Ozarks Highland National Heritage Area
January 28th, 2011Big Government puts crosshairs on the Ozarks
By Bob Parker January 26, 2011
There have been several attempts over the years by the Federal government to establish it’s authority over the Ozarks region. These include; The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, The Natural Streams Act, the FEMA Hazard Mitigation plan, the United Nations ”Man in the Biosphere” designation, Scenic Byways designations, and now, the Ozarks Highlands National Heritage Area. This most recent effort consists of 13 Ozarks counties including, Wright, Douglas, Ozark, Texas, Howell, Dent, Reynolds, Iron, Wayne, Carter, Ripley, Shannon, and Oregon being taken under the jurisdiction of the National Park Service and the global planners. While the proponents of the Heritage Area designation may deny this, I will share gleaned excerpts from two feasibility studies taken in 2010 that were sponsored by Ozark Action and let you decide what their intentions are.
Ozark Action and other promoters of this scheme have taken great pains to hide the facts about this program. They have quietly gone about their business of ‘’selling” the ”program”, telling unsuspecting County Commissioners and Community leaders wonderful things about how this program will help save our ‘’stories”, and also improve our economy by promoting tourism and marketing of local products. These are wonderful things I agree, but let me share the dark underbelly of this program.
The Ozark Highlands National Heritage Area feasibility studies, which were only obtained by a freedom of information act (FOIA) request after weeks of waiting for voluntarily shared documents, show that they had great fear of property rights advocates getting access to these documents. That fear was substantiated.
It’s doubtful the supporters of the program on the local level, including all thirteen county commissions, had ever read or were ever shown these documents. There are over 700 pages on this program to date. I have found that government officials almost never have the documents available and never want you to read them, they just want you to believe what a wonderful program it will be.
The OHNHA feasibility study documents say the following (my comments in italics):
Page 1 “The National Heritage area program has been developed by the National Park Service.” This program will basically take our 13 counties under the jurisdiction of the United States Park Service.
Page 54 “Incorporate approaches employed by European nations for preserving parks and other special places without removing them from the life and culture of the nation.”
That is a system where everything is regulated, permitted, and controlled. You will no longer control your private property. You will now be in a National Park. They call it a ”Heritage Area”, but it will give them control over you and your property when fully implemented.
Page 54 “ The formal administration of the National Park Service of the National Heritage Area program in the Ozarks Highlands would likely continue to facilitate a culture of distrust of the National Park Service in the area, particularly by private property protection groups and alternative heritage preservation methods would likely be preferred.”
Seems as if they understand there will be opposition to their program once the information got out. They are trying to figure out how to keep us from understanding the Park Service will be in charge. How? Local representation is appointed, not elected, but Park Service will have final say because everything must match up with their ”criteria” or goals to keep the designation and keep the federal dollars flowing.
Page 57 “The efforts of the national heritage area program to facilitate the goals of the NPS guideline are foremost….”
This will be a gradual takeover of our area by the Park Service and it’s global goals. European style management systems? The facts are clear.
Page 58 “Public officials from EVERY COUNTY have been contacted and been provided information concerning the function of a National Heritage Area and have offered their support towards this effort.”
Did your local official read the documents about this program? Did they have any idea what they were signing on to support? Have them read this letter and ask them to get these feasibility studies and read it for themselves. Have them research and Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development. This is the socialist style of land control. Do we want that in America?
Page 58 “Special attention has also been made toward those groups who are interested in Private Property Protection to provide them with information and documentation in this process.”
We just received these documents after weeks of waiting and only then by FOIA requests. When we met with officials from Ozark Action and other supporting entities no official documents were produced. I suspect no community leaders understood what was happening either. Warning; Get educated about Sustainable development and Agenda 21. All the federal and state agencies are promoting these concepts and programs. They cannot be trusted to tell you the details of these programs. It’s likely that they don’t know the details themselves. DON’T BE FOOLED!
Page 58 “…the National Heritage Area would likely have no negative impact on economic activity.”
Resource control, regulations, planning, permitting, unelected boards determining the future of your farm or business.Increased taxation to bring the Heritage Area into “self reliance”… This will have NO impact? Are you kidding?? Key word is ”likely”.
Page 59 “This sustainable development approach…”
Again, this is sustainable development. Google or youtube it. Lot’s of good information on the about this program.
Page 23 “Management” Specified actions, policies, strategies, taken to meet the goals and recommendations of the heritage area.
The National Park service will tell the local committee what they must do to get funding. They must meet the NPS guidelines and criteria. NPC will pick who is on the board and what they do. This is the Soviet style of governing by council and committee. We have elected officials and a State and Federal Constitution. I think we should stick with that. Soviet means unelected or appointed councils that rule. This is what the regional planning centers, Federal Agencies and these other schemes are all doing, creating another layer of government over our Constitutional one. This is the socialist model of governing. Most elected officials have no idea what is happening.
Page 23 “Resource Protection” the act or process of preventing, eliminating, or reducing human-caused impacts to natural resources and natural processes.
This is the ultimate goal, total control over our farms and businesses. Permits, regulations, inspectors, boards, and councils that can take over control and implement the new federal agency guidelines of Agenda 21 Sustainable Development. This will destroy our property rights and destroy our system of government. Are you feeling GREEN?….
In conclusion;
I have very briefly described the plan. They keep trying to gain control and are slowly doing so. As I said before, all the federal agencies are working towards these goals. Our founders were very wise in the way they set up our government, this system goes around our constitutional protections. This has been going on for many years.
The Ozark Highlands National Heritage Area is ready to be adopted. It takes an act of Congress to do it. They have all the local support from our elected officials they need according to their documents, all 13 counties!
They are currently working to get this adopted and in place for our region. If you are against this, immediately contact your elected officials, County Commissioners and mayors. Give them this letter. Ask them to get the feasibility studies and get educated about sustainable development and what this Heritage Area designation area will really do. Get them to send letters to Ozark Action rescinding their letters of support immediately. Call your Congresswoman Jo Ann Emerson and ask her not to support this declaration. Educate your friends and neighbors about this program. This is an immediate threat to our property rights and freedom to use our land and streams.
If we lose our private property rights. They may be lost forever.
===Bob Parker is a cattle rancher and specializes in farm and ranch property sales in 7 counties in the Southern Missouri Ozarks. He operated Rock Creek Dairy in Texas County from 1983 to 1998. He is a long time property rights advocate. He has been a guest speaker at many property rights meetings, NAIS meetings, Tea Parties, Radio shows, as well as political events.
