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The Dent County Commission met for their regular meeting Thursday at the Dent County Courthouse. In the road report, District 1 Commissioner Dennis Purcell reported grading would be done on Dent County Roads 5220, 6230 and 6500, while brush would be cut on county road 5600. Purcell stated two men would be hauling brown rock from the creek. District 2 Commissioner Gary Larson reported grading would be done on Dent County Roads 2210, 2150, 3090 and 3180, while materials would be added to and grading done on county road 4380. Materials will also be added to Dent County Road 2120 and brush would be cut on county road 2350. District 2 will also have a man hauling brown rock from the creek. Presiding Commissioner Darrell Skiles said he attended the Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation board meeting Tuesday and stated they may be receiving a possible donation of a foreclosed home and property on the Gasconade River in Phelps County near Jerome from the Wells Fargo Community and Stabilization program. He also reported the MCEC received an $88,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority for the “Naturally Meramec Project” that affects agriculture related industries in Dent, Phelps, Crawford and Washington counties. Skiles stated meetings would be held in all the counties to provide ideas to help market the ag related products from each county to the other counties. If you would like to be put on the mailing list, contact Connie Willman at 573-265-2993. Dent County Clerk Angie Curley said she received a Helping Americans Vote Act operations grant of $1,789.78. These state funds can be used for maintenance, new equipment and the training of election judges which is what this grant will be used for according to Curley. The commission then voted and approved the proposal from the Salem TCRC to provide rural addressing services for the county for the 2015 year. The cost of the service is $12,000 for the year to be paid in two semi-annual payments of $6,000. The next meeting of the commissioners will be Monday morning at 9:00 at the courthouse and that meeting is open to the public.

The Ozark National Scenic Riverways Final General Management Plan is now available for public review online. Before the various actions and proposals can be carried out, a record of decision must be signed by the National Park Service Midwest Regional Director following a 30-day no action comment period which is now underway. Here are a few of the key changes that have been proposed to the preferred alternative. The first is the seasonal motorboat access to the Upper Current and Jacks Fork Rivers for gigging and trapping in those regions. Motorboats with engines rated up to 25 HP or less will be allowed from the beginning of the gigging season through the end of the trapping season. The second is to limit the horsepower of boats on the lower Current River at 150 HP or less which deviates from the preferred alternative horsepower limits of 60 HP or less. A third would be gravel bar camping that is accessible by watercraft is allowed as long as the location of the campsite is one-half mile away from a designated campground and at least 50 feet from any designated river access. If the area is accessible by vehicle, there will be designated gravel bar camping areas or campsites. A fourth change is the equestrian trails. There are 23 miles of designated trails and 90 miles of undesignated trails. The change to the preferred alternative was revised to increase the amount of designated trails by an additional 25 to 45 miles. The Natural Resource Management of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways will be a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and the US Fish and Wildlife Service, but the plan was updated to include partnering with surrounding communities on wastewater management to improve water quality. The plan was also revised for the National Park Service to develop a communication plan that would disseminate information to the public on a regular basis, respond to concerns on the park operations and encourage feedback on park issues. The wilderness study did indicate 3,430 acres of the Big Spring tract would be suitable for wilderness designation, but Congress would have to approve that and Congressman Jason Smith has already gone on record that he is against any such designation. The public can read the entire revised plan and may comment on these revisions until January 12^th by going to http://parkplanning.nps.gov/ozarkgmp. CD’s will also be available on request by calling the Ozark National Scenic Riverways at 573-323-4236.

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