The Current River and Jacks Fork River are at Risk Again – Public Comments Open Until August 18, 2021

Parks and Public Land

The National Parks Service needs to hear from us! Learn how to comment on the Roads and Trails Plan here.

They have big problems along the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers and only public input during this critical and final review stage of their Roads and Trails Management Plan will provide them with the tools they need to address those issues.

Two of those major problems are horses and ATV’s. Learn about our position on this plan and what our recommendation is, read our E-Alert on the issue.

Comments must be submitted by August 18, 2021 at 11:59pm in one of these ways:

    • Online at this link, then click on “Comment Now” in the left margin. 
    • By mail to: Superintendent, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, P.O. Box 490, Van Buren, MO 63965 

When the Missouri Coalition for the Environment was established by Leo Drey and others 50 years ago, the protection of our very special Ozark Rivers had to be at the forefront of their thinking. Mr. Drey’s Pioneer Forest protected much of the Current River with scenic easements that exist to this day. Through the decades, the Missouri Coalition for the Environment has repeatedly and continuously been the voice for protecting the natural beauty of the Current and the Jacks Fork River.

It’s time to speak out again. 

The National Park Service has opened the comment period on their proposed Roads and Trails plan within Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR). This plan, when adopted, will have serious implications for how the river and park are managed for decades to come. Frankly, ONSR needs our help. 

The Park is under tremendous pressure to open trails to off road vehicles and to allow unlimited horse usage along the narrow corridors of the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers. Both activities have serious environmental consequences; they interfere with visitor experiences for those canoeing, hiking, and fishing. 

Check out this Citizens’ Guide to the Roads and Trails Plan, outlining our best-considered responses to the many challenges facing the Ozark National Scenic Riverways. This guide was assembled by the Friends of Ozark Rivers, a wide ranging coalition of organizations that was organized by MCE in 2003. Since that time the group has provided input to the park on its management priorities and the challenges it faces.

Help us keep “scenic” in Ozark National Scenic Riverways.

Click here to view a PDF of the citizens’ guide to commenting on this plan.