Stimulus Bill Aids Repairs Along Buffalo

[Zack Hoyt]

Stimulus bill aids repairs along Buffalo

BUDDY GOUGH

Posted on Thursday, July 30, 2009

The economic stimulus bill known as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been a boon for the Buffalo National River in providing funds for rehabilitating trails and facilities along the river and creating jobs.

The park was selected to receive about $1.2 million to help with repairs associated with January's ice storm and a near-record flood in March 2008, according to a recent news release from the U.S. Department of the Interior.

The funding was approved after a "rigorous" review of all pending construction, maintenance and repair projects throughout the national park system.

About two years' worth of work is planned along Buffalo National River trails popular with hikers and "horsebackers." The allocation of about $187,000 is the most spent on the park's trails in more than a decade.

The funding allows for the hiring of additional workers and contractors and the purchase of needed equipment and supplies. Nationwide, job opportunities with the Youth Conservation Corps are up by about 700 percent.

Initial funding for Buffalo National River projects was allocated two months ago and was put to immediate use, said Kevin Cheri, park superintendent.

"We have been so extremely busy trying to get the work done that I have to apologize for the delay in getting the word out," he said last Thursday.

Nevertheless, he sounded very pleased to be busy putting the unexpected funding to good use for the park and the benefit of local residents.

"We've been able to hire 37 youth from the surrounding area to work on the trails," Cheri said. "We have also been able to temporarily hire two dozen or more adults to work on damage to our facilities, and some of these were people who had lost their regular jobs."

Depending on where recent rainstorms have hit, the trail crews have been working in hopscotch fashion from one end of the river to the other.

"We've been hitting trails in the frontcountry and the backcountry, including work on the Buffalo River Trail, the Lost Valley Trail and the trails in the Compton area along the upper river," Cheri said.

The bulk of the money is being spent on repair of icedamaged park buildings and flood-damaged roads, walkways and retaining walls at riverside parks.

"We are working on flood damage to accesses at parks like Tyler Bend and Buffalo Point, which were among the hardest hit, and we are repairing park buildings like a pavilion where a tree crashed on the roof during the ice storm," Cheri said.

Besides stimulating the local economy, the work done so far already has drawn appreciative notice by hikers, horseback riders and campers.

"We are already getting a lot of feedback from the public," Cheri noted, adding that the stimulus money would allow expedited completion of rehabilitation work that would have taken a decade to get done with regular park staff.

"We are very pleased about what we are going to be able to accomplish over the next two years, and we hope the people of Arkansas realize what they stand to gain from the extra funding," Cheri said.

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Outdoors/265565/

[smallmouthjoe]

Do you know if any other NPS managed rivers are slated for any money?

[Zack Hoyt]

Yes. Quite a few. Check out these websotes.

www.recovery.gov.

www.doi.gov/recovery.