U.S. Congressman John Boozman 3rd District of Arkansas

House Seal Outline

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Washington, Apr 9, 2008 -

U.S. Representative John Boozman (R-AR) today praised the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for hearing testimony on H.R. 3998, a bill authorizing the Interior Department to conduct studies on ten projects to determine the appropriate means for preservation, use, and management of the resources.

H.R. 3998 was passed by the House in December of 2007. The legislation authorizes a study of the historical “Ox-Bow Route” of the Butterfield Overland trail for potential addition to the National Trails System. The language for the study, authored by Rep. Boozman, was included in H.R. 3998.

The Butterfield Trail was a connection between the Eastern United States and the rapidly expanding West Coast in the mid 1800s before railroads and the famed Pony Express.  It ran through Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and California.

In Arkansas, the Butterfield Overland Trail runs from the Missouri line through the Pea Ridge National Military Park and continues on through Washington and Crawford Counties to Fort Smith. The Butterfield Hiking Trail in Devil’s Den State Park and the Ozark National Forest follows this historic stagecoach route for 15 miles.  

“I’m very pleased the Senate Committee has taken up discussion of this bill. It’s important to remember our past and this is one way we can honor our ancestors,” Boozman said. "Senator Lincoln and Senator Pryor have played a vital role in helping this legislation move along and I thank them for their support."

“This piece of our national history is a tool for educating future generations and a means to attract tourists to learn more about the settlement and growth of this country," Boozman said.

Among the nine other projects included in H.R. 3998 is the Wolf House, the oldest public structure in Arkansas, located in Baxter County.