RISON - Gov. Sarah Sanders’ office has announced that there are no plans to close Marks Mill State Park at New Edinburg nor any other state park after the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette uncovered an email that included Marks Mill as one of seven parks on an “eliminate” list.
Alexa Henning, a spokesperson for the governor, said in a written statement last week that the governor had no intentions of closing any state parks nor reducing state park personnel.
The Democrat-Gazette published an article last Tuesday, June 20, reporting that former Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism Secretary Mike Mills had sent an email to Bryan Sanders, the governor’s husband, on May 22 seeking a meeting with Gov. Sanders.
In a May 24 email Mills sent to Shea Lewis, the former state parks director, there was a list of seven parks next to the words “Eliminate parks” in the email.
Marks Mill State Park, located at the junction of Hwy. 8 and Hwy. 97 west of New Edinburg, was on that list. Other parks on the list were Herman Davis Park in Manila; South Arkansas Arboretum in El Dorado; Jenkins Ferry State Park outside of (see MARKS MILL page 8) (continued from page 1) Sheridan in Grant County; Conway Cemetery near Walnut Hill in Lafayette County; Arkansas Post Museum near Gillett; and the Lower White River Museum in Des Arc.
Mills’ meeting with the governor never happened as he resigned from office on June 2, less than six months after being appointed the office.
Two of the suggested sites for closure, Marks Mill and Jenkins Ferry, were both part of the Camden Expedition Scenic Byway that was created by Act 292 of 2019.
The byway follows the 1864 Civil War military activities in Arkansas that were part of the Red River Campaign, a failed attempt by the Union army to defeat the remaining Confederate troops in Arkansas and Louisiana to set up an invasion of Texas. The Arkansas leg of t...
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