December 16, 2013
Preserving the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers has long been a top priority for the Missouri Sierra Club. For the last several years, Club activists have been working with the National Park Service (NPS) to update the General Management Plan (GMP) that will govern the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) for the next twenty years. That GMP was finally released on November 8th, and can be viewed at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/OZAR.
Please review the draft plan, and send in your comments to the NPS (click on the “Open for Comment” link on the GMP webpage) about what elements you support, and where you see a need for changes. Please send a copy of your comments to the Sierra Club office – missouri.chapter@sierraclub.org. The comment deadline is Jan. 8, 2014, so don’t delay!
You can also comment at one of three public meetings being held by the NPS. In addition to a two hour open house, two of these meetings include a hearing on wilderness status for the Big Spring area on the Current River.
Tuesday, January 7th
6 – 8 p.m. Draft GMP Open House
8 – 9 p.m. Wilderness Hearing
Van Buren Youth & Community
Center, intersection of Business
60 & Highway D
Van Buren, MO 63965
Wednesday, January 8th
6 – 8 p.m. Draft GMP Open House
8 – 9 p.m. Wilderness Hearing
Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center
11715 Cragwold Road
Kirkwood, MO 63122
Wednesday, January 8th
10 a.m. – 12 p.m. Open House
Salem City Hall Auditorium
202 North Washington Salem, MO 65560
Other activities Sierra Club activities supporting ONSR include:
• Trail Maintenance
Forty-six volunteers conducted trail maintenance on hiking trails along the Current River this past October, including Bob Gestel, Suzanne Smith, Becky
Denney, Mike Bollinger, George Behrens, and Paul Stupperich.
• Opposing the Government Shutdown
– During the recent federal shutdown, the Scenic Riverways were closed. The Sierra Club spoke out for a re-opening of the federal government and our park system.
• Wilderness Education
Toni Armstrong and Richard Spener have assembled their photos from wilderness areas across Missouri, to highlight the importance of these critical areas. The exhibition will travel from St. Louis to Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, Kirksville, and other locations.
• Educating our elected officials
June Stevens led a meeting of local Club activists with Sen. McCaskill’s district director in Cape Girardeau in August to support an effective GMP.
• Outings
KC member Bill Nichols is leading a national Sierra Club outing on the Current River from December 29 to January 1st – this is a great opportunity to see this area with your own eyes – go to http://content.sierraclub.org/outings/ and look for outings #14400A