The Best of Missouri
Right now, the National Park Service is drawing up a new management plan that will guide the Current River for decades to come. We're calling on the Park Service to implement the strongest protections possible for Missouri's river gems.
A stunning beauty at risk
Nestled in the Ozark hills, the Current River is often called Missouri’s river jewel. But in 2011, the Current was deemed one of the nation’s 10 most endangered rivers, due to the growing number of illegal and unauthorized roads and torn-up trails that rip through the forest and degrade water quality.
A defining moment for the Ozarks
This summer, the National Park Service will release a management plan to guide the Current River for the next 20 years. We’re pressing National Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis
to release a bold new plan that will rehabilitate what’s been damaged and protect the Current for years to come.
At stake is one of the nation’s best float rivers, where more than 1.3 million visitors retreat each year to hike, swim, fish and paddle.
One of America’s 10 most endangered rivers
The spring-fed Current and Jacks Fork rivers make up the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, our premier national park. But today, there’s at least one ATV or SUV road per mile, threatening the recreational experience for families.
So we’re bringing together anglers, floaters, small businesses, local elected officials and everyday citizens to press the Park Service for bold reform.
Together, we can win
We’ve delivered more than 10,000 petitions to the Park Service. Our staff has lobbied former Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and Park Service Director Jonathan Jarvis in person. We’re leveraging the media across the state to help us make our case. But the most important part of this campaign is you.
Members like you have called or emailed the Park Service, signed petitions, and spread the word to friends and family. If we can create a groundswell of public support at this critical juncture for the Current River, we can get lasting protections for Missouri’s finest river.
Click here to join our campaign, and send the Parks Service a message today.
Urge the National Park Service to craft an ambitious, far-reaching restoration plan for the Current River.
Key Facts
- Today the recreation experience for families is at risk. There are now more than 130 ways to drive ATVs and SUVs to the riverbanks — leaving a network of torn-up trails and threatening water quality.
- The Ozarks contains hundreds of species of wildlife found few other places on Earth, like the endangered Ozark Hellbender.
- More than 1.3 million people visited the Current River last year to swim, tube, and boat.