Recreation Visitor Safety - Report Sample

June 11th, 2010, is a day to remember, especially those who lost their loved ones and those who experienced the tragedy in Albert Pike Recreation Area in Ouachita National Forest in Arkansas. On this fateful day, a flash flood occurred in the Albert Pike Recreation Area and its environs, claiming the lives of 20 people and several others. Due to this tragedy, the government had to step in so that they could evaluate, assess, analyze, and make recommendations that would help address the visitors’ safety at those sites.

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This information is published by Washington D.C: USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Forest Service. On that Friday morning, the river Missouri and its tributaries broke its banks and swept everything surrounding it, even the people camping along the stream. It is said that the depths of the river increased from 3.57 feet to 23.39 feet in 41/4 hours that morning. The depths have been triggered by the overnight rainfall.

The search and rescue operations began after the flash flood with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office notifying emergency responders like Arkansas State Police, Pike County, the National Guard, and many other volunteers, including the local church that was nearby which helped the survivors. At the time, the Secretary of Agriculture, Thomas J. Vilsack, directed for an inquiry to be made concerning the flood events at Albert Pike Recreation Area ("United States," 2010). The investigation to be made was to look into the events before, during, and after the flood and make recommendations based on the findings of facts.

In moving forward, there was interagency consultation to understand the nature of the flood occurrence and to assess any potential flash flood warning systems. There was a deployment of a rapid assessment team to find out and determine the short-term management options suitable for the Albert Pike Recreation Area. Actions needed to be done for the partial opening of the Recreation Area like installing new signs and posters, removing flood debris and hazardous trees on site, clearing the swimming pool area with large debris, and restoring electricity and also water to the washrooms. In the surrounding area, the road's 31 miles were to be opened, which had been damaged by the flooding (“United States," 2010).

In the regional assessments, it was identified that not all hazards could be identified and eliminated. They focused their evaluation on the developed recreation sites like campgrounds, day-use sites, and even wildlife viewing sites. After the completion of the assessment, policies, procedures, and communication were done. They posted information on websites to create awareness, they had to change the sites from overnight to daytime use, and there were updated emergency response and effective evacuation plans.

This information is most useful to visitors who plan to visit the forests, the surrounding communities, and even the local government. For the visitors, it is for them to be aware of what they are getting into. In case of an accident, they know the measures to take. The surrounding communities need to be mindful of the activities they engage in so that it does not affect the recreation areas' natural setting. The local government will use the information to enforce the site's laws and maintain peace amongst the community members and visitors.

No one always wants a tragedy to occur. In case it does then we are expected to be psychologically prepared. Having the policies and measures to be followed will help a great deal in the prevention of tragic events.

Reference

The United States. (2010). Recreation visitor safety report. https://permanent.fdlp.gov/gpo28738/MARC_Record_Marketplace_2009-10.pdf