WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Representative Jason Smith (Mo.) slammed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) for blocking an amendment he offered to an appropriations bill that would prevent the National Park Service (NPS) from implementing its Roads and Trails Management Plan (R&T Plan) for Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR) National Park. If implemented, the R&T Plan would result in the closure of over 90 miles of existing trails without providing adequate new trail milage and access points to offset the loss.
“It’s unacceptable that Speaker Pelosi blocked my effort to keep these historic trails open to the local communities,” said Smith. “Closing trails and access points without providing suitable alternatives is not only a terrible idea, it’s a glaring example of government overreach. Like many people in the area, my family has deep roots in the surrounding riverways. I share the communities’ frustration that unelected bureaucrats and a power-hungry Speaker Pelosi are the reason their families won’t be able to fully enjoy the park’s natural beauty and endless recreational opportunities. Ever since I came to Congress, I’ve fought tooth and nail to maintain the same level of access to the ONSR that local communities have always enjoyed. While I’m disappointed with this setback, the fight isn’t over. I’ll continue doing everything I can to stop the National Park Service from moving forward with its disastrous and overreaching R&T Plan.”
Smith has a long history of standing up to NPS’s poor management of the ONSR, going back to when he was first elected to Congress.
In May, 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
- NPS placing boulders at entrance points limiting user accessibility.
In August 2021, Smith submitted comments to NPS in response to their R&T Plan that was released in June 2021. In his comments, Smith expressed his view that the proposed alternatives fall short of the needs of the region and fail the park’s most loyal patrons who have been visiting the land for generations. Additionally, Smith voiced his frustration that the R&T Plan does not even meet NPS’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.”
