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 the main invitees did not attend. However, more than an estimated 1,000 people did show up with several publicly voicing opposition to a group's proposal to have the national river re-designated either a national park or preserve.
Misty Langdon, creator of the Remnants Project, a nonprofit heritage preservation group in Newton County, called for the meeting with the Runway Group LLC, which was leading conversations and had conducted a poll among some residents about their feelings and beliefs about economic growth of the Buffalo National River region.
Runway is a holding company that invests in real estate, outdoor initiatives, hospitality, and businesses in Northwest Arkansas. Its founders are brothers Tom and Steuart Walton.
The company has not made any formal, or public statements, other than what it has published on its website runwaynwa.com and have been circulated over social media. It has also established info@futureofthebuffalo.org, the Coalition for the Future of the Buffalo River National Park Preserve. “We are participating in early stage conversations around the Buffalo River designation. We are eager to listen and collaborate with the community to support the best path forward to conserve our national treasure here in Arkansas.”
Langdon said she hoped the town hall event would give clarity to the proponents’ proposals, provide local residents with first-hand information and give them the opportunity to ask questions, she said, but was disappointed when Runway representatives contacted her Thursday morning and told her they would not attend.
According to a statement appearing on the organization's website, "We think the town hall is a great idea and the first step to bringing this idea to the table. We’ve been informed of the upcoming town hall and shared with the organizer that we looked forward to hearing how the conversation unfolded. For all voices to be heard without distractions, Runway will not be formally attending."
School officials said about 850 chairs were set up in the cafeteria. All were taken leaving standing room only. The overflow of people went out into the student union area and the adjoining hallway.
The Newton County Library was also broadcasting the event on Zoom. Library director Kenya Windel said all 500 Zoom reservations were filled. The meeting, which lasted about an hour and 40 minutes, was also aired live on the library's Facebook page where she said it would be archived.
Moderator for the evening was Jasper Mayor Michael Thomas. He said written questions would be accepted from the audience at the end of the presentation from a panel of speakers. Each question would be forwarded to the proper group or individual who could possibly answer it. Or, individuals could pose their question on Zoom after the meeting.
The panel consisted of 10 speakers.
Jackie Alexander representing Back Country Horsemen of Arkansas and America was the first presenter. The non-profit group's mission is the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in the back country and the wilderness, she said. It works to ensure public lands remain open to recreational stock use. She gave an accounting of the number of volunteers and the hours of service contributed to maintaining horse trails along the river. She said she was not attending the meeting to state a position on behalf of the organization, but to learn. None of the members' interests have been discussed or mentioned as being accommodated with whatever plan is coming to the river, Alexander said, adding the contributions of the organization have not been recognized, either. "We want to be included and be part of the conversation going forward."
Wendy Finn, of Fayetteville, agreed. “We need to be a part of these decisions so they don't make decisions about our lives without us.”
Finn reviewed some of the results of the survey Runway used to come to its conclusions.
The survey can be confusing where there is a lack of information to make an informed decision as a respondent to the survey and where the data can possibly be skewed, she said.
The conclusion the Runway Group drew from the survey was 64% of those surveyed were in favor of designating the Buffalo River a national park and preserve. But those surveyors did not define what those terms meant for the respondents and that is crucial to understand the implications and the conclusions that could be drawn from the survey, Finn pointed out.
The national river designation has been in effect since 1972. It preserves free flowing streams and prohibits dams or alterations of the waterway. It protects it from industrial uses, but allows hiking, canoeing and hunting.

A national park restricts hunting, mining, fishing and oil extraction. A preserve does allow hunting, fishing, and may allow extraction of minerals and fuels. Management may be transferred to local or state authorities.
Also, contrary to Runway's justifications, there would be no change to how the park is funded based on its designation. That is according to a National Park Service public affairs specialist, Finn related.
The survey only sampled a small number of people, 412 in five counties. The greatest number, 47%, of those surveyed were from Baxter County. Only 7% of people surveyed, nine, were from Newton County.
Adding to the contrasting data was visitation data. Langdon, a small business owner, said data from the National Park Service shows that from 2020-2022 the number of recreation visits increased by 6.5% compared to the prior three years 2017-2019. Runway's projections call for a 60% increase in tourism. That would change the landscape, Langdon said. "I want growth at a sustainable rate, not at the cost of what makes this place our home."
Jack Stewart, representing the Arkansas Audubon Society, a nonprofit, 100% volunteer-operated organization devoted to the study, conservation and enjoyment of birds, is affiliated with the nation-wide organization that has a far reach in contacting legislators. If it is shown the plan would harm the habitat, the Audubon Society will stand with you, he pledged.
But he added some advice, too. "Part of the problem is we are not consulted at the start and are never given complete information on what these folks have in mind. Situations like this will keep happening. Change is unstoppable. But we can bend it to our will and shape it to our liking and our benefit. The second part of the problem is we lack an agreed upon vision of the future. Without some rules we are sitting ducks. We can't be against all regulation. Without an agreed upon vision it will be easy for some group to divide us and conquer."
Billy Bell, a native of Newton County, gave the evening's passionate observation of the situation. He said he has spent his life on the river and its tributaries and a career spanning more than 20 years in resource enforcement. "I am not for the re-designation of the Buffalo River."
Playing on the popularity of a recent song, he said, "Rich Men Not From Here" are pushing to change residents' way of life. He said he sees a bait and switch operation playing on the peoples' emotions and as a scare tactic. The river is public land and it and its public uses are already adequately protected, he said. Re-designation is not needed and we do not need other people to decide how to change "our" Buffalo River. He said proponents of re-designation are using the old battle cry, "Save the Buffalo River," to spin public opinion and exploit the Buffalo National River for their own personal gain.
Jack Boles, president of the Newton County Farm Bureau, said the available information about the proposal was received by the board of directors. He said a deep look was made at every potential twist and turn. The board came to the conclusion there is no benefit and no advantage anywhere for agriculture or for the people in Newton County or for their way of life under this proposal. Newton County Farm Bureau's official position is that it opposes any change of the name, designation or expansion of the Buffalo National River, he declared. This has been put in the form of a resolution. It will be presented to the state organization for it to approve and send on to its lobbyists. "State and national legislative delegations will know where we stand."
Another speaker was Gordon Watkins of Parthenon, a member of the Buffalo Watershed Alliance that watches over and protects the water quality of the area. He said higher visitation to the river and large acquisitions of land surrounding it are trending. We need a seat at the table to discuss planning for change or be victims of it. We need to get into a position where we aren't taken by surprise, he said. The alliance is opposed to any acquisition of land from unwilling sellers.
Economic development is a good thing, but only if it is part of a long-range plan, protects water quality and is controlled, appropriate and sustainable, Watkins continued. He noted water quality is not addressed in the proposal.
Watkins said there have been indications the Walton-funded Runway Group is apparently backing off the proposal, but that is not to say someone else may pick it up.
Another speaker was Bryan King, state senator from Green Forest whose District 28 includes a portion of Newton County and several other areas of the Buffalo River region. He talked about his efforts investigating the Runway proposal and its poll results. I felt I had to bring this issue out, he said, referring to reports appearing in the Madison County Record. "I knew one thing," he said. "This train had been rolling down the track. I didn't want the people I represent to be railroaded."
Only the people who reside in the Buffalo River watershed should have been polled, he said. He said 14% of the watershed is in Baxter County yet 47% of the respondents were from Baxter County.
Jared Phillips of Washington County is a farmer and teacher on the history faculty at the University of Arkansas. He put the river in the larger context of its importance to the north Arkansas region. He said a re-designation of the river would cost the entire region family land ownership, jobs and a way of life.
Finally, Brinkley Cook-Campbell, an attorney in Ft. Smith who grew up and graduated from Mt. Judea High School, brought an open letter to the meeting to be signed by individual residents and sent to the state's Congressional delegation, to the governor and all state elected officials. A part of the letter reads that a re-designation as a national park preserve would mean... "an end to our way of life. It would mean visitors centers and asphalt, restrictions on access and parking, day use permits and lines of traffic."