Locals raise concerns about redevelopment of Walter Woods Nature Preserve | KSNF/KODE

NEWTON COUNTY, Missouri – Two local men are now speaking out about the work that needs to be done to reopen a conservation center in the area.

This is an update to the story we first presented to you last week.

Few people love the Walter Woods Conservation Area as much as Jerry Hickenbottom. Hickenbottom once lived on the property and was its last caretaker before it was sold to the Missouri Department of Conservation for one dollar in 1985.

“My opinion and the opinion of several others is that this land does not pose a threat to the people who use it and that it should not be logged and deforested,” Hickenbottom said.

His concern is the remediation work the EPA will have to do on the site to remove lead-contaminated soil. He fears that this pristine property will end up looking just like the private property next door that the EPA recently completed.

“Anyone who is in this area and has witnessed some of this reclamation will see that basically all the timber and all the buildings have been cut down to a depth of 2 to 3 feet and then there’s nothing left. When people who come to the area find out about this, they’re going to be very upset,” Hickenbottom said.

But he is not alone. Dr. Mike Lawson, MSSU biology professor emeritus, does not believe the work is justified because there is not enough lead to pose a danger to visitors.

“The lead levels here would be extremely low. This is not like Galena, where we had Hell’s Half Acre and people lived around the smelter there. There was never a smelter here, there was never any mining on this property itself. So what are the lead levels and what is the plan?” said Dr. Lawson.

A spokesman for the Missouri Department of Conservation says the EPA will not take any action on the fish pond, the building or even the exterior entrance. The spokesman calls Walter Woods a “valued outdoor space” and adds that the work will create a “safer and healthier recreation area for Newton County residents.”

There is no information on when the renovation will begin or end. The men just hope that the beauty of the property will be preserved.