History
The Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission contacted the Weyerhaeuser Corporation, the land's owner, about developing a park from the wilderness along the Cossatot River in 1975. Although receptive of the offer, Weyerhaeuser was concerned that the Commission would not properly manage the dangerous rapids. It wasn't until 1984 when the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism offered to join the Commission in a joint venture to acquire the land in an attempt to allay the fears of Weyerhaeuser. After a joint meeting, The Nature Conservancy held the land in trust until state funds were allocated for the park. The duality of the park-natural area's management is still represented.
The park was expanded after Arkla Gas Company donated 160 acres (65 ha) in exchange for crossing the Cossatot River with a 36 inches (910 mm) gas pipeline.
Read more about this topic: Cossatot River State Park-Natural Area
Famous quotes containing the word history:
“Every generation rewrites the past. In easy times history is more or less of an ornamental art, but in times of danger we are driven to the written record by a pressing need to find answers to the riddles of today.... In times of change and danger when there is a quicksand of fear under men’s reasoning, a sense of continuity with generations gone before can stretch like a lifeline across the scary present and get us past that idiot delusion of the exceptional Now that blocks good thinking.”
—John Dos Passos (1896–1970)
“Look through the whole history of countries professing the Romish religion, and you will uniformly find the leaven of this besetting and accursed principle of action—that the end will sanction any means.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772–1834)
“The history of all previous societies has been the history of class struggles.”
—Karl Marx (1818–1883)