Here, their way of life is more than geography. The Franklin County way is community, heritage, and a quiet resilience.

But now, this tranquil corner of the River Valley finds itself at the center of a political storm. Plans to build a 3,000-bed prison on an 815-acre site here have stirred something deep within the community: a determination to protect not just their land but their way of life. Residents who might ordinarily wave from across the way now stand shoulder to shoulder, united in a fight they never asked for but certainly cannot ignore.

A Plan Shrouded in Secrecy

The state’s decision to purchase land for the prison blindsided the people of Charleston, a small town of about 2500 people. Announced on a local radio station in late October, residents were shocked to learn the deal had been in the works for months, with no input from the people who would live in its shadow. By the time the public learned of the prison build, nearly $3 million in state money had already been spent to purchase the land. The wheels of big government were in motion.

Residents quickly organized in response. At a contentious town hall meeting, locals voiced their concerns to state officials they had invited to join. Among them was Charleston resident Jonathan Tedford, whose home sits adjacent to the proposed site. “At the very least, we have a prison we have to look at every day,” Tedford said after a recent legislative hearing. He spoke of his grandfather’s legacy, of land passed down through generations now threatened by a specter of towering fences and razor wire.

Other residents of Charleston have echoed his frustration. “A formal public hearing should have been held before the state committed millions of dollars to a project in Franklin County,” said resident Rosemary Underwood during the packed town hall in the town’s high school gym. The lack of transparency stings for folks in Charleston— not just because of what was done but because of how it was done— without the respect of local consultation or the dignity of inclusion. The state’s maneuvering was not the Franklin County way.

A United Franklin County Front

In response, the community rallied and formed the Franklin County and River Valley Coalition, which actively organizes on Facebook and other social media platforms. These neighbors, once bound by simple proximity, are now united by relentless purpose. They’ve held meetings, launched fundraising campaigns, and presented their case to state lawmakers. They’ve raised questions about the prison’s cost—estimated to balloon far beyond initial projections—and its environmental and economic impact on their community.

“This is one of the most un-American things I have heard since I’ve been down here,” said Sen. Gary Stubblefield, who represents the town in the state senate. Like many residents, Stubblefield expressed frustration over being excluded from the process. “The people of Franklin County, including myself, were cut out from even knowing about something this large happening in our county.”

But it’s clear this fight is about more than money or logistics. It’s about preserving the sanctity of place. Residents worry about what the prison represents: a departure from the values that define them. Hard work, family, faith, and community— they’re the threads that weave together the fabric of Franklin County, and its people are determined to keep them from unraveling.

The Power of People

There’s poetry in the way this small town has come together, a reminder of what it means to belong to a place and to one another. “We’ve been denied a voice,” said coalition member Natalie Cadena during her presentation to the Senate Children and Youth Committee. Through their determination, the people of Franklin County are reclaiming that voice, speaking up not just for themselves but for the values they hold dear.

From quiet conversations in living rooms to impassioned speeches in town halls, Franklin County is demonstrating the power of unity. “If it can happen to us, it can happen anywhere,” reads one coalition message on social media. The people of Franklin County aren’t just fighting against a prison—they’re standing for transparency, accountability, and the right to shape their own future.

A Shared Dream

Though the prison outcome is uncertain, one thing is clear: the people of Franklin County have already won something significant. They’ve reminded Arkansans that even in the face of top-down decisions and bureaucratic indifference, a united community is a force to be reckoned with.

If you believe in the power of community and the right to have a voice in decisions that shape our lives, stand with the people of Franklin County. As the sun sets over Mill Creek Mountain, the shadows grow longer, but so too does the resolve of the people who call this place home. They are Arkansas Strong. Tough, resilient, and deeply rooted.

And they remind us that no matter how steep the climb, there is power in standing together.

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Rolling hills. Rice fields. Delta mud. 

There’s just something about Arkansas’s rural landscapes, where the rhythm of life is measured by the seasons. Here, neighbors still greet each other with a warm smile and a firm handshake. Community is built from shared hardship and triumph. It is a place where the simple pleasures of life take precedence over the clamor of ambition.

Yet it is exactly a clamor that threatens our rural way of life. 

The threat is the insidious, unending hum of technology — crypto mining — which is encroaching upon the sanctity of the Arkansas countryside.

Rural life is when humanity beats in harmony with the land. Despite modern technological advances in agriculture or the expansion of commercialism, rural life in Arkansas is still rooted in simplicity and connection to the earth. It is still a place where the land lives and breathes. 

But now our rural spaces are menaced by crypto mining, which interrupts the balance between humans and the land. 

Crypto mining, with its voracious appetite for energy and its relentless pursuit of profit, has set its sights on our rural spaces. Drawn by the promise of cheap electricity and vast expanses of available land, crypto mining operations — large swaths of computer farms —descend upon our communities like modern-day prospectors, seeking to extract digital gold from the blockchain.

As a result, Arkansas’s rural landscape is turned into fields of digital industrialization. And the noise, the relentless white noise of these computer farms… the tranquility that is rural life is shattered by the ceaseless hum of machinery, twenty four hours a day, seven days a week.

But perhaps the greatest danger these crypto mines pose is not just the physical transformation of the land, but in the erosion of rural culture itself. In the rush to exploit the resources of Arkansas’s land, we risk losing something more precious — the intangible sanctity of rural space. 

Arkansans are deeply rooted in their rural communities. They understand that the beauty of these places lies not solely in their economic potential, but in their ability to nourish, to abide, and to connect us to something greater than ourselves. They remind us that rural Arkansas is not just a landscape to be exploited, but is rather made up of living, breathing spaces.

As we confront the threat of crypto mining in our rural communities, let us recognize the value of what we stand to lose. 

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A man returned home to Ashley County after his service to our country. 

His hands, once calloused from farm work, were now marked by a different kind of labor.

He carried the weight of a soldier. It left small reminders, indelible marks.

In the mornings he would stand with the fields stretched out before him, admiring the amber waves in the early light. The air was crisp and welcoming.

The man was amidst the familiar landscape but felt a stranger. This lines on his face were apparent, ones from service to country, not to land like his mother had wanted. 

The man hummed in his mind: This land is my land, this land is your land.

From the Redwood Forest to the Gulf Stream waters.

In the house, the man’s walls held memories of simpler time. The day to day solitude was both a comfort and a burden.

The man spent his days tending to the fields and listening to the wind. Nature had a way of offering solace.

He found a companion in a new but old dog, one that reminded him of a beloved friend from long ago.

This land was made for you and me.

In the evenings, the man sat on the porch, looking at the stars that were somehow closer in the Arkansas sky. The constellations were old friends. He knew that, like him, they had witnessed the passage of time.

The man didn’t have the words to describe the things he had seen, the weight he had carried and will carry.

The good people of his hometown didn’t press. They understood the language of silence.

The days turned to weeks; the man found rhythm and place. 

It wasn’t the same as it had been, and he knew he wasn’t the same either.

The fields, the house, the dog, the stars. There’s a gentle healing with the cadence of country life. 

Little by little, the man would find his way back to himself.

I roamed and rambled, and I’ve followed my footsteps

To the sparkling sands of her diamond deserts

All around me, a voice was sounding

This land was made for you and me.

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Strength is not only the power to exact change, but also the endurance to persevere. There are many examples throughout Arkansas history in which we not only used our power to exact change, but powered through the adversity plaguing us with strike. The most prominent example that comes to mind is when the Little Rock Nine stood up against segregation, and started to integrate into Little Rock Central High School. They used their strong wills and powerful minds to go against social and political practices. Understanding that though the fight would be tough, the positive ramifications it would have on the next generations was worth the price.

That sort of selflessness and self sacrificial mindset is the embodiment of Arkansas strength. They were met with many threats against not only their lives, but of the lives of the people they hold dear. Unfortunately the threats did not just stop at verbal assault. Many of them, Like Ernest Green, were physically assaulted by their white classmates. Even amidst the violence, they did not stop persevering. They were able to use their strength to start the integration process, but the battle was far from over. In 1958, Little Rock high schools were closed for an entire academic year. An attempt to ice out the strong willed Arkansas, amidst the political, social, and legal controversy. But they did not back down, they remained headstrong and waited for their time to shine. In May of 1958, Ernest Green became not only the first African American student to take classes at Little Rock Central High School, but he also became the first African American student to graduate from there as well.

This cataclysmic moment became the first ripple in an ever changing title wave that swept the nation. Little by little, other districts, cities, and even states started to use the Little Rock Nine as a symbol for hope, and a symbol for change. This would not be the first or the last time that Arkansas has become a beacon for hope and an inspiration across the nation. In 1992, Arkansas native Bill Clinton was elected as President of the United States. Bill Clinton was able to take all the core values that Arkansans hold dear, and amplify them on a nationwide scale. During his presidency, the United States saw its lowest unemployment rate in the past 30 years. He was able to create more than 22 million new jobs. Just like the Little Rock Nine, he used his power to enact change. He ensured internet access to over 95 percent of all schools, he raised the educational standards, which increased reading and math scores on the SAT. Overall Bill Clinton and the Little Rock Nine are perfect examples of what make Arkansas strong. And that is the fact that Arkansans are strong willed and well mannered, always fighting to tackle injustices and inequalities they see. Arkansas is strong because it sees where change is needed, and becomes that change.

Works Cited:

“Te Clinton Presidency: A Historic Era of Progress and Prosperity .” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, https://clintonwhitehouse5.archives.gov/WH/Accomplishments/eightyears-01.html. 

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Like many Arkansans during the Fall, I sit on the sofa with the television painted cardinal and white every Saturday with overwhelming anticipation; the pigskin soaring down the turf searching for the end-zone, but more importantly, the pride of each Arkansan. In the cold months of Winter and early Spring, I lay tucked in blankets, awed at the Hogs on the court as every basket strengthens the state’s pride. The wet months following, Baum-Walker is a wonderland of hot dogs and home runs. The Hogs are a force in competition, and the community. In fact, Hunter Yurachek led the athletics department to 18 of 19 teams ranked in the top 25 at the end of the 2021-2022 season. The program and student-athletes impact the community with many programs and events. The Razorback fans also strengthen the state with their loving spirit and deep-rooted tradition.

Fayetteville is a buzzing community, and the perfect home for the Hog. Donald W. Reynolds, Baum Walker, and Bud Walton carry an aura of hope for the average Arkansan. The pride grows each time Pittman turns up the jukebox, each time Muss goes running around the court in celebration, and each time Van Horn tips his hat to the opposition in victory. The power can be felt through every arena, barstool, and household throughout Arkansas.

The student-athletes strengthen the state with their determination and response to adversity, as the Hogs finished eighth place in the 2020-21 Learfield IMG Directors’ Cup and the 2021-2022 Fall Final Learfield IMG Director’s Cup. (The Learfield IMG Director’s Cup rewards points to teams based on their finish in each sport’s NCAA ranking.) Hunter Yurachek even won the NACDA Athletics Director of the Year 2021-2022 award. 

The Razorbacks also strengthen the state with their helping hand in the community, and contribution to our future through various programs. 

Many of these programs support elementary students; a critical part of developing the future of Arkansas. Book Hogs and Healthy Hogs are programs in which the Hogs visit the elementary schools in Fayetteville to encourage reading for 360 minutes during February to become a Book Hog member, and active eating habits, exercise, and drinking water to become a Healthy Hogs member. Both programs award grand prize winners a lunch date with a student-athlete. During the holidays, The Hogs raise money for ten elementary school students to participate in a $100 shopping spree with student-athletes, in the Shop with the Razorbacks program. RazorCalls allow student-athletes to Zoom elementary schools to respond to questions, read books, and CALL THOSE HOGS! 

The Hogs also contribute to many other programs committed to helping the less fortunate in Arkansas. Student-athletes assist with stretching, setting up, and cheering on at the Special Olympics at Ramey Jr. High. Every year, the Razorbacks host a canned food drive that provides food for many hungry families suffering throughout the state. The Fearless Food Fight, sponsored by The Pack Shack and Blue Cross Blue Shield, is an event in which student-athletes and staff members package meals at Bud Walton Arena for more communities throughout NorthWest Arkansas. The Hogs distribute donations locally to NorthWest Arkansas food pantries. Student-athletes also care for veterans in Arkansas, delivering handwritten notes made by elementary students to veterans at the VA Fayetteville Medical Center every Valentine’s Day in the annual Salute to Veterans community collaborative.

Although many contributions from the program are appreciated, there simply wouldn’t be a program without fans. Tradition binds us together in a tight knit community like no other. The most famous tradition would be the hog call. The tradition sticks with fans their entire lives, as reports of the “WOO PIG SOOIE” have been reported across the nation. 

The loving spirit each Razorback fan has for each other also strengthens Arkansas. A recent example of this would be the No. 1 Auburn @ Arkansas upset the Hogs pulled off at Bud Walton Arena in early February. Along with the record-breaking attendance of 20,327 fans and an amazing win, another extraordinary feat was accomplished. A sense of community was formed in the line of anxious fans. A DJ played as fans waited, tossing footballs. A spikeball tournament occurred and a poker game took place in the mass of Arkansans as well. The atmosphere was wild, with fans chattering and laughing with each other. The love the fans put into the team guides the expectations of the Hogs.

The strength of Arkansas lies in the community that the Razorback athletics program and the hard-working Arkansans have created. The strength continues to grow with every moment of joy the Hogs give through the hard work in competition, community engagement, and the creation of more loving Hog fans. Woo Pig.

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I remember crossing the street to my grandpa’s house, my little sisters trailing behind me as I walked the familiar route. Pretending that the paved road matched the scene around me, morphing it into a huge river that the trees bent to in my mind. The sway of the leaves dared me forward. Glancing around and holding out my hand to stop my sisters, our adventure began. Jumping and running, before finally, the final pass materialized ahead. The biggest part of the river, shimmering black with mystery, with two looks to my left and to my right, to check for the zooming alligators who could strike, we darted across. Now safe and satisfied with our journey, we skipped past the remaining trees and threw our wishes into the pond we passed, arriving to, at last, our destination. These memories, among others, solidify our state’s alias. Arkansas is the natural state, and natural indeed. As forests flourish and mountains tower, our beautiful state is no doubt bursting with the lovely scenes of the untouched world. Looking closer, however, one would find there is something deeper. Arkansas is also naturally inclined to other aspects: that being a natural strength within its geography as well as its community.

Naturally Strong

The strength of Arkansas cannot be defined in concise and definitive natures. In fact, the strength presented in the state is quiet and subtle. The strength can be hard to notice when it becomes routine. This is precisely the case in Arkansas. Looking around the state, diversity is everywhere. Not just in its flora and fauna, but within its communities. People who have suffered great loss walk each day like they always have. Leaving their scars to heal and buds to blossom. The beauty in this routine is that it’s found everywhere here. People get up, go to work, and come home. Maybe they are trying to make a living, or achieve their dreams, or maybe provide a better life for the ones they love. Regardless, one thing remains true, here in our state, everyday we grow. That is our strength, despite the failure, despite the pain, we continue to grow. The soil does not bend around the roots, they have to pave their way. Arkansans know this, the people here are not defined by their soil. They push past the dirt, and even move rocks. They start in one environment, but they do not end there. A mother working hard for her children, learning and fighting, becoming the sturdy cornerstone which builds her family. A child maturing around the broken parts of society becoming a trailblazer and blunting the blade of blame in our world. This comes so naturally because it is all around us. It is built into our homes, families, and people. Here in our state, we become: we grow. 

Not only is growth important for each of us, but each of us is important for growth. Our communities build our structure. The leaf and the stem may seem nothing alike, but they are connected through their plant, they need each other. We grow together, and we are strong together. Arkansas may not be for everyone, but it is for anyone. We may seem different but we are connected through the way we live. Our clothes or habits may separate us on the outside, but everyone tries their hardest to make tomorrow better than yesterday. And while our identities in our hearts do not always agree, Arkansas is a place to listen to the different rhythms of pulse. Here the landscape drips with scenery envied by the sunsets themselves; effortlessly splendid; but it is no match for the inhabitants. Walking downtown where I live, everyone is so warm to each other. Even on the worst days, an individual can still summon the strength to smile at a stranger. This simple strength shows again. We build one another up, and if they fall we lend a hand. When tornadoes destroy homes, neighbors and friends help rebuild. When a pandemic strikes and panic threatens to invade, our families of all kinds hold together. All of this exists as naturally as breathing. Our kindness is not plastic and our love is genuine. Even as times get difficult, as they have the past few years, we have never lost our sense of what matters and never given up on the fellowship within our borders. 

Strength is deeper than utility, it is perseverance brimming on stubbornness. More than natural diamonds are made in Arkansas. Our future leaders, mothers, fathers, and models may be pressurized at times, but coal was meant to grow into something stronger. And, diamonds are used to refine those around them. Here in Arkansas, our strength is drawn from our past, used in our present, and determines our future. I believe Arkansas will continue to grow and exemplify strength to all who visit through its people. After all, Arkansas inspires and kindles the flames of the future: naturally, of course. 

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We are all part of the great story that is unfolding in Arkansas— a story of hope, unity, and strength. Join our Arkansas Voices Young Writers contest and add your voice to the story of Arkansas. What do you think makes Arkansas Strong? We want to hear your story!

Who: Any Arkansas student in grades 10-12 this current school year, 2021-2022, may participate in the contest

What: Write an approximately 500-word essay that answers the question “What Makes Arkansas Strong?”

When: Deadline is June 1, 2022

Where: Send as a Word document via email to contest@arstrong.org

Why: We want to hear what you consider strengths of our state, so we can celebrate those things and promote your unique voice

How: By publishing your essay on our website, www.arstrong.org, as well as honoring the state’s finest student writing with cash awards:

CONTEST PRIZES:

Grand Prize: $1000

Second Place: $500

Third Place: $250

Arkansas Strong advances a more responsible and resilient Arkansas by informing the public about issues facing our people, lifting up the stories of everyday Arkansas heroes, and promoting the values that make our state special.

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Storytelling is the backbone of Arkansas Strong, and we heartily support this new CALS venture. If you are within the CALS geography, be sure to utilize The Memory Lab. If you live in or are traveling to the Northwest Arkansas region, we also recommend checking out The David and Barbara Pryor Center for Oral and Visual History (part of the University of Arkansas), which documents the cultural heritage of Arkansans through a collection of audio and video resources.

And follow along with us here at Arkansas Strong, where we also celebrate and champion the stories of all Arkansans, no matter what they look like or where they live. 

The post What is the value of your story? appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

Exposure to harmful smoke and toxins means firefighters are at an increased risk of contracting different types of cancer in the line of duty. Source: the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Toughing Out Treatment

The diagnosis came in January of this year, followed by surgery in February to remove the tumor. Next came chemotherapy. “And that is no joke,” she said. “It was rough. It literally takes every ounce of energy out of your body.”  Still, she feels grateful that she “only” had four rounds of chemo. “I got lucky. Most people get eight, twelve. Some people have it for the rest of their lives.” 

A tough moment came in the third round of chemotherapy, when Winchell started losing her hair. But she was tougher than that moment. “It took me a couple days to get over that. But then I said, ‘There’s nothing I can do about it.’ You gotta embrace it, go with it, so that’s what we did,” she said.

Another low point was when she couldn’t take care of her beloved two boxer pups, Jack and Gemma. “One time after chemo treatment,” she said, “I couldn’t even get up to feed my dogs. That was frustrating, and I had to call my dad and ask him to come get the dogs and keep the dogs for a couple days because I couldn’t even get up to let them out… I don’t want to put anybody in a bind. And of course he came and got them and it wasn’t a problem, but I just… I don’t like people waiting on me. I like to do my own thing. But there were times where I said, ‘Ok. I’ve got to have some help.’”

 

“I’ve always been grateful for my job. I know that I have a great career. But now I’m even more grateful. I know a lot of people in a lot of cities and a lot of states don’t have something like [Crump’s Law] in place.”

Next came the radiation: every single Monday through Friday for an entire month. Winchell said it wasn’t as bad as the chemo, but still, “It takes a lot out of you. The fatigue, you don’t have any motivation.” 

 

Hope in a Stressful Time

At the beginning of her diagnosis, Winchell worried about her sick leave slipping away on top of everything else. Crump’s Law was so new at the time, she didn’t realize at first that it applied to her. She worried constantly about her dwindling sick leave hours, and the possibility of losing her job. “Almost every day, every time a shift rolled around, I knew 24 hours was being taken away,” she said. “It was stressful.”

When a coworker suggested she apply for Crump’s Law sick leave, Winchell looked into it. “I knew it was there, but I didn’t know that it applied to me so specifically. And then we started reading about it and I said, ‘This is what this is for! This is exactly what this is for,’” she said.

It was a huge relief for her when the process took effect. “As soon as everything was approved, I was able to then not use my personal sick leave hours, I was using this Crump’s Law leave, and that really helped secure my sick leave hours. That way, I didn’t get down so low…the whole diagnosis has been stressful enough, and when you get something like this and it takes a little bit off your mind, it’s a good feeling.”

Firefighter Jennifer Winchell contracted cancer on the job in early 2020. She has since become the first recipient of Crump’s Law, which provides first responders sick leave time so they can focus on treatment without fear of losing their jobs. 

The post Helping The Helpers: New Law Protects Firefighter Who Got Cancer On The Job appeared first on Arkansas Strong.

“As a kid, I spent my weekends and summers on the Buffalo River exploring the highest waterfalls and largest wilderness areas between the Appalachians and Rockies. At that time, people like Harold and Margaret Hedges and Dr. Compton were simply friends of my dad and grandparents, people we met for float trips. I know now that they are heroes for stopping dams on the Buffalo. The lessons learned from them, about the river and conservation advocacy, influence my family and work today.”

-Ross Noland, Buffalo River Foundation Executive Director and Attorney at Noland Law Firm

If you know Arkansas, you know the Buffalo River. The Buffalo is our country’s first National River. The Buffalo River and watershed make for fantastic recreation, floating, and camping in the state, and people come from all over the world to enjoy it.

In 2017, tourism to the Buffalo generated more than 71 million dollars for Arkansas, and about a million and a half people visited it. It’s both natural beauty and economic boon in our state. Many Arkansans grew up on the Buffalo, between family fishing trips and youth group floating trips. The Natural State and the Buffalo River are a package deal.

“The Natural State is full of conservationists, Arkansans who advocate in ways big and small for bipartisan measures to protect the state’s beauty.”

Ross Noland (Little Rock) is an attorney and the executive director of the Buffalo River Foundation, a group that works with private landowners in the Buffalo River to conserve the watershed. The National Park Service owns only so many acres in the watershed; future conservation depends on private landowners to protect the land.

“Save the Buffalo”

For decades, a “Save the Buffalo River” campaign has protected the health and safety of folks who enjoy their time on the Buffalo. The Buffalo River Foundation has played a big role in that work. Noland provides some historical perspective: 

“ ‘Save the Buffalo’ became the rallying cry of a coalition of conservationists, led by Dr. Neil Compton, in the late 1960s and early 1970’s who opposed multiple impoundments on the Buffalo. The Army Corps of Engineers lived up to their reputation of seeking to dam every free flowing stream in the state. Representative Hammerschmidt and Senator Fulbright introduced legislation to protect the river in three successive Congresses. A group of dedicated conservationists punctuated this effort by making the trip to Washington DC to testify in favor of the Act on the ‘Jubilee Bus.’ Their combined efforts led to the establishment of our Nation’s first National River in 1972, through the Buffalo National River Enabling Act.”

Keeping Hog Farms Out of the Watershed

Most recently, hog farms were built in the watershed; waste from the farms caused heavy and toxic algae growth in the river, costing the state in clean-up and closures. In 2019, Governor Hutchinson struck a deal with the owners of the hog farms, and the problem ceased. Many fans of the Buffalo thought the problem was resolved.

But this month the Arkansas Legislative Council put off a proposal to permanently ban certain hog farms in the Watershed. With toxic algae growth still a problem, Arkansas officials are looking into next steps for protecting the Buffalo.

Noland served as attorney for the Ozark Society and Arkansas Public Policy Panel in 2013-2015. He played a part in the prohibition on medium and large hog farms in the Buffalo’s watershed. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality recently completed the five-year renewal of that prohibition. But ADEQ faces the same challenges this year as Noland and fellow conservationists faced in 2015. 

Legislators failed to take a vote on the Ozark Society’s and ARPPP’s first two attempts at legislative review years ago. It was not until a bipartisan panel, led by former Congressmen Snyder and Bethune, testified in favor of adoption of the rules that the prohibition passed review.  With that history in mind, Noland urges leaders and organizations working on the current prohibition to “keep going – there is a bipartisan path forward. It’s been done before.”

We might have a fight ahead of us to save the Buffalo River, again, and Arkansans will, again, rally around the simple truth:  we can feed hogs all over the state, so there’s simply no need to put these farms in the Buffalo River Watershed, endangering one of Arkansas’s natural treasures.

It doesn’t take a law degree to practice conservation, either. The Natural State is full of conservationists, Arkansans who advocate in ways big and small for bipartisan measures to protect the state’s beauty. There’s only one Buffalo River, and we invite you to reach out to your elected representatives to voice your support for keeping the Buffalo watershed safe and clean.

Noland concluded, “My seven year old daughter is convinced she can row a thirteen foot raft herself (she’s close!), and my four year old son is absolutely furious anytime he figures out I’ve been on the river without him. Visits to the farms, cabins, waterfalls, creeks, and people of Buffalo River Country are defining how my children learn and who they will become. These experiences–in wild places and with people who live in a place very different than our own–make us better people.”

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