Onsr Comments

[Justin Spencer]

Early March we will have our MCFA meeting and I'm sure the Current river outfitters will have some interesting opinions on this. From what I see the main change will be closing trails down to gravel bars where primarily locals set up camp and party. Can't imagine this will affect tourism or tax money as these are probably locals using these areas. I understand frustration from locals, but if these places get like the public accesses around here it is a breeding ground for bad behavior. The horse thing needs to be addressed and this could have an effect on tourism and taxes. I too am skeptical about government intervention, but I guess that is what the NSR is all about.

[ColdWaterFshr]

I think they've addressed and cleaned up some of the horse-poo problems on the lower end of the Jacks and Current, but I think there is still a ways to go on it. See horses all the time on the upper Current now and even camped last fall on a gravel bar with my family that was pretty well fouled by large, fresh "pies". Sure enough, the last morning of our camp, here came 3 or 4 horses through, tromping on trails that have long been used by horses, but probably not a technically legal horse trail by NPS definition. They were kind enough to give my daughters a free ride on their horses though, which was a thrill for them, and a very nice thing to do. Later that same morning here comes a jet-boat with 2 fishermen flying up -- not more than a mile below Baptist, river probably only flowing 125cfs. Nuts. Jet boats don't belong way up there or on the upper Jacks.

Jacks Fork has turned into a zoo from the Prongs down to Eminence and further. ATV's everywhere, new roads, people driving up and parking their cars on the gravel bars and camping and partying right there. Thats the crap that irks me.

Interesting little conspiracy theory someone whispered in my ear. One of the MDC commissioner's, name of Don C. Bedell. His brother owns 4 or 5 of the major sized outfitters on the lower Current. Certainly I am sure they don't want to see new federal rules that would hamstring their businesses, but it is interesting that US rep Jason Smith just introduced a bill, just yesterday, that would have the Feds give back the ONSR to the State of Missouri. Hmmmm

Say what you will about the feds, and I don't like their heavy handed closing of the rivers last fall during the sequestration and some other things, but Missouri is in no shape financially to take back management of the ONSR.

[SpoonDog]

So by eliminating public input, by tying the hands of local NPS staff, and by leaving ONSR rules up to a congressional vote, Smith's amendment will ensure the Riverways' management isn't dictated by a bunch of Washington bureaucrats?

I don't get it- but that's nothing new, many of Mr. Smith's positions have left me scratching my head.

I've gone ahead and written the state's senators, we'll see what comes of it.

[Guest]

deleted

 

 

[ness]

What a gigantic waste of time and money all this is. It doesn't really matter what the heck their management plan is -- there will still be folks abusing the resource and nobody there to call them on it. Enforcement is, and likely always will be, inadequate. (Gavin, Andrew -- remember our Trout Task Force days?)

Resources don't get allocated according to need -- they get allocated based on a toxic mix of personal interests, money, political aspirations, fear, embarrassment and who shouts the loudest. I really don't see anything changing much until there is some sort of a major problem down there. That's just the way we do it. I'm talking things like a few murders, environmental disaster, crime, disease. Something big that gets the NPS in the limelight and forces them to act.

This roadshow and comment period is a joke. Does anybody really think there's a chance of a significant change due to comments received online or from the goofballs that registered early enough to spout their nonsense at the meetings? Sure, they'll give some lip service to 'the majority of comments we received', and it will undoubtedly support their plan (probably essentially unchanged). They'll get folks more in tune with nature by building a couple nature centers -- so they can point to them and say 'Looky what we did!'. And things will carry on just about like they do now.

[ColdWaterFshr]

And the Cynical Post of the day award for the day goes to . . . . . goes to . . . . wait for it. . . .

NESS!

with honorable mention to Fishnwrench!

Tell em what they've won, Ernie!

[fishinwrench]

YES !!!

I hope I get the jetboat, I hate horses.

[Guest]

One of the penalties of an ecological education is that one lives alone in a world of wounds. Much of the damage inflicted on land is quite invisible to laymen. An ecologist must either harden his shell and make believe that the consequences of science are none of his business, or he must be the doctor who sees the marks of death in a community that believes itself well and does not want to be told otherwise.”
― Aldo Leopold, A Sand County Almanac

[SpoonDog]

Being cynical is easy, though I'm not sure it's realistic. Whether it's Pebble Mine, stream access out west, or gravel mines and chip mills here, activism has had it's successes.

[Blazerman]

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http://www.stltoday.com/news/local/metro/fight-over-ozark-rivers-isn-t-waiting-for-park-service/article_4660fb5c-f7d6-5f5c-8358-c40eab1421c4.html