FREE ACCESS Reward offered after vandals destroy Boy Scout donations, Wolf Creek trailhead

Benches constructed by local Boy Scouts with materials donated from local businesses were among the items damaged when vandals struck Sept. 7 on the Wolf Creek Trail in Poplar Bluff.

Photo provided

Local officials and volunteers are seeking the public’s help today, after what has been described as a senseless act of vandalism destroyed thousands of dollars worth of items on the Wolf Creek Trail.

Signs donated by the local volunteer trails coalition and benches constructed by Boy Scouts were among the items lost, according to reports.

The damage occurred on the evening of Sept. 7, officials said.

The trailhead sign at Wolf Creek was also among the items destroyed.

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“The Poplar Bluff Trails coalition is offering a $500 reward for information leading to the arrest of the individual(s) who vandalized this property. In the state of Missouri, $750 property damage is a felony, punishable by a fine and/or prison time,” members of the trails coalition said.

If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Butler County Sheriff’s Department at 573-785-8444 or Mark Twain National Forest’s Patrol Captain Casey Hutsell at 573-341-7463 or email him at casey.hutsell@usda.gov.

“The vandal demolished signs that were donated and installed by the Poplar Bluff Trails Coalition, a nonprofit established to help plan, promote and maintain trails in the Poplar Bluff region,” the forest service shared in social media post. “Benches were ruined that were installed by local aspiring Eagle Scouts from the Poplar Bluff area. The materials for the benches were acquired by donations from local business owners.

Multiple items, including this tree, were damaged Sept. 7 by vandals on the Wolf Creek Trail.

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“Destruction like what has occurred at Wolf Creek not only is a disservice to the public that uses the trail, but also many other involved individuals and businesses that have made the Wolf Creek Trail a destination in Southeast Missouri.”

The Wolf Creek Trail system was designed and constructed prior to 2017. It is maintained through a partnership between the United States Forest Service - Mark Twain National Forest, Poplar Bluff Parks and Recreation Department, and the work of volunteers. Construction and purchase of trail amenities such as restrooms, signage and parking lot gravel were funded via a grant from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Recreational Trails Program, additional grants and donations of time and money from volunteers.

There are approximately 21 miles of trail, according to the forest service. It is designed for mountain biking, but can be used for hiking or trail running. The trail crosses several tributaries of Wolf Creek.