Forest Service centers campgrounds in crosshairs
The Piney District of the Ozark National Forest is considering changes that will ultimately discourage public use at three popular recreation areas.
The areas are Haw Creek Falls Recreation Area and Campground, Bayou Bluff Campground and Alum Cove Recreation Area.
The U.S. Forest Service has proposed converting Haw Creek Falls Campground to a “point of interest.” It would be open year-round, with no camping fees. However, the Forest Service would remove picnic tables, fire rings, lantern posts and trash cans over time as they become unusable or unsafe.
Bayou Bluff has campsites on two different levels and access roads. The Forest Service proposes closing the upper level.
The lower level would retain use of the toilet, the large pavilion, three shelters, and a small pavilion until they are unusable or unsafe.
In other words, the structures and amenities will not be maintained. They will be dismantled or removed when they fall into disrepair, and they won’t be replaced or renovated.
The Forest Service proposed converting Alum Cove Recreation Area to a trailhead and removing trash cans and grills. The pavilion, parking area, trail with benches, and toilet will remain open with limited maintenance. Users would be required to remove their own trash from the areas.
The draft proposal says the goal at each site includes developing partnerships and volunteers to maintain remaining amenities. Working partnerships are great ideas if the Forest Service actually cooperates with and empowers civilian partners. To that end, we encourage people who love and use these areas to organize and charter organizations that advocate the perpetual use and well being of popular and important areas for people that use the national forests. If liability is a barrier, then perhaps attorneys could help advocates draft language into their charters to indemnify the Forest Service against liability for volunteer maintenance work at the areas.
Our bigger concern is the downward trajectory in the perceived value of recreational facilities, not only in the Ozark National Forest, but throughout all federal agencies that have a public recreation component.
Since 1987, we’ve seen the Forest Service reduce camping opportunities by more than 50% at Fairview Recreation Area in Johnson County. We’ve seen the Ouachita National Forest close camping at Big Brushy Recreation Area in Montgomery County, and also at the Fulton Branch, River Bluff and Rocky Shoals float camps on the Ouachita River.
We have seen the Sylamore District of the Ozark National Forest close a popular loop at Blanchard Springs Recreation Area.
We have seen the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers close campgrounds on the McClellan-Kerr Navigation System, and we’ve seen the Corps close campgrounds on Lake Ouachita.
I realize that the Forest Service is not proposing to close the campgrounds. It is proposing to neglect them until they become untenable for public use. The public never benefits from reducing services and facilities.
Bureaucrats tell us over and over that the key to agencies securing support for their missions is to attract and accommodate stakeholders. While scrambling for crumbs from the treasury’s table, the Forest Service would be strategically wiser to strengthen its position by enhancing opportunities for outdoor enthusiasts instead of diminishing them.
Haw Creek Falls is an important part of my life. I have camped there often since 1987. I have often written about people I met there. Basel Khalil and I camped there when I took him on his first deer hunt in his successful quest to “become Arkie.” It is the most frequent base for the annual Crutchfield Family squirrel hunts that I have been a part of since 2005.
Having enjoyed Haw Creek for four decades, I know it is important to many other people, too.
The draft environmental assessment is available online at fs.usda.gov/ project/?project=57074, or by calling (870) 446-5122.
Submit written comments to Timothy E. Jones, Big Piney Ranger District, 12,000 SR 27 Hector, AR 72843. Submit electronic comments to: comments-southern-ozarkstfrancis-bayou@usda.gov.
Enter “Recreation Realignment Project” in the subject line or on the envelope when commenting by mail. You can “cc” your comments to your congressional representatives, as well.