Environmental groups to discuss Ozark riverways plan in Kansas City

KANSAS CITY — A meeting is scheduled for this weekend in Kansas City to discuss the health of the Current and Jacks Fork rivers in southern Missouri.

The rivers, which are also known as the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, attract nearly 2 million tourists a year. Environmentalists say the rivers' health has been declining over the decades.

The National Park Service has held meetings around the state to discuss its plans to manage the rivers.

Saturday's meeting is sponsored by several groups, including the Missouri Coalition for the Environment, the Sierra Club and Friends of the Ozark Riverways. Members of the public are to have a chance to review and ask questions about the proposed management plan.