Commissioner Steven Foster encouraged Parks’ commissioners to develop interpretive signage at Lake Leatherwood City Park to educate the public regarding park rules. He recounted seeing someone finishing a hike carrying a bunch of indigenous delphiniums she had picked along the way. The flowers began to wilt by the time she got to her vehicle, so she tossed them on the ground.
Foster said there are plants in LLCP found hardly anywhere else in Arkansas. He also pointed out there are invasive flora species, even in the lake, which they must plan for.
Chair Bill Featherstone said they had asked for more visitors, and now they must deal with the consequences. Commissioners agreed to push forward educating the public to “take only photos, leave only footprints.”
Featherstone mentioned city council would be holding a workshop regarding ordinances that would ban smoking in city parks, and encouraged anyone with an opinion to speak up. He cited an article in the Feb. 23 Northwest Arkansas edition of the Democrat-Gazette about the City of Ft. Smith voting to ban smoking in its city parks, one of 1400 cities that have banned tobacco products in city parks. He said eliminating smoking from city parks would mean less litter and promote a healthier lifestyle.