In the Ozark National Scenic Riverways (ONSR), Great Rivers is defending a lawsuit in which Shannon County seeks a judgment that tracts of land within the ONSR are “burdened by public roads no less than thirty feet in width,” even though these roads cease to exist in the United States Department of Interior’s recently published Roads and Trails Management Plan.

We believe that these requested roads are illegal and have no place in the ONSR. Fifty years ago, Leo and Kay Drey conveyed an easement to the United States over these same tracts of land for the “preservation of the scenic and other natural values” in the ONSR.  These roads would violate the easement and degrade the park.

Through our Sustainable Lands Program, we protect Missouri’s special wild places – our parks, forests and wilderness areas.

In Howell County, Missouri along the Eleven Point River, Great Rivers is standing behind a community that opposes a proposed mining operation.

The proposed mine lies within an area of significant karst development. There are forty-nine sinkholes and miles of losing stream within a five-mile radius of the proposed mine, as well as numerous drinking water wells. The mine also lies within the recharge area of Greer Spring, the second largest spring in Missouri which discharges upwards of 220 million gallons per day to the Eleven Point River. According to Geologists and Scientists retained by the community, “Unless this site has unique and valuable rock or mineral resources, this is precisely the kind of site that prudent and responsible mining operators have learned from experience to avoid”.

Great Rivers Environmental Law Center is a Missouri-based public interest law firm that provides free services to individuals, organizations and citizen groups working to protect the environment and public health. We receive no government funding and rely on donations to sustain our work.