OPINION | REX NELSON: Federal attitude adjustment

The horses are running again at Oaklawn. Farther north on Central Avenue, Hot Springs business and civic leaders continue their downtown revitalization efforts.

Those who follow the tourism industry predict that people will be flying less and driving more for vacations after the pandemic. Hot Springs, which is an easy drive from the booming Dallas-Fort Worth market, will be among the beneficiaries of this trend. The amenities for visitors and the quality of horses at Oaklawn continue to improve. To fully capitalize on the driving trend, though, Spa City leaders must ensure that downtown restoration efforts don't stall.

The biggest concern is the sprawling complex overlooking downtown that was built as the federal government's Army and Navy General Hospital. It later housed state government's Arkansas Career Training Institute. The complex is now vacant, and vandalism is taking place.

"Hot Springs has a major homeless problem pretty much all through downtown," says attorney Clay Farrar, the chairman of the Committee on the Future of the Army and Navy Hospital. "So there has been a concern that the homeless problem would move itself over to the hospital. Then our second concern would be if the vandals or homeless or whoever started breaking into the building."

When operations at the hospital ceased, the federal government deeded the property to the state on the condition that it be utilized for health or education. It was later used for residential job training for those with disabilities. The state began vacating the 20-acre campus in 2019.

The 1960 deed transferring the property to the state stated that the campus would revert to the U.S. Army if it was no longer used for health or education. The thing that makes the most sense is for the campus to become part of Hot Springs National Park. But under the Trump administration, the Department of the Interior declined to take possession.

The good news is that a new administration in Washington creates opportunities for Arkansas. The even better news is that former President Bill Clinton, who grew up in Hot Springs, has reportedly taken an interest in the issue. Clinton obviously could get his calls answered by President Joe Biden at any time.

Clinton understands that a huge, deteriorating complex will stifle the budding revitalization of downtown while also taking away from the ambiance of the adjoining national park. Clinton is the perfect person to convey to the Biden administration the importance of the National Park Service taking custody.

The old hospital has a rich history and would be perfect for guided tours and interpretive signage. Park Service stewardship would provide time for the government to determine how best to utilize (perhaps through private leases as has been done with several of the bathhouses) the rest of the property.

One of the few positive things to come out of Congress in 2020 was the Great American Outdoors Act, which will provide $6.5 billion during the next five years for improvements at 419 Park Service units. The Park Service, which is part of the Interior Department, can't exactly plead poverty at this point.

Another thing the effort has going for it is that U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, a Republican from Hot Springs, is now the ranking minority member on the House Natural Resources Committee. Westerman graduated from the forestry school at Yale and describes himself as an "engineer and forester by trade."

The top GOP spot was vacated by a retiring congressman from Utah. Lawmakers from Western states typically have held the leadership posts on the committee. The committee has been aggressive in its oversight of the Interior Department.

Westerman already understands the issues in downtown Hot Springs. He can hit the ground running when it comes to putting pressure on the Interior Department to take over the campus. In an era when we rarely see Democrats and Republicans working together, wouldn't it be nice to see Clinton and Westerman join forces to get this done?

As a forester, Westerman can also play a key role in seeing to it that the state's three national forests and its 10 national wildlife refuges provide memorable outdoor recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which operates the 10 national wildlife refuges, is also part of the Interior Department.

The U.S. Forest Service, which operates the three national forests, is part of the Department of Agriculture. But Arkansas also has a weapon in that area.

Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas is now the ranking minority member on the Senate Agriculture Committee, putting him in a position to pressure the Forest Service to do a far better job than it has done in the past when it comes to maintaining recreation areas in the Ouachita, Ozark and St. Francis national forests. I think of it as an attitude adjustment.

As I pointed out in Sunday's column, Arkansas must focus on things it does well. We can't be all things to all people. We already do the outdoors well. We must protect and enhance the natural resources that attract those who hike, ride bicycles, birdwatch, hunt, fish, float streams, hang-glide, rock climb and take part in other activities.

These are the kinds of quality-of-life amenities that young, highly educated people demand. After the pandemic, Americans will be looking for places to live with natural beauty, friendly people and a lower cost of living. We have that.

If we can protect and enhance our natural resources, the future is bright.

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Senior Editor Rex Nelson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. He's also the author of the Southern Fried blog at rexnelsonsouthernfried.com.

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