Axios NW Arkansas
Oct 24, 2023 -
News
Buffalo National River town hall set for Thursday in Jasper
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The Runway Group won't participate in an informational town hall to provide locals clarity about the future of Buffalo National River's designation.
- The meeting is scheduled for 6pm Thursday at the Jasper public school.
Driving the news: Runway — a holding company owned by Walmart heirs Steuart and Tom Walton — posted results of a poll online this month that said nearly two-thirds of respondentswould support changing the national river to a national park and preserve.
- Those results and the poll itself have driven fear of what the change could mean to the river and its neighbors.
"We think the town hall is a great idea and the first step to bringing this idea to the table," a spokesperson for Runway said in an email.
- "For all voices to be heard without distractions, Runway will not be formally attending."
Why it matters: A national park designation could boost the state's tourism economy by bringing in more federal money to develop modern amenities like roads, campsites and bathrooms.
- Yes, but: More tourists could have a negative impact on the river and the environment.
Catch up quick: Survey results were published on a website titled "Coalition for the Future of the Buffalo National River." The site says the coalition is "made of people who want to sit around a table and discuss new ideas."
- While it's noted that the Runway Group commissioned the poll, the motivation behind it isn't apparent to many living near the river, Misty Langdon, a representative of a Newton County historical group, the Remnants Project, told Axios.
- In a statement on its website, Runway said it does not support drilling or taking of private land.
Langdon and state Sen. Bryan King (R-Green Forest) said they feel Runway hasn't been transparent about the poll.
- After several conversations with the group and her neighbors, Langdon organized the town hall as an educational platform for communities that could be impacted.
King; Gordon Watkins, president of the Buffalo River Watershed Alliance; Jack Stewart of the Audubon Society; and others will be panelists at the meeting.
Context: The Buffalo became the first national river in 1972. Changing it from a national river to a national park and preserve would safeguard hunting and fishing access but could lead to land-use restrictions.
By the numbers: 412 registered voters in Baxter, Madison, Marion, Newton and Searcy counties were asked 14 questions about the issue.