CONSERVATION ACTION
News of the March 7, 2002 Conservation Commission meeting
Contact: Stephanie Ramsey Westbrook, (573) 751-4115;
E-mail: Stephanie.Westbrook@mdc.mo.gov

The Conservation Commission met March 7 at the Powder Valley Nature Center, Kirkwood, Missouri. Commissioners present were:

Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City
Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre
Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau
Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis

The next meeting of the Conservation Commission was set for April 29-30 at the Presley Education Center, near Salem.

PRESENTATION:

Commission meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business must send a written request to Director, Department of Conservation, P. O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or FAX (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is April 15, 2002.

The Commission heard the following presentations:

• John Flicker, President and CEO of the National Audubon Society; Roger Still, Executive Director, Missouri Audubon; Tony Robyn, Director of the Audubon Center Project; and Joplin, Missouri Community Leaders
  • Presented progress of the development of the Audubon Center project in Joplin, Missouri.
• Susan Haines, Co-Chair, Discovery Center Committee, Friends of Rock Bridge Memorial Park
  • Presented plans for a potential partnership for a discovery center at the Rock Bridge Memorial State Park near Columbia, Missouri.
• Al Meloni, Director, St. Joseph Museum, Inc., Marci Bennett, Executive Director, St. Joseph Convention and Visitors Bureau, and St. Joseph community leaders.
  • Presented progress of the St. Joseph, Missouri Riverfront Project
• Private Land Services Chief Steve Young and Grow Native! Program Coordinator Judy Allmo
  • Presented overview of the Grow Native! program business plan.
• Don Crabtree of Queen City, Missouri
  • Presented information on quail and pheasant populations.
• Howard Ramsey and Rick Powell, Noodler's Anonymous of Paris, Missouri
  • Presented information on hand fishing.
• Douglas Flannery of Whitewater, Missouri
  • Presented information regarding the Duck Creek Conservation Area.
• Dr. Steve Harrison, Missouri Big Game Farmers & Breeders Association of Rolla, Missouri
  • Presented information on privately owned hunting preserves in Missouri.
• Volunteer Service Awards for 2,000 hours of volunteer service at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center were presented to: Bob Anderson, Ken Barket, Alma Dulz, Bill Maass, Liz McCane and Ed Witte.
• Volunteer Service Awards for 2,000 hours of volunteer service at Rockwoods Reservation were presented to: Jim Westbury and George Triplett.
• A special award was presented by Commission Chairman Gorman to Ron Hansen, Architectural/Administrative Chief, for his work on the new Discovery Center in Kansas City, Missouri.

REGULATIONS:

The Commission approved three regulations, to be filed as Emergency Amendments to the Wildlife Code, that will help ensure that Missouri remains free from chronic wasting disease. The new rules require cervids (deer and elk) that have ever been held in a state or province having a documented chronic wasting disease case to come from a herd comprised of animals that have been certified, through a United States Department of Agriculture approved or state-sponsored program, to be chronic wasting disease free for a minimum of three (3) years.

The Commission also approved a regulation requiring licensed hunting preserves to maintain records on the premises that provide documentation of species, purchase, sale, propagation, health certification, applicable permits, and harvest.

ADMINISTRATION: The Commission also took the following action:

1. Accepted, with deep regret, the intent to retire effective July 1, 2002 from Missouri Department of Conservation Director Jerry M. Conley. The Commission intends to seek a successor from within the Department.
2. Authorized to enter into a contract with Byrne & Jones Enterprises of St. Louis, Missouri for the construction of the Columbia Bottom Conservation Area Project located in St. Louis County.
3. Authorized funding for three projects through the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation and continuation of funding for outdoor classrooms.
4. Authorized the purchase of approximately 6 acres on the Wyaconda River in Lewis County as an addition to Sunnyside School Access.
5. Authorized the trade of approximately 80 acres of Rocky Creek Conservation Area for approximately 95 acres as an addition to the Angeline Conservation area, all in Shannon County.
6. Revoked all hunting, fishing and trapping privileges of: Sterling A. Butler, Wright City, one year; Dusty G. Halpin, Fredericktown, one year; and Danny M. Stegall, Kansas City, one year.
7. Authorized the payment of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) testing in captive cervids associated with the pending CWD surveillance program in concert with the Missouri Department of Agriculture, should funding become unavailable through federal programs. This funding would be made available during the first two years of surveillance implementation.

The Commission received the following staff presentations:

1. Update on FY 02 Status on Major Construction/Development Projects dated January 31, 2002.
2. Update on the Monthly Financial Summary and Out-of-State Travel Detail Report dated January 31, 2002.
3. Review of legislation affecting the Department.
4. Report on funding requests for partnerships for future consideration.

- end -