What will it be like in 20 years?

The park's General Management Plan is the guiding document that will steer the management of the park for the next 10 years or more. The Wilderness Study is an evaluation of an area near Big Spring for possible management as "wilderness."

Your input into this process is welcome. If you have ideas, suggestions or concerns, now is the time to provide your input.

Public meetings were held during September 2006 where the public was able to meet with park staff to submit comments. You may still submit comments and read documents relating to the planning process by going to this website. (Deadline for comments is February 16, 2007)

After the many comments are read and considered, we will begin to formulate actual draft plans. Once more definite plans with alternatives are written, there will be a second round of meetings to solicit comments on the alternatives. These should be in Spring 2007.

You may also want to follow the GMP / Wilderness Study Newsletters posted at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/documentsList.cfm?parkID=158&projectId=15793

Keep in mind that we are gathering comments and information that will be used to make future plans. Let us know what you want the park to look like in 10 - 20 years.

Visit this website to get updates and news about the General Management Plan / Wilderness Study process:http://parkplanning.nps.gov/projectHome.cfm?parkId=158&projectId=15793

You may also e-mail your comments to: e-mail us

or send written comments to:

Superintendent, Ozark National Scenic Riverways, P.O. Box 490, Van Buren, MO 63965

(Before including your address, phone number, e-mail address, or other personal identifying information in your comment, you should be aware that your entire comment – including your personal identifying information – may be made publicly available at any time. While you can ask us in your comment to withhold your personal identifying information from public review, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to do so.)

Deadline for first round general comments is February 16, 2007. Of course, we are always interested in hearing from you on any issue. To send general e-mail to the park's managers, go back to the home page and click on "contact us."