OPINION: Guest writer

OPINION | MARVIN SCHWARTZ: Saving a river

Wilderness preservation endures


In 1962, a group canoeing and camping trip on the Buffalo River included a special guest. U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Douglas had come to Arkansas to float the river after seeing a captivating photograph in Life magazine of a Newton County site known as Big Bluff.

Douglas' float trip was arranged by a small group of outdoor enthusiasts with big hopes for the river. The group, which included Bentonville physician Neil Compton, hoped their important guest might support their vision of protecting the narrow free-flowing stream that wound through the towering limestone bluffs of north central Arkansas.

Douglas was deeply impressed by what he saw. His comments, recorded by Compton and others who became the founding members of the Ozark Society, gave strong affirmation to a conservation effort that continues to this day.

"You cannot let this river die," Douglas stated. "The Buffalo River is a national treasure worth fighting to the death to preserve."

As a result of the vigilant efforts of concerned citizens, the Buffalo River has been preserved and has achieved the protected status of a national river, the first of its kind in the nation.

This year, Arkansas and the National Park Service (NPS) will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Buffalo National River with a series of public events. One of the planned NPS events will be a naturalization ceremony. Imagine the pride those new U.S. citizens will feel as they swear allegiance to our flag with the beautiful Buffalo River flowing behind them.

In coordination with the NPS and in recognition of its own 60th anniversary, the Ozark Society has produced a new documentary film titled "First River: How Arkansas Saved a National Treasure." The documentary will premiere in Bentonville and in Springfield, Mo., in March. At that time, it will be made available for streaming through the Ozark Society website (www.ozarksociety.net). The film will also be distributed to schools, museums, and organizations. The Ozark Society website will also offer a Q&A page to guide viewer discussion of the film and a lesson plan aligned with Arkansas Department of Education standards for secondary school teachers.

These resources will be provided as a free public service by the Ozark Society.

The primary purpose of "First River" is to inspire awareness and engagement in conservation issues to preserve the Buffalo National River, Arkansas wilderness areas, and other unique natural resources.

The level of public activity in these natural areas has never been stronger. With nearly 1.5 million annual visitors to the Buffalo National River and growing usage with approved parking, camping on gravel bars, climbing, hiking, and ATV riding, the delicate natural balance of the river's healthy ecosystem will continue to be strongly challenged.

Fifty years ago, the rallying cry of "Save the Buffalo" kept our national treasure from being dammed and led to its current park status. In recent years, livestock production, specifically a large-scale hog farm, has been permitted to operate in the river watershed. Conservation activists, the Ozark Society among them, waged a strong campaign, with "Save the Buffalo Again" as their modern motto. The campaign ended with a costly public buyout of the hog farm and ongoing cleanup operations on the site.

There are no easy answers to these challenges. Public and private interests must be given fair hearing. Decisions must be reached by informed citizens. The Buffalo National River itself occupies only 15 percent of an expansive watershed area that includes portions of nine Arkansas counties. The vast majority of that land is in private ownership and not subject to federal regulations. Plans for new uses of the area's natural resources will certainly arise.

The Ozark Society motto of "Recreation, Education and Conservation," symbolized by the three-lobed sassafras leaf, offers a process. We encourage people to enjoy our natural areas, to learn about them and become involved in their protection.

"First River" is more than an educational film, more than a display of beautiful natural areas. The film informs viewers of past efforts while encouraging their present-day involvement.

Ozark Society founder Dr. Neil Compton left us these inspiring words: "The challenge goes on. There are other lands and rivers, other wilderness areas, to save and to share with all. I challenge you to step forward to protect and care for the wild places you love best."

Jimmy Driftwood, another Arkansas national treasure, spoke of the Buffalo National River as "Arkansas' gift to the nation, and our nation's gift to the world."

We are the guardians of this precious gift, an awareness that must be reinforced throughout this anniversary year and into the future.


Marvin Schwartz is chair of the Ozark Society Foundation, the development arm of the Ozark Society.


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