Public’s message was clear: Don’t sell closed state parks
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BRANSON NEWS: Show ThumbnailsShow CaptionsLast SlideNext SlideThe east fork of Roark Creek flows along the edge of the still-closed Ozark Mountain State Park near Branson.(Photo: File photo)Missouri State Parks collected more than 3,200 comments about what to do with three new state parks that remain closed to the public.The message couldn’t be clearer:Don’t sell the parks. Open them to the public. And if they can’t be opened soon, preserve the land for future generations to eventually enjoy.”Selling these properties would rank as one of the dumbest, most short-sighted actions ever taken by Missouri State Government. DON’T DO IT,” one person wrote. “Keep these properties preserved for current and future generations of the public.”Of the 3,251 comments received — from three public meetings, online surveys and other sources — 97 percent voiced strong support for keeping the land in public ownership.CLOSE
Members of the public share their views about future of closed park Monday, Dec. 4, 2017 at a public meeting in Branson.
Wes Johnson/News-LeaderNew parks total 9,325 acresThe parks at the center of the debate are 1,011-acre Ozark Mountain State Park, north of Branson in Taney County; 2,917-acre Bryant Creek State Park, near Ava in Douglas County; and 1,230-acre Jay Nixon State Park in Reynolds and Iron counties.All three state parks, acquired near the end of former Gov. Jay Nixon’s tenure, are closed to the public. A fourth — 4,167-acre Eleven Point State Park in Oregon County — is also closed pending resolution of a lawsuit challenging whether the land can be used as a state park.Buy PhotoA view of the 1,011-acre Ozark Mountain State Park north of Branson. The park remains closed to the public. (Photo: Nathan Papes/News-Leader)All the public comments, categorized for each state park, are viewable online. Most are anonymous, only identified by the ZIP code of …
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