Onsr Comments

[tanvat]

Lack of enforcement is, as Alex noted, a big problem. Those illegal roads and horse trails would not be there with any enforcement. You would never see such things in the vast majority of national parks. As for jetboating, the problem there is no lack of enforcment. The problem is the lack of reasonable rules to enforce. As it stands, I could fly up and down between Round Spring and Two Rivers all day long w/ a 40 hp jet and a ranger could only wave. The problem is that my legal behavior would be entirely incompatible with the purpose of the ONSR. Need to go w/ very low horsepower limits or, as I've seen suggested I think by fishinwrench, a no wake rule.

[SpoonDog]

Looks like the "100 Trailer Rally" is the real deal. T-shirts and everything. Hope folks are able to make it out to Kirkwood Wednesday!

[Gavin]

I submitted my comments months ago in favor of Alternative A. I'm not anti-boater, or anti-horse, or anti boat rental...but the amount of people that visit the ONSR to participate in those activities is off the charts in comparison to the size of the river. Something has to be rolled back to improve the quality of the experience.

I figure that there are plenty of other places to race a jet boat or get drunk and float. Go someplace else to do that. Horses don't bother me that much...except for the time that I arrived at my vehicle to find the access covered in feces, and my vehicle blocked in behind a trailer. Imagine what Yellowstone, Yosemite, or Great Smokey Mountain National Park would be like if those parks allowed the behaviors that are the summer time weekend norm in the ONSR.

[tanvat]

Don't you know that Alternative A is a federal goverment lockout that will destroy the time-honored tradition of gigging from $20,000, high speed jet boats and parking $50,000 RVs on gravel bars - I mean, the little guy doesn't stand a chance. Not to mention it'll kill the local economy by keeping a few dozen locals from blasting up and down the river and turn the ONSR into an enviromentalist park where you might have to, in a few places, walk or use a paddle. It is just outrageous.

In all seriousness, the resistance to any moderate limits on the means of access is just confounding. It is like an affront to the present guilded age of redneckery, when you can blast up and down the river as you please, when you please, others be darn. When people with a privilege to screw others and basically outsource the costs of there anti-social behavior lose that privilege, the debate gets silly; its always the end of the world if things change. Its like trying to take down the redneck aristrocracy. Nice folks, just wrong on this issue.

[ColdWaterFshr]

Thanks for the link Spoondog. Just sat through about 15 minutes of a youtube video of some goofball on that website who is ranting and raving about the Delphi technique and draconian measures and yet he couldn't even come up with the word "baptism".

Here is the link within Spoondog's link:

https://www.facebook.com/ozarkstewards/posts/10152401161649881

[tanvat]

Good grief, the wingnuts are at it. They get really exercised about the dreaded "Delphi technique," which, of course, as everyone knows, is an effort to extend federal control to all aspects of life with the ultimate aim of establishing a one world government. Sound crazy? Well, it is, if you don't routinely subscribe to wacky conspiracy theories cobbled together by made-up "facts" and logic with holes the size of Jupiter. Sadly, this kind of crazy conspiracy theory nonsense and the willingness to believe in the absurd while vehemently denying verifiable reality animates a LOT of the most vocal opponents of doing something so simple as limiting high speed powerboats on a small stretch of river in a National Park. Like the White River "blueway" designation was a step toward a U.N. takeover or some such crap. It will be an absolute joke if the Park Service caves in to the lunatic fringe at the expense of the rivers.

[ness]

I gave that video about 60 seconds.

[SpoonDog]

Nice folks, just wrong on this issue.

Exactly.

I really wish ONSR was keeping minutes, as I'd really like to learn how some of the others went. From what I've read on the Salem meeting, it was the standard "if current rules were enforced, it wouldn't be an issue." Granted. But the restrictive proposals- the ones they're fighting - would enforce ONSR rules and regulations already on the book. Many of these folks aren't interested in enforcement, they're interested in the status quo- continuing the use and abuse which has already impacted the Riverways negatively.

From what I've read it sounds like most of the push-back is coming from giggers regarding motor restrictions. I guess that's understandable, and while overall I'd rather see Option A implemented, I'd be content with seasonal motor restrictions, allowing folks to gig fish with motorboats during the non-peak float season.

To their credit- if the folks who wanted to see changes in ONSR's management were half as dedicated and organized as the folks insisting otherwise, I think it'd already be done. And I do like the t-shirts, even if they are yellow. They did a great job with the graphics- no jetboats, no horses pooping in the stream, no ATVs tearing up the riparian corridor and no campers parked on gravel bars. Looks like a pretty serene place- something we all can hope (and work) for

[Flysmallie]

I'd be content with seasonal motor restrictions, allowing folks to gig fish with motorboats during the non-peak float season.

Me too. The people out fishing and gigging don't bother me. It's the people out there running it like it's a road course during the summer. And they seem to be the biggest abusers of the illegal accesses.

[KCRIVERRAT]

Watch the youtube video Chief posted then read over the comments that have been posted concerning this thread. I'm not saying the comments from this thread are crazy, just thinkin' to myself how times have changed.