This is why we can't have nice things.
Thanks largely to out-of-state visitors who don't respect social distancing recommendations, Arkansans will lose full or partial access to our favorite places during the remainder of the coronavirus outbreak.
During his news conference on Wednesday, Gov. Asa Hutchinson said that he asked the U.S. Department of Interior to close the Buffalo National River for the duration of the coronavirus emergency. Hutchinson mentioned large crowds that have been concentrating in Arkansas state parks and also at the Buffalo National River. Videos are also available of large crowds gathered at the major access points on the Buffalo National River.
"To illustrate it, yesterday, which was not spring break, that was just a regular day early in the week, 60 percent of the visitors were from out of state," Hutchinson said. "I think that in terms of hotspots, the fact that other parks have closed, to try to limit out-of-state visitors and the spread of [the coronavirus], we need to take this step, and I made that recommendation."
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Stacy Hurst, director of the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism, said that Arkansas state parks will also limit access and suspend all overnight camping.
Lake Catherine State Park logged about 3,500 visitors on Saturday, and 3,200 visitors on Sunday. Pinnacle Mountain State Park is chronically overcrowded.
Starting Friday,, state parks will be open to day use only, Hurst said. She said that policy is consistent with 28 other states, and that she believes it will reduce out-of-state visitors coming to Arkansas.
Also, state parks will limit parking to approved parking lots inside the parks. Overflow parking will not be allowed on adjacent highways and public roads outside the park, and park visitors who park outside of approved lots will be ticketed. Where possible, Hurst added, gates will be closed when parking lots fill to capacity.
In addition, Cedar Falls Trail at Petit Jean Mountain State Park and the East and West Summit trails at Pinnacle Mountain State Park will be closed.
Traveling turkey hunters
If you are planning to hunt wild turkeys out of state this spring, you need to keep up with the quickly evolving coronavirus landscape.
On Tuesday, the Nebraska Game and Parks Department announced that it has suspended the sale of non-resident turkey hunting permits to prevent the potential spread of the coronavirus. Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts suspended the sale of non-resident turkey hunting permits by way of Executive Order No. 20-11, which discourages unnecessary travel.
Arkansans who have already bought their permits will be allowed to use them, but they will not be allowed to buy additional permits, according to a release issued by the Nebraska Game and Parks Dept. The Game and Parks will offer refunds to non-resident turkey permit holders.
Nebraska's shotgun turkey season runs April 18 through May 31.
Kansas is also tightening travel restrictions for turkey hunters depending on non-resident origins. The Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks says that its spring turkey season will continue as planned. However, hunters traveling from states listed on the Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Travel Quarantine List will be required to self-quarantine upon arrival for 14 days before hunting or checking into a state park cabin.
Arkansas is currently not on the list, which can be found online at https://govstatus.egov.com/coronavirus.
The Nebraska closure hurts because I was planning my first Nebraska turkey hunt in May. I take heart that this will result in a lot fewer turkeys getting killed this spring, which will allow more gobblers to carry over to 2021. Assuming, of course, that some new weirdness doesn't wrack the world next year.
When you squeeze a balloon, the balloon doesn't burst. The pressure just moves elsewhere. With the state tightening the reins at state parks, I would not be surprised for out-of-state visitors to start concentrating in campgrounds at some of our wildlife management areas, despite their lack of amenities. To prevent non-hunters from interfering with turkey hunters, the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission should consider allowing only holders of resident hunting licenses or holders of controlled turkey hunting permits onto WMAs during spring turkey season.
Sports on 04/02/2020