FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. —The University of Arkansas Press is proud to announce that it is now the official distributor for the books published by The Ozark Society. The Society is based in Little Rock and specializes in books about conservation, education and recreation. The Society's list features a collection of rich region-specific titles, such as “Wildflowers of Arkansas” by Carl G. Hunter; “The Buffalo River Handbook” by Kenneth L. Smith; and “Cadron Creek: a Photographic Narrative” by Jil Junas. Now book fans of the Ozark Society can buy directly from the UA Press.

The Ozark Society Inc. was founded in 1962 by an Ozark native, Dr. Neil Compton, and a group of associates in order to save the Buffalo River from two “flood control” dams proposed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Society founders, working with Sen. J. William Fulbright, helped get the National Park Service to survey the Buffalo River area and began to campaign for the creation of the "Buffalo National River" as an alternative to the dams. It took 10 years, but Congress passed legislation to designate the first "national river" in 1972.

The Ozark Society has continued since that time as a strong regional organization dedicated to the preservation of wild and scenic rivers, wilderness, and unique natural areas through its programs of conservation, education and recreation. In 1967, the Society established a foundation as both a publishing arm and a charitable organization centered on the promotion and conservation of Arkansas' natural beauty. Both its first book and its most recent were the works of Kenneth L. Smith. “Buffalo River Country” was instrumental in gaining widespread support for the Buffalo National River designation; “Buffalo River Handbook” assumes correctly that thousands of individuals hope to float the Buffalo or walk its treasured paths.

In addition, the foundation published naturalist Carl Hunter’s popular field guides on the wildflowers and trees of Arkansas, and two books of photography and narrative by its founder, Neil Compton.  After almost 40 years of selling books principally through word of mouth and the efforts of the society’s authors, all these books plus others on Arkansas' natural history and specific float streams are now being sold through a new relationship between the Foundation and the University of Arkansas Press. The Ozark Society Foundation joins Phoenix International and the Fullcourte Press in turning to the UA Press for its distribution. With the help of the UA Press and its distinguished catalog,  the Ozark Society Foundation hopes to take its message of Arkansas' beauty and its passion for conservation to a national audience.

For more information about the Ozark Society, go to http://www.ozarksociety.net/index.htm. For a complete list of the books now available thorough the UA Press, go to http://www.uapress.com/titles/ozark_soc/index.html.