Ozark National Scenic Riverways Announces Release of Final General Management Plan

NPS Photo

News Release Date: December 11, 2014

Contact: Dena Matteson, 573-323-8028

VAN BUREN, MO: Ozark National Scenic Riverways Superintendent Bill Black announces today that the Final General Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement (Final GMP) will be available online for public review on December 12.

"The final General Management Plan establishes a new long-term vision for Ozark National Scenic Riverways and provides guidance that will help us fulfill that vision." Black said public involvement was a key element in the plan."The public helped us mold this General Management Plan," he said. "Our entire management team is grateful and we look for continuing support and collaboration in the future."

The Final GMP represents careful consideration of a wide range of public comments received following the release of the draft general management plan in November 2013. Black said public input drove several revisions that appear in the Final GMP. A summary of the public comments and National Park Service responses are included in the Final GMP.

The Final GMP will be available on the National Park Service website at https://parkplanning.nps.gov/ozarkgmp beginning December 12. Because the entire document is over 600 pages in length, the number of printed copies has been kept to a minimum. For your convenience, CDs and an informational newsletter are available upon request by contacting the Riverways at [phone]. The newsletter will also be available on the park website starting Friday. For those who are already on the Riverways' mailing list, the informational newsletter will be automatically mailed to the address on file and should arrive very soon after December 12.

A 30-day no-action period will follow the release of the Final GMP. After that time, the National Park Service Midwest Regional Director will sign a record of decision that approves the final plan and documents the alternative selected for implementation. National Park Service approval does not guarantee that the funding or staffing needed for its implementation are immediately forthcoming.

As always, we look forward to hearing from the public and encourage all to visit the park's website at www.nps.gov/ozar or our Facebook page for further updates. For more information, please contact Dena Matteson at [phone] or e-mail us.

Ozark National Scenic Riverways preserves the free-flowing Current and Jacks Fork Rivers, the surrounding resources, and the unique cultural heritage of the Ozark people.