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INTRODUCTION
"Rivers
are magnets for the imagination, for conscious pondering and
subconscious dreams, thrills, fears. People stare into the moving
water, captivated, as they are when gazing into a fire. What is it
that draws and holds us? The rivers' reflections of our lives and
experiences are endless..." -
Ed Fite, Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission Administrator and Save
the Illinois River, Inc. Vice President.
The
Illinois River is unquestionably one of Oklahoma's outstanding
natural resources. Visitors to the area are often pleasantly
surprised to find rolling hills, hardwood forests made up of oaks
and hickories, and clear running streams where smallmouth bass
abound. A popular destination for canoeists and fishermen, the
scenic Illinois River is a critical watershed for local
municipalities and a habitat for several state and federal
threatened and endangered species. The river basin is also a vital
economic resource for many businesses in the city of Tahlequah and
along the scenic State Highway 10 corridor. Each year more than
180,000 persons float the Illinois River by canoe, raft or kayak.
An estimated 350,000 enjoy swimming, fishing, camping, hiking,
bird-watching, and hunting opportunities. Recreationists spend an
average of $55.92 per float trip per person on gas, food, and
lodging, and other amenities. This spending results in about $9
million of direct economic impact annually on Cherokee County and
the surrounding area.
In
1993, concerned citizens, with direction from the Oklahoma Scenic
Rivers Commission (OSRC), National Park Service, and Oklahoma
State University, began to develop a plan to manage the river
corridor's natural, cultural, and historical values. Plan
development and implementation is a citizen-driven initiative that
has brought together a large number of people willing to work
cooperatively to improve the future of the river. Publication of
the management plan will complete the initial stage of this
effort; the process of implementing the goals and strategies set
forth will be ongoing for years to come.
Results
of the citizen input in the management plan showed a clear desired
future for the Illinois River basin. The public has said that the
basin should be managed to emphasize naturalness and aesthetics in
the river environment. This will include opportunities for
semi-primitive outdoor recreation in a roaded, rural environment;
clear, free-flowing, non-polluted waters providing an appropriate
habitat for native fish and other life forms; and a shoreline and
adjacent riparian corridor which supports native bird and animal
populations, protects the natural, historic, and cultural values
present in the corridor, and limits any new development or uses
which may be incompatible with these goals. The river and riparian
corridor will be managed to attract visitors seeking opportunities
for solitude, social interaction, individual and group
participation, and learning about the environment. The desired
recreational visitor should respect the river's natural
environment, the legal rights granted to private property, and the
rights of other visitors. Efforts should be made by the OSRC and
commercial outfitters to influence visitor behavior through
education. Should this be insufficient, rules and regulations
designed to protect the environment and other visitor's
experiences should be enforced.
Three
working teams were organized to address specific issues related to
the river corridor, recreation resources and water quality. These
teams spent countless hours designing goals and strategies aimed
at preserving the river's integrity. They have probed management
issues that represent a cross-section of interests. Citizen input
was analyzed and issues subdivided into approximately 22 goals and
130 strategies reflective of a wide variety of needs and concerns.
Throughout the process, the public was invited and encouraged to
become involved. Working teams met regularly, and periodically
pooled their collective research in "open house" forums
to solicit public feedback. A clearinghouse for ideas was
developed to educate and inform the public on the ideas and issues
generated in the planning process. The following are the major
goals identified by each working team.
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