Hundreds of people up and down the Mississippi and Illinois River valley are petitioning to put a stop to a proposed national park.
A new petition on Change.org is calling for a halt to AltonWorks’ proposed development of the Great Rivers National Park. The national park would affect property in Madison, Jersey, Calhoun, and southern Greene counties for now with the plans for the park slated to expand.
According to Larry West the petition starter, many citizens are deeply concerned that this plan could infringe on private property rights and diminish personal freedoms. The petition emphasizes that with 85% of U.S. land being privately held, the transformation of these private lands into a federal park would take their private property or the ability to hunt and fish those lands.
Riverbender reports that supporters of the petition say this isn’t an opposition to conservation, but a call to protect individual rights while considering environmental progress. The petition highlights that existing public and private lands should already support nature conservation without further encroaching on private ownership.
So far the online petition has gained over 500 signatures.