A town hall meeting to hear from proponents of further conserving the Buffalo National River area has been set for 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 26, at the Jasper School cafeteria in Jasper. Misty Langdon, creator of the Remnants Project, a nonprofit heritage preservation group in Newton County, is calling for the meeting with the Runway Group LLC, which is leading conversations and conducting polls among residents about their feelings and beliefs about economic growth of the Buffalo National River region.
Runway is a holding company that invests in real estate, outdoor initiatives, hospitality, and businesses in Northwest Arkansas. Its founders are brothers Tom and Steuart Walton.
The company has not made any formal, or public statements, other than what it has published on its website runwaynwa.com and have been distributed over social media on the internet. It has also established info@futureofthebuffalo.org, the Coalition for the Future of the Buffalo River National Park Preserve. “We are participating in early stage conversations around the Buffalo River designation. We are eager to listen and collaborate with the community to support the best path forward to conserve our national treasure here in Arkansas.”
Langdon said she has invited Buffalo National River/National Park Service representatives as well as members of Arkansas Congressional Delegation and their staffs to attend the meeting.
Langdon said the meeting will hopefully give clarity to the proponents' proposals, provide local residents with first-hand information and give them the opportunity to ask questions.
