Closing road to trailhead creates danger for public

My concern, expressed to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and State Sen. Bob Ballinger, is that a portion of a major road in the Madison County Wildlife Management Area has been closed. This road is one Madison County is paid to maintain.

There appears to be no apparent good reason for this closure other than a steep hill that some inexperienced drivers might have trouble climbing. The road leads to a creek, where the “Tea Kettle” trailhead begins. This is a popular trailhead, especially for people who are not able to make long or steep hikes.

The NWA Hiking Group, composed of 2,248 members, recently scheduled this trail for a hike. Twenty-four hikers had to walk an extra threefourth of a mile down the main road, which is a steep hill, and go around four or five barriers to arrive at the trailhead. The road appeared to be in good shape and accessible for just about any vehicle — certainly all-wheel or four-wheel-drive vehicles.

It is important that this road be open, not just for hikers and hunters but for the Forum Fire Department to do its job. The Fire Department is responsible for houses on that road (past the berms), but according to Chief Ronnie Valines, the Forum Fire Department is unable to reach these houses before the Carrol County Fire Department can arrive. Also, when someone is lost or there is an injury, the berms make it impossible for even a quad to use the road. This could result in a substantial delay for rescue operations and has already been the cause of many extra man-hours, according to Mr. Valines. The delay caused by the road closure could be the reason for a death, should someone be badly hurt or lost in cold weather.

Roads are built for access to resources. The Madison County WMA is a resource owned by the state but was paid for by taxpayers. This recent road closure not only restricts access, making it inconvenient for public use, but has resulted in a liability.

ROBERT WATERS Huntsville