OZARK, Mo. – With a simple snip of a pair of scissors, an outdoors jewel was opened to the public in the community of Ozark on Tuesday, Aug. 20.

The City of Ozark teamed with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and other groups for a ribbon-cutting ceremony that officially opened Garrison Springs Community Forest. The nearly 10-acre tract, located within the city near the heart of Ozark’s downtown, includes an ADA-approved trail, an unpaved trail that leads to a scenic lookout, and an onsite structure that will be opened as an educational center in the future.

In addition to its aesthetic appeal, the site also has historic significance for this Christian County community. Garrison Spring Branch, which flows through the park and discharges into the Finley River, once supplied water to the nearby Frisco Railroad and was a potential source of drinking water for some Ozark residents in the community’s early days. Garrison Springs is a site that was settled in the mid-1800s and has been of part of the town’s culture since the Garrison family first built on this location. The site also contains remnants of a dam that was built to create trout ponds in the early 20th century.

MDC contributed $125,250 to the Garrison Springs project through a Land Conservation Partnership Grant. In addition to the City of Ozark and MDC, the U.S. Forest Service provided additional grant funding. The James River Basin Partnership and the Watershed Conservation Corps also provided guidance on the forestry management plan for the site.

Garrison Springs Community Forest will provide walking benefits and nature photography opportunities, but the site provides more to the community of Ozark than pretty trails. Urban forest tracts also help filter air and water, control storm water, and provide habitat for a variety of wildlife species.

“Nearly 81 percent of Americans now live in urban areas so it’s clear we’re becoming a more urbanized population,” said MDC Community Conservation Planner Ronda Burnett. “Because of these growth patterns, urban forests are more important than ever – they are literally the trees outside of our front doors. They add beauty, form, and structure to urban design. By reducing noise and providing places to recreate, urban forests strengthen social cohesion, spur community revitalization, and add economic value to our communities.”