Supporting Conservation in Our Communities
Facing our challenges:
Fish, forests and wildlife in Missouri face the loss of important habitats due to increased development. Only when conservation needs are a key part of planning for community growth can we protect our valuable resources and improve the quality of life for present and future Missourians.
The Conservation Department has a long tradition of offering conservation information and technical assistance to individuals. This support will now be expanded to households, neighborhoods, local governments and businesses as they work to include quality habitat for both people and nature in their communities.
Goal: The Conservation Department will encourage and support partnerships between communities, local governments and developers to reduce the impact of Missouri’s growth upon our fish, forest and wildlife resources.
Results we want to achieve:
- More communities experiencing economic benefits and an enhanced quality of life from healthy fish, forests and wildlife.
- Missourians applying conservation principles in their homes, neighborhoods and communities.
- Developers and planners using fish, forest and wildlife management and conservation land practices in the design of projects.
What we will do:
- Improve the health of community trees by providing over $250,000 annually in matching tree improvement grants to local communities and neighborhoods.
- Support local fire departments by providing over $350,000 annually in grants for equipment, training and organizing Volunteer Fire Assistance programs.
- Develop a virtual “conservation neighborhood” model and on-the-ground examples that demonstrate conservation-friendly construction methods and the economic value of amenities like neighborhood greenspace, trails, forest buffers, wildlife habitat corridors, stream corridor protection and wildlife viewing opportunities.
- Help communities and neighborhoods access programs and grants for community conservation projects such as stormwater drainage systems, riparian reforestation, stream habitat improvement, landscaping with native plants and public recreational opportunities.
- Assist individuals, communities, corporations and neighborhoods to control nuisance wildlife and provide annual training for private companies offering damage-control services.
- Provide fisheries management assistance and funding for fishing docks, boat ramps, cleaning stations and other accessible facilities at 20 additional community-owned lakes.
What Missourians tell us
Nearly three-quarters of Missourians worry “a great deal” or “a fair amount” about the loss of natural habitat for wildlife near their home, and 69 percent worry about urban sprawl.
Seventy-nine percent of Missourians agree that the Department “should assist communities that want to include trees and green spaces in housing, business and shopping developments.”
Fifty-seven percent of urban and community officials responsible for urban tree care say that their communities are not adequately addressing tree loss during development, and 54 percent say that their communities are not providing enough resources to manage and maintain publicly owned trees.
Only a few communities in Missouri have a full-time person employed for urban forestry work (25 percent), and even fewer employ someone with forestry training (7 percent).
