Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce formed

Just in time for the season to hike, canoe and other outdoor adventures, a group of businesses along the 150-mile Buffalo National River in Arkansas have formed a chamber of commerce to promote the river and associated activities.

The newly formed group wants to capture as much of the 18% of the U.S. population they say lives within two tanks of gas of the Buffalo National River.

In addition to better facilitating travel itinerary, reservations and access to information, the new chamber website is “designed to elevate the Buffalo River’s national prominence to a level equal to other famous American national parks like Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon.”

The Buffalo River, according to the National Park Service, is one of the few remaining rivers in the contiguous 48 states to not have a dam. Also, the river has three federally designated wilderness areas that total more than 30,000 acres.

"The Buffalo River is the greatest tourism treasure in Arkansas," Michael Dougherty, president of the group, said in the statement. "Our website helps visitors plan their stay with "deep content" details, answering all their questions about where to go and what to do on this majestic Ozark river.”

Dougherty said the group is in its infancy but is growing.

“We are really in the membership recruitment mode right now. We have about 30 members, and more on the way,” Dougherty told The City Wire.

He said the impetus for creating the new chamber was simple: “We needed to create an identity that was based on the river and the region and the wildlands.”

Dougherty said he and his wife moved to the area from St. Louis about 6 years ago. They traveled to many of the natural sites around the nation, and were “staggered” by what they saw around the Buffalo River.

“The first time we saw the place, it was like the world just fell away,” Dougherty said. “It couldn’t be a more amazing resource, and I just don’t think it has been explained properly.”

Specifically, the website was created to help link the numerous recreational activities along along the river to the appropriate businesses and government agencies.

"We are excited that the newly formed Buffalo River Chamber of Commerce will lead more people to this area," John and Eileen Olwell, owners of the White Buffalo Resort, said in the statement. "The online tools will facilitate the planning for first time visitors, and for returning customers who want to venture out a little farther and explore all the area has to offer."

Although the website is the focus of the chamber’s campaign to promote more visitors, the group also plans to partner with other local, state and national organizations who promote the river and activities associated with national parks and rivers.

The chamber’s campaign to promote the Buffalo will be centered on the Internet, but it will also include partnering with other organizations on the local, state and national levels to insure that the river has a group dedicated to advocating for its water purity and scenic qualities, which make it one of America’s best-loved, but least-known national parks.

"We think we have created the ‘go-to’ website for the Buffalo River National Park," said Joseph Morgan, co-owner of the historic Arkansas House Inn, Cabin and Cafe in Jasper. "We have given this great river, a true world-class national treasure, a website presence equal to its purity and pristine beauty."