Which way is the Buffalo flowing?

Since the Madison County Record broke the story about the possible redesignation of the Buffalo River, I’ve been swamped with phone calls and questions.

The town hall meetings and newspaper articles have made people more aware, and wary.  Now, I’m being asked what will happen next.

Two major players in the controversy, the Runway Group and Congressman Bruce Westerman, have said they are no longer pursuing the redesignation.  The Runway Group is willing to meet with local people, which I think that is a positive step toward resolving the issue.

Rex Nelson and others have written opinions on the Buffalo River, but they haven’t been helpful. In fact, they have made the issue even more serious by making it personal, unfortunately.

It’s really sad that some people have been labelled as “complainers” because they’re against redesignation, or have concerns about the consequences of redesignation. They spoke out of real passion for the Buffalo and its environment, either because they live in its watershed or because they a personal history of enjoyment and appreciation of its beauty.

Previous generations of folks along the Buffalo have very personal memories and bitter experiences of dealing with the federal government during the creation of the Buffalo National River. It still burns for many who lived here during those times. Their land was condemned and taken. The federal government made numerous claims that were broken and other claims that never came close to being fulfilled.

So their distrust of the federal government is totally valid.

Also, while some boast about the economic impact of the change, the reality is much more cloudy. Imagine if the federal government had taken and currently owned 60 percent of Pulaski or Benton counties. The economics of those counties would be drastically impacted.

So no, Rex Nelson and the Democrat-Gazette opinion page, these good folks have concrete evidence and have experienced pain and hurt, personally and financially. Shame on you for calling them complainers.

The Democrat-Gazette opinion writers say that billions of dollars would flow into the region if the redesignation is approved. I challenged that claim and have had zero response or evidence to back it up. I have written the Congressional delegation and their response is that the claim cannot be backed up. Sad to say, but it sure sounds like fake news.

 Can you imagine if the government wanted changes to Rex Nelson’s neighborhood, or that of the owners of the Democrat-Gazette and they would be forced to comply with plans that would impact their homes and livelihoods? It’s a safe bet they would have some issues. Or complaining, as they call it.

So where is this flowing? We still need answers from the officials involved, such as from the First Gentleman. What is his role, and where is he leading the Natural State Advisory Council?

We need to listen to the local residents, landowners, the owners of “mom and pop” businesses, Chamber of Commerce officers and farmers. They make the Buffalo River a national treasure, not someone in Los Angeles or behind a desk in Little Rock.

We also need to hear from the county judge, mayors and the sheriff. The Newton County sheriff has voiced real concerns about maintaining public safety if a redesignation encourages thousands of new tourists.

Let’s start the conversation by talking with those good people. If we do, our homes and livelihoods will keep flowing for the better. Isn’t that what we should all strive for?