The Obama Administration has designated the White River—which runs from Springfield, Missouri, to Pine Bluff, Arkansas—part of the “National Blueway System.”
What does that mean? Well, according to the federal government, nothing. It’s simply going to encourage responsible land-use—but don’t worry; it won’t affect what people do with their land.
That makes sense, doesn’t it?
According to a government facts sheet, the National Blueway System, “will provide a blueprint for communities to plan and manage for the health, resiliency, and connectivity of their rivers and watersheds. It supports communication, cooperation and collaboration among different stakeholders, who strive for an integrated approach to managing land and water resources.”
Reading between the lines, it could be the federal government will try to influence what citizens do with their property indirectly by encouraging local municipalities to enact certain ordinances and regulations it supports.
It could also be the “camel’s nose under the tent,” where the federal government will use this designation as an excuse for new rules and regs further down the road.
If you don’t live in the Ozarks, you may think this is all being blown out of proportion, but I understand the skepticism many of the folks along the White River share. Last fall I went backpacking near the Buffalo River with three of my sons; that region is one of the most beautiful in America, but along the trail we hiked is an old farm that belonged to a woman known as “Granny” Henderson. Her house still stands; her garden plot is still visible; the wood from her barn is there; even her fence is still standing, but she has long-since passed away and her family no longer has any ties to the property. Why? Because a few decades ago the federal government forced her–and all adjacent property-owners–to sell their property to make the river what it is today.
If you canoe the Buffalo, you may take for granted that the land surrounding it is public land, but once upon a time it belonged to hardworking Americans. Property-seizure on that magnitude leaves an indelible mark in people’s minds and explains why it’s perfectly reasonable folks in the Ozarks are more than a little skeptical of the government’s newest interest in one of the state’s largest rivers.
Betty Ratcliffe