the movies. On Oct. 26, more than 1,000 people turned out for a community meeting at the school cafeteria in Jasper, an Ozarks […]
Talk Business and Politics The Buffalo: A river that has ‘really changed in places for the worse’ BUSINESSTOURISM / HERITAGE by Robin Mero ([email protected]) Editor’s note: This is the second of two articles explaining the challenges of maintaining and preserving the more than 94,000 acres in the Buffalo National River system. Link here for the […]
Talk Business & Politics Buffalo River redesignation idea rejected for now, but growth and preservation still a concern TOURISM / HERITAGE by Robin Mero ([email protected]) Editor’s note: This is the first of two articles about the challenges of maintaining and preserving the more than 94,000 acres in the Buffalo National River system. The Buffalo […]
Democrat Gazette Buffalo River rift shifts ire from D.C. to Arkansas Author: Little Rock, not D.C., distrusted Today at 7:34 a.m. by Bill Bowden For the past 50 years, the prevailing target of government distrust in the Ozark Mountains has been Washington, D.C. But a dispute over the Buffalo National River […]
Madison County Record More tourism yields improved economy, cleaned-up town Increase also impedes locals’ way of life Posted Wednesday, November 22, 2023 9:45 am By Ellen Kreth, For The Record Second in a two-part series FAYETTEVILLE, WEST VIRGINIA — After New River Gorge National River became America’s newest national park and preserve in […]
Democrat Gazette OPINION | REX NELSON: A false narrative Today at 2:00 a.m. by Rex Nelson It’s a sunny Wednesday in October, the leaves are changing color, the square at Jasper is crowded with visitors, and I’m eating one of the best pizzas I’ve had in Arkansas. I’m at Jasper Pizza […]
Democrat Gazette The downside of making Buffalo a national park Today at 3:15 a.m. by Bryan Hendricks Glenn Wheeler, Newton County sheriff, says his county can’t bear the burden of expanding the Buffalo National River into a national park. Wheeler said he appreciates the Buffalo National River as a recreational resource. […]
Madison County Record Changes afloat for nation’s newest park and preserve Groups tout it as model for Buffalo River area At the end of 2020 in the back of a Covid Relief Bill, legislation made New River Gorge the newest national park and preserve. An investment group and a coalition […]
Democrat Gazette OPINION | REX NELSON: Change is coming Neil Compton hailed from Bentonville, making him an outsider to the folks in Searcy and Newton counties. Writing for the Central Arkansas Library System’s Encyclopedia of Arkansas, John Heuston describes Compton as “a physician of obstetrics by profession and a […]
Democrat Gazette OPINION | ARKANSAS SPORTSMAN: Buffalo River boat rentals will get more expensive November 12, 2023 at 3:04 a.m. by Bryan Hendricks Starting next spring, expect the cost to rent a canoe or kayak on the Buffalo National River to increase. As reported Friday in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, the National […]
Democrat Gazette Buffalo shuttling to change in 2026 Operators can’t move clients’ cars BILL BOWDEN ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE Beginning in 2026, canoe and kayak concessioners along the Buffalo National River will no longer be allowed to shuttle the private vehicles of park visitors to locations up or down river, according to […]
Madison County Record Resolution opposing re-designation sails through Newton County preps to protect land rights Posted Wednesday, November 8, 2023 9:45 am By Ellen Kreth, For The Record Newton County Quorum Court members passed a resolution at their Nov. 6 meeting opposing “the changing of the name designation or expansion of the Buffalo […]
southlands by Boyce Upholt Populism & Southern Lands Pt. 1: From Ozarks to Oz “Rich men not from here are pushing to change a way of life” I’ve been thinking a lot about public lands lately, in part because the federal government has launched an initiative to “conserve” at least 30% […]
Democrat Gazette Opinion OPINION | REX NELSON: Loving it to death by Rex Nelson | Today at 4:10 a.m. History is repeating itself in the Arkansas Ozarks. When a brave band of environmentalists began the fight decades ago to have the Buffalo River designated as the nation’s first national river, their strongest […]
Democrat Gazette OPINION | MIKE MASTERSON: Leave Buffalo as is by Mike Masterson | November 4, 2023 An Arkansas LLC’s exploratory idea to change the designation of our half-century-old Buffalo National River into a national park and preserve to promote “the best path forward to conserve our national treasure” drew an unfavorable […]
Newton County Times Runway no show; people say, no way Posted Wednesday, November 1, 2023 8:00 am Staff Report JASPER — A town hall meeting to hear from proponents of further conserving the Buffalo National River area was held as scheduled Thursday night, Oct. 26, at the Jasper School cafeteria in Jasper. But […]
Arkansas Advocate Panel approves Buffalo River water-quality project over trail connectivity proposal Committee’s last $70,000 from original $2 million fund will go to Mill Creek monitoring BY: ANTOINETTE GRAJEDA – NOVEMBER 1, 2023 A state panel on Tuesday rejected a proposal to create a recreation master plan for the Buffalo National River […]