Pristine Buck Island nearly open to public
Plan is to open access as early as January
By: John Worthen | Photo by: Steve Keesee
December 28, 2010
ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER — Launching from the confluence of the Mississippi and St. Francis rivers early on a chilly December morning, John Ruskey guided his canoe through the swirling mixture before the “Big River” took charge, tugging him past barges and acres of unspoiled timberland.
A little more than an hour later, Ruskey arrived at a rocky, shell-filled beach. He anchored his canoe, planted his boots firmly in the smooth, dark brown sand and cheerfully greeted: “Welcome to Buck Island.”
The island sits just a mile north of Helena Harbor and is one of the last untouched pieces of property in or along the Mississippi River, Ruskey said.
In 2009, the Game and Fish Commission set aside $350,000 to build a public access easement in hopes of creating a new destination for nature connoisseurs. The commission and the American Land Conservancy — which bought the 1,500-acre island at a 2005 auction for about $1.2 million — have been working together on the project for more than a year.
Loren Hitchcock, the commission’s interim director, said that public access could be open as early as January if all goes as planned. The goal is to “enhance this part of the state by creating new areas to bird watch, fish and, perhaps, even limited hunting,” he said.
Further details will be announced just before the access is officially opened.
Earlier this fall, the American Land Conservancy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service signed an agreement to permanently conserve 880 acres of timber on Buck Island, ensuring that a good part of it will remain untouched in perpetuity.
Ruskey, who operates Quapaw Canoe Co. in Helena-West Helena, has worked with the conservancy on the Buck Island project for the past several years. He offers canoe tours of the river and island to eager visitors.
Though Buck Island is within sight of Helena-West Helena and just a stone’s throw away by canoe, Ruskey prefers a slower approach.
“You really can’t get the full island effect without taking your time,” explained Ruskey, who said he has paddled every mile of the Mississippi River. “It’s so beautiful when you can experience the full island and canoe past every single inch of it from bottom to top.”
Tim Richardson, director of government affairs for the American Land Conservancy, called Buck Island one of “those rare Mississippi River islands that will just take your breath away.”
“It is an amazing place, and we are so thrilled that it will always be kept pristine, and that the public will soon have a chance to see what we have seen there: untamed, natural beauty.”
A recent island tour offered glimpses of bear, deer, hog and other wildlife tracks. Around lunchtime, Ruskey piled seasoned willow branches near the shore and set them ablaze to heat up an alfresco feast of homemade rosemary stew.
As the fire crackled, a flock of Canada geese honked high above the island.
“This is what it’s about,” Ruskey said. “This is one of the purest forms of nature you can experience, and it’s right here, right in our backyard, but many people don’t realize it. To me, this is reality — reality isn’t what you see back in the city.”
Preserving this island so the public will realize its beauty is the goal of the Game and Fish Commission and the American Land Conservancy, officials with both agencies agreed.
Hitchcock said that in addition to limited hunting and fishing, there are plans for hiking trails, bird watching expeditions, boater education courses and a number of other activities.
“We are still working out a few details,” said Hitchcock, who explained that the commission’s role will simply be to oversee the activities, rather than manage the island. That will be left to the conservancy.
“We’re not going to tell them how to run the property,” he added.
The commission owns another island in the Mississippi River: Choctaw Island Wildlife Management Area, which sits 106 miles down river from Buck Island. Though Choctaw is much larger at around 9,000 aces, Hitchcock said the commission has used it as a model for activities at Buck Island.
“[Buck Island] is going to be something that we are very proud of,” Hitchcock said. “This entire part of the state has something very special, and we hope people will come and enjoy its beauty.”
As Ruskey’s most recent paddle tour of the island ended, he eased past a plump beaver that quickly dove into the river when it spotted his canoe.
Ruskey lives to share such sights with others. He said he opened his Helena shop expecting that Buck Island would one day be made available to the public.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled about this project,” Ruskey said. “It’s fantastic to see it finally happen.”
Learn more about ALC's Buck Island project here.
