Your Conservation Chairperson

[summerbee]

Drove from Conway to Fayetteville to attend a public meeting organized to discuss the hog factory now in place in the Buffalo River Watershed. She then drove back home..leaving Fville somewhere around 10ish. I'm pretty sure she got up this morning and went to work.
Speaking for the five of us who organized the event; THANK YOU, Debbie Doss.
She walks the talk.

Sincerely,

Tammy Graham
The Buffalo River Rescue: Mission Possible Team

[DeBo]

Thanks, Tammy! And thanks for organizing the discussion. That was an amazing turnout!

[Half Ton]

I thought it went well also

http://5newsonline.com/2013/05/01/forum ... -concerns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was the only person to get any balanced perspective in on the issue. Since the farm can't be stopped, and even if it is there won't be an improvement to the watershed....I suggest outsiders quit damaging relations with most of the locals that own most of the land and make most of the decisions.

Working with people to address all of the real and existing and future and potential sources of pollution is the best way to go to protect water quality in the watershed.

Being overly concerned with one, that might not have any impacts and angers the locals for another century or two is a bad move. How much money did you guys spend on all of your propaganda? If you would have sent your money into the park service, maybe they could go and open some more port a potties.

I also found it interesting that most of that elitist crowd has never been seen at environmental stewardship in action events. Typical.

I am proud for all of the ACC members that steered clear of the anti-farm pep rally.

There is a better way.

[Owl]

...I was the only person to get any balanced perspective in on the issue...

I'm always on the sidelines on many of these environmental issues because I can never seem to find straightforward, factual information that allows me to make up my own mind. The are so many groups with so many agendas that it's overwhelming for the average person.

I love the Buffalo but I love bacon, too. What's a person to do?

[Half Ton]

If really loving the buffalo, and genuinely wanting to achieve protection of it long term, then addressing a 10 year listed impairment from the Marshall waste water treatment plant that has more than 30,000 lbs of nitrogen and phosphorus discharge to the bear creek tributary would be a good place for group action. That facility has more than 114 violations of its permit.

Beyond adressing known and real point source pollution problems that have been and continue to pollute the Buffalo, taking individual actions such as using leave no trace principles while on the river and encouraging others to do the same would be good.

If just 10% of 1.1 million park visitors a year poop or urinate on a gravel bar or in the river one time, that amounts to about 100,000 lbs of poop and pee. Since many restroom facilities are closed, as much as maybe 50% of visitors might use the river or gravel bar as a potty.

Leave no trace is in NPS management plan, but is not being enacted. Lets start enacting it on our own, and help find education.

We could also write letters and pester NPS and our government to fund the sanitary potty's.

Then, in the meantime, lets build positive relations with the locals that are in charge.

Tourists like us like the river for its beauty and spiritual meccaness, locals love it for its beauty and their heritage and friends and family. It's my belief that both sides love the river very much but can't work together because we both see each other as the biggest problem to the river.

Also, in the watershed that you live in and love - get ahead of the game and form a balanced watershed group that can find common reasons to take care of said waterway before a crisis shows up.

Debo, thanks for your dedication even I can't agree with the current approach of exclusive and narrowly focused buffalo river protection effort that is underway by the CAFE opposition.

[DeBo]

I thought it went well also

http://5newsonline.com/2013/05/01/forum ... -concerns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was the only person to get any balanced perspective in on the issue.

.

I believe that I also mentioned the other sources of pollution and my hopes that people would work together and stay involved no matter how this one issue goes.

[darkaly]

Thanks so much for the hard work you do.

[Half Ton]

I thought it went well also

http://5newsonline.com/2013/05/01/forum ... -concerns/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I was the only person to get any balanced perspective in on the issue.

.

I believe that I also mentioned the other sources of pollution and my hopes that people would work together and stay involved no matter how this one issue goes.

My apologies, Debo. I did not here you say that, it must have been in the time frame I was talking with channel 5 about it. Thank you very much for saying that to the audience!

I agree 200% on that sentiment. I do remember you saying that outside, afterwards when mr. Ken Smith and I were having a nice conversation with a few of the public and other panelists. Thanks again, for making that statement to which I think all could potentially agree.

If the anti hog farm movement, can become a lets all work together in a reasonable and sensible fashion where productive results that are good for the river over the next 200+ years, then we can avoid a senseless fight that will result in the detriment of the watersheds health over the next 200+ years.

[Canoe_Codger]

Darn us old outsider tourists always sticking our noses into local affairs. I mean, it isn't like it is a National River administered by the National Park Service paid for by national taxes or anything. Heck, if outsiders had minded their own business back when, we could be jet skiing on Lake Gilbert now! And the locals whose land wasn't flooded could be wealthy marina and resort owners. And Cargil pig barons without outside intervention. And since human outsider visitors pee in the Buffalo six months of the year, what harm is there in adding the waste of six thousand five hundred hogs year round?

:myday"

[summerbee]

Many,including myself, in the "elitist" crowd, grew up dirt poor, DIRT POOR. Time to come to Jesus.

[arkelope]

If just 10% of 1.1 million park visitors a year poop or urinate on a gravel bar or in the river one time, that amounts to about 100,000 lbs of poop and pee. Since many restroom facilities are closed, as much as maybe 50% of visitors might use the river or gravel bar as a potty.

Peeing directly into the river is actually a widely accepted Leave No Trace practice.

[Half Ton]

Many,including myself, in the "elitist" crowd, grew up dirt poor, DIRT POOR. Time to come to Jesus.

Just for educational purposes, one or many can be a financially poor elitist. Also, poor folk can increase wealth and me a middle class elitist. Rich is just what some folk think of when elitism is brought up.

If just 10% of 1.1 million park visitors a year poop or urinate on a gravel bar or in the river one time, that amounts to about 100,000 lbs of poop and pee. Since many restroom facilities are closed, as much as maybe 50% of visitors might use the river or gravel bar as a potty.

Peeing directly into the river is actually a widely accepted Leave No Trace practice.

And leave no trace river urination depends on cfs. Less than 500 cfs is not recommended for peeing according to American whitewater.

Hey Codger, after you made your comment - the Dem Gazette ran an article in which one of the river outfitters was concerned about 60,000 tourists not having facilities for potty due to the sequester.

You know, even though we all are not going to agree any time soon it seems, this conversation is very educational and I enjoy sharing different views on the topic with you all.

Wouldn't it be a novel idea if you all on the tourist side could come to the deity's table with the farmers that also love the river? I especially enjoyed hearing from the locals in this kuaf Ozarks at large piece: http://www.kuaf.org/content/newton-coun ... l-hog-farm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So whenever the outsiders are ready to quit attacking the cafe, which is counter productive to winning over the locals and completely neglects to realize or address ALL of the perceived, potential, and real sources of pollution, it might be possible to start working with each other to protect the river.

Being in the middle, it seems silly to me that both locals and outsiders love the river, but can't find common ground to work from to achieve a mutual goal.

Food for thought perhaps. Btw - don't be too hard on the kuaf reporter or river outfitter for also presenting the other side of the issue as I have.

[Canoe_Codger]

I found the radio interview with pictures of bare, eroded ground with no erosion fencing or even straw ground cover (I would be shut down here in a heartbeat if I did that on any of my construction sites), but was unable to find the outfitter interview you mentioned. Do you have a link?

[Roger]

Elitist means liberals right? And big pollution-producing "farms" are a positive when located in the immediate watershed of the Buffalo River? And it will bring great prosperity to the area?

Somebody help me here, please.

[Canoe_Codger]

You forgot about the eight jobs Roger.