The Conservation Commission of Missouri (bottom left photo, from left to right) Commissioners Stephen C. Bradford, Cynthia Metcalfe, |
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The Next Generation of Conservation at Work
A new plan guides the Conservation Department toward a better future for Missouri’s resources.
Ever since voters first established the Conservation Department by voting for a constitutional amendment in 1936, generations of Missourians have pulled together to protect our state’s fish, forests and wildlife.
A new strategic plan, The Next Generation of Conservation, leads the Conservation Department’s staff and resources into the future. Like the strategic plans that preceded it, The Next Generation outlines how the Conservation Department will fulfill its constitutional mandate to serve Missourians by protecting the state’s fish, forest and wildlife resources.
The new strategic plan gives our generation of conservationists a path to success. Through partnerships, sound scientific data, respect for public opinion and a dedication to public service, we can fulfill our obligation to protect and manage our natural resources for the benefit of future generations.
Looking Ahead
The Next Generation of Conservation starts with a vision of the future. Not content with the status quo or to rest on its many achievements, the Conservation Department created a plan that paints a picture of how Missouri’s plants, wildlife and people could be better served.
Naturally, we have to start with healthy, sustainable plant and animal communities throughout the state. The Conservation Department has been protecting our fish, forest and wildlife resources since it was established, but this plan envisions improving those resources so that they are in “appreciably better condition tomorrow than they are today.”
Improvement will come from working closely with our most important partner, the people of Missouri. We might have a hard time persuading every person in the state to plant a tree or pick up trash along a river, but we can gain people’s support for conservation action.
It’s enough if Missourians recognize that conservation is one of the state’s best investments. People pay a tiny fraction of their taxes for the everyday advantages of beautiful scenery, clean waterways and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities. Beyond improving our quality of life, conservation also gives a lift to the state’s economy. In fact, Missourians and travelers from other states spend much more money on outdoor recreation than we spend for conservation of those resources that make outdoor recreation possible. Conservation pays for itself.
The vision would not be complete without underscoring the value of partnerships. Call partnerships the power of many. Working together, people, organizations, local governments and agencies can create a Missouri that our children and their children can love and enjoy. They will thank us for planning ahead on their behalf.
Our Goals For the Next Generation
In The Next Generation of Conservation, the nine goals are accompanied by discussions of the challenges that face us and the results we want to achieve. Each is then followed by a list of specific work we will do to achieve that goal. However, it is not an exhaustive list of all that the Department will do to achieve that goal.
The lists are included within the plan, which has been reprinted in this issue. While the goals are general, the work listed is more specific. For example, under the goal of Conserving Plants, Animals and Their Habitats, the list includes:“Establish or expand 40 Natural Areas to enhance Missouri’s Natural Areas System and to protect the best examples of Missouri’s ecological subsections.”
Under the goal of Supporting Conservation in Our Communities, the “What we will do” list includes: “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.”
Many of the items listed have target dates. For example, under the goal of Teaching Missourians About Fish, Forest and Widlife Resources, we plan to: “Create a new, school-based Learning Outdoors program by 2008 that features wildlife, ecology and aquatic units designed to meet testing standards while providing exciting, hands-on learning experiences for Missouri students.”
The Next Generation of Conservation will guide Conservation Department employees, programs, activities and philosophy for years to come. Already, Department budgets and positions are being changed to meet the requirements of the plan. In a short time, you’ll even see changes to the Conservation Department’s Web site and to the Conservationist magazine that will focus our activities toward the strategic plan’s goals and allow the public to monitor our efforts and, ultimately, our success in fulfilling the plan.
The Next Generation of Conservation is essential if we
are to fulfill our responsibility of passing on a better
world to those who come after us. 
The Next Generation of Conservation at Work:
The Conservation Commission of Missouri, which the state’s citizens voted into existence in 1936 when they approved Constitutional Amendment No. 4, oversees the operations of the Missouri Department of Conservation. The four-member Commission operates under directives outlined in the Constitution of Missouri. These directives are:
Duties of the commission include serving as the Department’s policy makers, approving Missouri Wildlife Code Regulations, appointing the Department’s director, developing budgets, making major expenditure decisions and helping to develop and approve strategic plans.
Commissioners were engaged in the entire 18-month development process of The Next Generation of Conservation strategic plan, which concluded with their final approval of the plan in the April 2006 Commission meeting. Current members of the Commission are Stephen C. Bradford of Cape Girardeau, William F. “Chip” McGeehan of Marshfield, Cynthia Metcalfe of St. Louis and Lowell Mohler of Jefferson City. All four agree that The Next Generation of Conservation is a sound strategic plan that incorporates both professional expertise and public opinion.
“It’s a strategic plan that lays out very clearly a road map for the future of conservation priorities that this Department has established and this Commission has approved,” Mohler said. “It gives a lot of support to partnerships and the importance of us [the Department of Conservation] teaming up with many others to make this plan work.”
“The important thing about The Next Generation plan is the recognition it gives to the wonderful natural diversity of our state, as well as to the diversity of interests and the importance of nature to our citizens,” Metcalfe said.
“In the 1970s, we came out with Design for Conservation,” McGeehan said. “The Next Generation is a great road map to continue the quality of life for the residents of Missouri in regard to their enjoyment of our fish, forest and wildlife.”
“I think the citizens of Missouri can take comfort in the fact that the Department of Conservation staff will, indeed, implement this program just as they did the Design for Conservation,” Bradford said.—Francis Skalicky
The Next Generation of Conservation builds on past plans and adds unique concepts that reflect the philosophy and priorities of the current Conservation Commission and John Hoskins, the current Conservation Department director.
In his first address to the Conservation Department staff after being named director in 2002, Hoskins encouraged Department employees to provide exemplary public service.
“There’s no room for arrogance,” he said at the conclusion of his speech. “We must actively listen to our constituents, respect their views and act in the best interest of Missourians. This is the highest way we can honor our state’s citizens.”
Hoskins also believes in the value of conservation partners, whether they be landowners, government entities, organizations or simply conservation-minded people. Partnerships pool energy, impetus and resources to make conservation happen more efficiently.
Download a digital copy of The Next Generation of Conservation or request extra copies from The Next Generation of Conservation, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.
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