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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) – A Missouri state park named after former Gov. Jay Nixon has been closed, weeks after it opened.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources spokesman Tom Bastian told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Wednesday that Jay Nixon State Park in Reynolds County closed Feb. 8 due to potential safety concerns.

Nixon, a Democrat, was a champion for the state park system and oversaw the opening of four parks in his final weeks in office. Republican Eric Greitens was inaugurated last month.

The DNR announced in January that a mostly undeveloped 1,200-acre tract of land near Ironton would carry Nixon’s name.

Republican state Rep. Sonja Anderson of Springfield told a House committee that she agreed with the decision to close the park, saying it is in no condition to hike.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch