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Amid controversy and under threat of damming, Arkansas’ iconic Buffalo National River was designated as the country’s first National River in 1972. Despite that monumental step toward permanent protection, the river has remained mired in controversy.

We had hoped that the fight for the Buffalo was finally won a few years ago, when the C&H hog farm that had polluted the river — causing algae blooms and poor water quality in the river and one of its tributaries — was finally shut down. 

That hog farm had managed to use every loophole possible to secure a permit and operate in the Buffalo River watershed. While we respect the work of livestock operators and their contributions to Arkansas’ community and economy, the Buffalo’s tributaries are not the right place for such businesses. Thankfully, a moratorium against concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, was established in 2020 in the Buffalo River watershed. Arkansas spent $6.2 million in taxpayer dollars to reconcile the C&H operation and clean up that particular hog farm. 

The result? Arkansans and other Americans who travel to visit one of the last undammed rivers in America could rest easy, knowing that smart protections had been put in place to conserve the river and make recreation safe. All that was left was to simply enjoy the river, with its magnificent beauty and flowing waters.

Until January 2025, that is, when State Senator Blake Johnson introduced Senate Bill 84. A farmer from Clay County District 12, Johnson wrote a bill that would reopen the door to hog farms and similar operations by banning watershed permitting moratoriums.

With only two moratoriums in place in Arkansas, it’s hard to see this as anything but an attack on the Buffalo. The other moratorium is for the Maumelle River watershed. The drinking water for more than 450,000 Arkansans comes from this watershed. After receiving major push back in the Senate Ag Committee from dozens and dozens of concerned citizens and conservation groups who testified against it, SB84 was pulled.  It was a badly-written bill, and it was shut down — as it should’ve been.

But Sen. Johnson, who is backed by the Arkansas Farm Bureau, came back and  introduced SB290: a bill written to do the same exact thing.

Johnson brought his bill to the Senate Ag Committee on multiple occasions where, each time it was met with heavy opposition from Arkansas citizens and organizations who care deeply about the health and future of the Buffalo National River. And each time, Johnson would either pull the bill or table it to “make amendments.” 

On April 1, he once again brought the bill to the committee, where it was met with heavy opposition from the citizens of Arkansas. But this time, after hearing testimony from 19 people — all of whom were unanimously in opposition of the bill — a voice vote was called. The Arkansans in attendance heard only three committee members vote “Yes,” and one vote “No.” Even though several members of the Committee were not heard from in the voice vote, no roll call vote was made and the bill passed out of committee.

From there, it was quickly passed to the Senate where constituents throughout the state did not have time to register their thoughts on the bill with their elected Senators. It currently waits in the House Agriculture Committee, where it’s slated to be on the agenda Mon. April 7. 

SB290 is a bad bill, and it’s being pushed by the Arkansas Farm Bureau. The conservation and outdoor recreation community have attempted to work with Sponsors of the bill and the  Farm Bureau to help this bill achieve its “stated goals,” and still have permanent protections in place for the two watersheds. 

The Bureau and the bill’s sponsors, however, have been unwilling to work with these groups. Instead, they keep pushing for the bill to go through as-is. They will give only the verbal assurances that no one wants to see CAFOs in these two watersheds. Political promises are not good enough — particularly for those who have worked so hard to remove the hog farm and safeguard our critical watersheds. SB290 includes loopholes that would allow CAFOs to be permitted, and it would force the conservation and recreation community to keep fighting the same fight every four years.

As for the Maumelle River watershed, the need for a permit moratorium is cut and dry. No Arkansan should have to worry about the contamination of their water source.

The Buffalo River watershed, meanwhile, is the major economic driver for a rural part of the state that counts on tourism dollars to survive. It’s a jewel in the crown of the Natural State, and in 2023 more than 1.5 million people visited the river and towns around it to float, camp, and enjoy clean and scenic views. Their dollars drive our small-town economies.

The National Park service estimates that the Buffalo generates $94.5 million in economic output, directly accounts for 1,030 jobs, is responsible for $29.4 million in labor income, and creates $50 million in value added to the area. And if those numbers aren’t enough, consider this: The Buffalo River is priceless. It flows 138 miles through some of the most beautiful areas of the Ozarks and Arkansas itself. Our river is one of the last free-flowing, undammed rivers in the country, and polluting it for the benefit of a few businesses at the expense of all Arkansans is unacceptable.

As our state government emphasizes outdoor tourism to help drive the economy and attract more visitors and residents, it becomes more important than ever to protect the wild places we have in our state. 

The people of Buffalo River country were forced to give up their lands and their families land for the benefit and enjoyment of the entire country. They have adapted and overcome this hardship to see the area flourish with the ecotourism that those sacrifices allowed. 

Now, we are again pushing them to the brink and threatening their way of life. How can our elected officials force these hard-working and proud Arkansans to give up what they have worked so hard to achieve? And how can we even consider putting the Buffalo River, and the Arkansans who rely on and cherish it, at risk again?

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Our specific objections with the bill include, but are not limited to the following:

1. SB 290 would strip the only two existing moratoriums on CAFOs in specific watersheds within the state. It creates an arduous process to get a moratorium in place, based on an ever-revolving legislative cohort who often bring their own special interests to the table. 

1. This bill would eliminate science-backed data and conclusions done by agencies within the state (whose role it is to specialize in these areas) and the reasoning for the moratoriums. It would place it in the hands of legislators with limited knowledge of geology, hydrology, environmental engineering, environmental impacts, aquaculture, economic impacts, and of the contaminates created by CAFOs.

1. The bill also puts the future of the moratoriums in risk every four years. The karst geology of the Buffalo River Watershed and its National River status does not change within four-year cycles. Nor do the demands for clean reliable drinking water for the citizens in the Central Arkansas Region that rely on the Maumelle River watershed to meet those demands.

1. Loopholes created by this bill will have unintended consequences that can be exploited by future CAFOs. With the taxpayers of Arkansas having just paid 6.2 million to clean up the last mess created by such loopholes; it is at best irresponsible of the governing body of the state to put the taxpayer's at risk again.

If you wish, you may review the bill CLICK HERE

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Why You Should Care

Arkansas Senate Bill 290, which currently resides in the House committee on Agriculture, Forestry, and Economic Development is a piece of legislation that would negatively impact all outdoorsmen and women of the state, out-of-state users of Arkansas public waters, lands, and resources, along with the safety of drinking water for over 400,000 central Arkansans.

SB290 would create more unnecessary government oversight of the agencies responsible for some of our most precious resources and place them in the hands of legislators who are using them for political gain and partisan politics and will allow them to continue doing so, into the future.

Arkansas Backcountry Hunters and Anglers is asking for your action to stop this legislation from stripping away the protections in place on these two sensitive watersheds! The outdoor enthusiasts are fed up with politicians and large corporate interests continuing to threaten the places we hold most dear. This legislation revokes the protections we have all fought so hard to put in place, opens the door for polluting and millions or billions more dollars of taxpayer money that will be used to clean up what should never have been allowed in the first place.

Kip Kruger Arkansas Policy Chairman

Edits By Natalie Krebs Arkansas

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Use our action alert and take action now, or

Find your representative so that you can call or email them NOW and ask them to vote NO on SB 290: CLICK HERE

Dear [name],

I am writing to you with a request to oppose Senate Bill 290. Ending the moratoriums for CAFOs on the Buffalo River watershed and the Maumelle River watershed opens the door for more legal battles with polluters and puts one of our most cherished areas for outdoor recreation in jeopardy — as well as the drinking water for more than 400,000 Arkansans.

Special interests are driving this bill. They do not care about the water quality within these two watersheds, nor do they care about the people who enjoy the recreation and tranquility they provide, the importance of clean water for fish and wildlife, and the livelihoods of the Arkansans who rely on the health of these watersheds to make a living.

Furthermore, the ramifications of this bill are long lasting. Even if a moratorium is granted, every four years the moratorium will be up for renewal. This only ensures that our sensitive resources can and will be used as a political football. 

I urge you to vote no on SB290 and keep in place the permanent protections of two of the state's most sensitive watersheds. Only two moratoriums exist in the state and both moratoriums have already received the scrutiny and approval of government agencies and legislative bodies of the state. The only reason to remove them is to open the door for those who do not have an interest in maintaining the health of these sensitive areas and who only wish to exploit places that belong to all Arkansans for their own minimal short-term financial gain.

Please stand with the sportsmen and women, outdoor enthusiasts, and communities of Arkansas who oppose SB 290.

Thank you,

[Your name]