Press Releases

Congressman Jason Smith (MO-08), who represents the entirety of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) National Park, today issued a statement blasting the National Park Service’s recently-released Roads and Trails Management Plan (R&T Plan).

“The Park Service’s plan is an escalation of the effort to cut off access to the park for people who have lived in this region for generations, well before the ONSR existed,” said Rep. Smith. “Closing trails and access points without providing suitable alternatives will not improve the park and is a slap in the face to Missourians. As a seventh-generation Missourian, my family has deep roots in the community surrounding the riverways. I have enjoyed the many features of the park over the course of my life and am deeply familiar with its natural beauty and recreational aspects. And as the representative in Congress for this region, it is my job to ensure the needs of the community are being met with respect to access to the park. Unfortunately, the R&T Plan fails in that respect. I let Superintendent Lott know that I oppose the R&T Plan and will be actively exploring ways to block its implementation.”

Earlier this week, Congressman Smith spoke with ONSR Park Superintendent Jason Lott by phone to express his deep dissatisfaction with the changes.

In their discussion, Smith specifically raised his opposition to the closure of over 90 miles of existing trails without sufficient new trail milage and access points to offset the loss; the burden a new permitting system would create for park access and his objection to the Park Service placing boulders at entrance points limiting user accessibility.

Rep. Smith has a long history of standing up to the Park Service administration’s poor management of the ONSR, going back to when he was first elected to Congress.

Last August, Rep. Smith submitted comments to the Park Service in response to their R&T Plan released June 11, 2021. In his comments, Rep. Smith expressed his view that the proposed alternatives fall short of the needs of the region and fails the park’s most loyal patrons who have been visiting the land for generations. Additionally, Rep. Smith voiced his frustration that the R&T Plan does not even meet the Park Service’s own goal of increasing trail milage as stated in the 2014 ONSR’s General Management Plan. In summarizing the effect the proposed alternatives would have, Smith wrote, “Closing trails, access points and river crossings without providing acceptable replacements will create crowded, less enjoyable, and potentially dangerous trails and risk cutting off certain areas of the park to visitors.”

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