Copyright ©2008 Conservation Commission of Missouri. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use
A 115-pound alligator gar topped the year's records.
JEFFERSON CITY -- 2001 was a year of record for several Missouri anglers. The Missouri Department of Conservation certified five state fishing records this year.
The Conservation Department recognizes state-record catches in two categories -- "Pole, Line and Lure" and "Alternative Methods." The year's first record catch was an "Alternative Methods" catch. Shawn Jones of Montgomery snagged a 75-pound bighead carp at Lake of the Ozarks in March.
A 9-pound, 3-ounce spotted gar taken with bow and arrow in May put O'Fallon resident Jason Rhodes in the record books. That fish also was taken at Lake of the Ozarks.
June was a good month to catch big fish. Queen City resident James Michael Dockery reeled in a 4-pound shovelnose sturgeon from the Des Moines River June 3 to establish a pole-and-line record for the species. Truman Lake produced a new gizzard shad record June 5 when Johnny Lee Ash of Windsor caught a 1-pound 6-ounce specimen on pole and line. David M. Smith, Perryville, made a new entry in the record book by catching a 115-pound, 2-ounce alligator gar. He took the fish from the Headwater Diversion Channel with archery tackle.
Two catches from Missouri waters set National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame world angling records in 2001. Richard J. Hayden set a Division 2 fly-fishing record in March for reeling in a 7-pound, 4-ounce largemouth bass at Perry County Lake. Darrell Taylor captured a Division 1 catch-and-release record for a 17-inch spotted bass hooked at the Lake of the Ozarks.
Anglers whose sizable catches don't quite measure up to record standards can get recognition from the Conservation Department through the Master Angler Program. Anglers who catch fish that meet minimum requirements for eligible species receive certificates acknowledging their exceptional catches.
To receive details of how to certify state-record catches or participate in the Master Angler program, contact: Fisheries Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, or visit the Conservation Department web site www.missouriconservation.org.
To learn how to qualify for a record with the Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, contact: Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, Box 33, Hall of Fame Drive, Hayward, Wisc. 54843, 715/634-4440.
- Arleasha Mays -
Missouri's state parks director says he can't imagine circumstances that would end the tradition of family fishing.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri has refused a request from the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals to stop fishing in Missouri's state parks.
Douglas Eiken, director of state parks for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, says he learned of PETA's request Dec. 5 after the Norfolk, Va. based animal-rights group faxed a letter to DNR Director Steve Mahfood. The letter, which also was faxed directly to state parks, came from Dan Shannon, coordinator of PETA's "Fishing Hurts" campaign. PETA sent the same letter to state parks officials in Kentucky and Louisiana.
"The violent process of fishing and its consequences do not complement the peace and tranquility of a state park," wrote Shannon. "Missouri state parks have already made the compassionate choice to ban hunting, and we are asking you to take the next step. Fishing is just hunting in the water. The tide is turning on sportfishing with the widespread recognition of the sentience of fish and the desire to live a more compassionate, less harmful life. After reading the enclosed materials, we hope you will make the decision to ban fishing . . . "
Replying for Mahfood, Eiken told PETA that DNR will not stop fishing in state parks. "The Missouri state park system has a proud tradition of serving the people of Missouri and visitors to our state with places to explore nature and enjoy recreation," wrote Eiken. "Since its creation in 1923, the Missouri state park system has provided fishing as a recreational opportunity and it has become a part of the state's heritage and a tradition for many families. It is a tradition that the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has allowed and intends to continue to offer to the state's residents and visitors."
"There's nothing wrong with fishing," Eiken said in an interview Dec. 18. "If PETA came to Missouri's state parks and saw how fishing is practiced here – husbands and wives together, mothers and fathers with their children, grandparents with grandkids – they would realize what a positive experience this is and how much it enhances state parks' value to Missourians. I can't see any circumstances ever where state parks wouldn't be open for fishing."
Asked if he had any idea why PETA chose Missouri for the antifishing campaign, Eiken
speculated that the group might be trying to equate raising fish in hatcheries with raising livestock. PETA opposes raising livestock for human consumption.
Eiken also speculated that PETA might have been trying to capture media attention by provoking a strong public reaction against the "Fishing Hurts" campaign in states where hunting and fishing are popular.
State parks are separate from conservation areas, which are administered by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Hunting and fishing are allowed on nearly all conservation areas. The Conservation Department supports the DNR's trout parks by operating trout hatcheries at Roaring River, Bennett Spring and Montauk state parks. It also operates the hatchery at Maramec Spring Park, another trout park that is owned by the James Foundation.
- Jim Low -
Concern about goose management prompts a statewide effort to stop goose problems before they get started.
FERGUSON, Mo. -- Nancy Schnell isn't out to change the world. She just wants to change the way people deal with the St. Louis area's burgeoning Canada goose population. That's why she formed Missouri's first chapter of GeesePeace.
GeesePeace-St. Louis got its start when Schnell learned that the Missouri Department of Conservation had rounded up nuisance geese in a nearby subdivision and was sending the birds to a meat packing plant to provide food for the needy. For Schnell, the situation was a teaching opportunity. She used the issue in her science classes at Ferguson Middle School. It was a perfect illustration of how – without controls – wildlife populations increase to the point that they cause problems.
"This was a classic example," she said. "There's no hunting in the St. Louis area, and not enough predators to control goose numbers. The result is predictable. With population growth of 15 percent a year, geese were bound to cause problems."
The problems, notes Schnell, are serious, ranging from suburban lawns fouled by goose poop to bacterial contamination of municipal water supplies. Golf courses suffer thousands of dollars of damage to greens, and unsuspecting people are attacked by aggressive geese during the big birds' nesting season.
"Still," said Schnell, "It's a problem that people helped create, and we should be able to deal with it humanely and proactively instead of waiting for it to become a crisis."
That's where GeesePeace came in. Schnell learned that the national organization, based in Falls Church, VA, stays out of arguments about whether killing nuisance geese is right or wrong. Instead, it focuses on helping people implement solutions that make killing geese unnecessary.
"GeesePeace-St. Louis is promoting four strategies," said Schnell. "First we are teaching people how to addle eggs. That has the potential to stop the growth of goose populations before they become problems."
Addling consists of coating goose eggs with oil. The treatment cuts off oxygen to developing eggs, killing them. But because the eggs remain intact, geese continue to incubate them instead of building new nests and laying more eggs.
The second strategy that GeesePeace-St. Louis promotes is a no-feeding policy. "Artificial feeding encourages geese to go where they aren't wanted," she said.
Third, GeesePeace-St. Louis is trying to educate St. Louis area developers, homeowner associations and parks departments about the kinds of landscaping that attract Canada geese and those that make land less hospitable to them.
Finally, the St. Louis group encourages landowners who already have problems to use trained dogs to scare the geese away. GeesePeace-St. Louis has one border collie that it lends out for this purpose, and it is having a second dog trained for the work. Fly Away Farms, a commercial nuisance wildlife service based in Augusta, Mo., also has a trained goose-chasing dog.
GeesePeace-St. Louis, in cooperation with the Conservation Department, is offering free egg-addling workshops Feb. 2 and 4 at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood and Feb. 3 and 4 at the Humane Society of Missouri, 1201 Macklind Ave., St. Louis. More information about GeesePeace services and registration forms for egg-addling workshops are available from GeesePeace-St. Louis, P.O. Box 38846, St. Louis, MO 63138, 314/567-2081. To register on line, go to www.geesepeace.org and click on "Egg Addling Training."
"If people want to call the pest control companies and have them round up geese, that's what they are going to do," said Schnell. "But we think a lot of people would like to try something else. We can help them with that."
- Jim Low -
A tech-savvy partner helped bridge the gap between virtual and real management.
BROOKFIELD, Mo. -- Landowners who contact Steve Fisher for help managing their property tap into a world of expertise. Fisher blends clients' goals, his own expertise and geographic information system databases to meet farmers' needs instantly, on the farm.
Fisher, who works as a private land conservationist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, is in the business of helping landowners who want to manage their land for wildlife or who want to farm or conduct other business in wildlife-friendly ways.
Like many resource management professionals, Fisher has a tremendous amount of information at his fingertips. For example, the Internet gives him access to satellite imagery from the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). He can download aerial maps showing streams, vegetation and other features of clients' property. He can even gather information about the soil and climate.
Fisher carries a laptop computer wherever he goes, so landowners can show him exactly what they want to do and where they want to do it. Looking at aerial maps together, they plan detailed strategies, using the computer to calculate acreage and overlay graphics to denote different management practices. They also type in notes to remind landowners exactly how to achieve their goals.
Fisher said doing all this on-site avoids misunderstandings or forgetting anything they discuss. The only trouble, until recently, was that when he finished, he had to go back to the office to print out maps and management plans. Then he had to mail them to landowners.
"That office work eats up a surprising amount of time that I could be spending with other landowners," said Fisher. "In my three-county area, I have more people wanting my services than I have time. Saving time means serving more people."
Consequently, Fisher was thrilled when one of his clients showed him a way to slash his office time. Jim Rigman asked Fisher to visit his 120-acre farm in Linn County to help him decide how to manage the land. "I'm especially interested in deer, turkey and quail," said Rigman, "but I have a strong appreciation for all kinds of wildlife and want to do everything I can to encourage it."
Rigman, who is director of marketing for a technology company, was surprised and pleased when Fisher got out his computer, found the appropriate USGS maps and began developing a detailed management plan on the spot, using templates he developed for that purpose.
When they finished, Fisher told Rigman he wished he could print the plan on the spot, but that he didn't have any way to power his printer from the truck's electrical system. "Amazingly, he just happened to work for a company that produced power converters for vehicles, and he sent me a newly released version to try out. That was the final piece that fell into place. Now I can deliver full service right from my truck."
Not all the Conservation Department's private land conservationists have gone as far as Fisher in taking technology into the field. His approach is an experiment to improve efficiency. He isn't interested in CD writers, portable printers, GIS databases and computer software for their own sake.
"Having this equipment in my truck means savings on time and postage," said Fisher. "From the landowner's standpoint it's a good thing because he can see the big picture right away. It's his plan, because he stood right there and helped me develop it."
To find out what services are available to you through the Private Land Services Division, contact the nearest Conservation Department regional office or call 573/751-4115.
- Jim Low -
Trapping and relocating deer proved neither humane nor effective.
TOWN AND COUNTRY -- A three-year experiment with trapping and relocating deer to solve urban deer problems came to a close Dec. 18 when the Missouri Conservation Commission voted not to renew this St. Louis suburb's trap-and-relocate permit.
The commission's unanimous vote came during a telephone conference meeting. The commission offered to give Town and Country a permit to trap and euthanize deer, which could then be donated to needy families through the Share the Harvest program.
In May, the commission voted to remove trapping and relocation of deer from Conservation Department urban deer management guidelines. Based on Town and Country's experience, the commission concluded that trapping and relocation was inhumane, ineffective and excessively expensive.
At that time, the commission deferred to Town and Country officials' desire to continue trapping deer and transporting them to rural areas. The commission said emerging concerns about disease transmission prompted the reversal.
Commission Chairman Anita Gorman said two diseases in particular concern conservation and agriculture officials. The spread of chronic wasting disease, which is known to affect only animals in the deer family, has been hastened by the practice of transporting live animals between captive rearing facilities. Although chronic wasting disease has not been documented in Missouri, the commission isn't taking any chances. Tuberculosis, which affects both deer and livestock, also has been spread by live-transport of captive deer and elk.
"We simply cannot fail to take those actions we can to prevent the spread of diseases that could devastate our deer herd or the state's livestock industry," said Gorman. Commissioner Cynthia Metcalfe called stopping the trap-and-transport program "the responsible thing to do."
Responding to complaints about deer-vehicle collisions and damage to landscape plantings, Town and Country officials looked for a nonlethal way to reduce the city's deer population. For three years in a row, the Conservation Commission granted Town and Country annual permits to live trap deer and transport them to rural areas for release. The Conservation Department used the project to document the effectiveness of trapping deer and releasing them elsewhere to control urban deer populations.
Before trapping began, Conservation Department biologists estimated the deer population density in Town and Country was between 68 and 90 per square mile of habitat. The most recent census in December 2000 showed a population density of approximately 70 deer per square mile of habitat. The Conservation Department recommends maintaining deer populations at 15 to 20 per square mile in urban areas to keep property damage and deer-vehicle collisions at acceptable levels.
The Conservation Department advised Town and Country that it would need to remove 120 female deer per year for two to three years to reduce the deer population by half. Stabilizing the population would require removal of approximately 75 female deer per year. A private contractor hired by the city removed 151 does during three years of trapping, fewer than half the number needed to reduce the deer population.
Seventy percent of deer died within a year of relocation. Town and Country paid more than $350 each to have the deer trapped and moved, making the total cost more than $81,000.
Commissioner Howard Wood asked Conservation Department staff present at the meeting to suggest other alternatives that Town and Country officials could use to solve their deer problem. Wildlife Division Administrator Ollie Torgerson said the most humane alternative is shooting by professional sharpshooters. Wildlife Research biologist Jeff Beringer told the commission that sharpshooting is cost-effective and has succeeded in reducing deer numbers in many places in the United States, including Kansas City International Airport. He said sharpshooting has never caused any safety problems.
Town and County's board of aldermen recently approved an ordinance that places elaborate restrictions on homeowners who want to trap and kill deer to solve their own deer problems. Commissioners said the ordinance seemed to be aimed at preventing two families who received permits from the Conservation Department to trap and kill deer from following through on their plans.
The two home owners planned to use a captive bolt to kill deer they caught. The captive bolt is a device that delivers a killing blow to the head. It is used in slaughter houses and is considered by veterinarians to be a humane killing method.
The Conservation Commission said this ordinance effectively makes it impossible for homeowners to protect their property against damage by wildlife, a right the Conservation Department has always supported.
The vote to approve the ordinance was five in favor, two against and one abstention. Mayor Skip Mange has neither signed nor vetoed the bill, so it has not gone into effect yet. If he does veto the ordinance, the votes of three aldermen could override his veto.
- Jim Low -
With the January extension of firearms deer season approaching, it's important for hunters to know that dumping deer carcasses in streams isn't acceptable.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Imagine if, on your next trip to a Missouri stream, the picturesque scenery and cool, clear water were ruined by the putrid stench of a decaying deer carcass. Some Missouri streams are being affected by illegally dumped deer carcasses.
Missouri's wake-up call came in November, when a motorist discovered a dozen rotting deer carcasses in a creek just off I-70 in Warren County. Highway cleanup crews had piled the road-killed animals on an embankment near the creek. When the embankment collapsed, the deer ended up in the stream.
With the January extension of firearms deer season approaching, the Missouri Department of Conservation asks hunters to responsibly dispose of deer carcasses after removing edible portions. Deer dumping not only results in unpleasant scenes and odor, it also is against the law.
"It is a violation of the Wildlife Code of Missouri to abandon portions of wildlife commonly used as food," said Protection Division Unit Chief Bob White. "It's not a major problem, but occasionally we get calls about deer that have been dumped into a stream. Most hunters would never waste meat in this matter. Usually only the head and a few bones are left after processing. And most hunters arrange to return those remains to the area where the deer was harvested, where the scraps are quickly eaten by coyotes and other wildlife."
The sickening smell of decaying flesh is the most obvious problem associated with deer dumping, but Conservation Department Fisheries Pathologist Dr. Scott Syska said the action can lead to bigger problems.
"If there is a disease outbreak, deer dumping increases the risk of spreading the disease to other deer, especially during winter when running streams often are the only open water source," Syska said. "Diseases and parasites from dead deer may travel downstream and infect deer drinking from the stream."
Deer dumping also poses health risks to humans. Syska says rotting carcasses can increase the chances of infections in people wading downstream. The bacteria are able to enter cuts or open wounds. Food, garbage or manure dumped into a stream also increase bacteria levels.
Syska says disposing of deer in streams also can degrade water quality. A concentration of decaying carcasses can cause a build up of organic matter that stimulates the growth of algae and bacteria. This can deplete oxygen in the water, killing fish. Large game fish are most susceptible to low oxygen levels.
Hunters should contact a refuse collection company about safe methods for disposing of the scraps from deer they process. Those who don't want to keep the meat from their deer should contact the Share the Harvest program. Share the Harvest was established in 1992 to give hunters an easy way to donate deer meat to the needy. Hunters who want to participate in the program simply take their venison to an approved processing plant and tell the processor how much venison they wish to donate. The processor packages and stores the meat for pickup by a local sponsoring agency, which delivers the venison to local organizations for distribution to the needy.
For more information on the Share the Harvest program, contact your local conservation agent or Bob White at 573/751-4115, ext. 3819.
- Arleasha Mays -
"Streams–Uniting and Dividing the Landscape" is the theme for this year's event.
CAMDENTON, Mo. -- Professional conservationists and citizens with a strong interest in the stewardship of Missouri's natural resources will gather for the annual Missouri Natural Resources Conference Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at Marriott's Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach. The focus of the conference will be Missouri's streams.
This year's theme is "Streams – uniting and dividing the landscape." Conference sessions will explore research into how streams work, management strategies to maximize stream health and human benefits and ways of involving all stream stakeholders in management solutions.
On-site conference registration will open at 1 p.m. Jan. 30 and continue through 8 p.m. Exhibits of art and commercial equipment will begin at noon and run through 11 p.m. The conference will kick off with a student job fair at 5 p.m. Jan. 30, followed by a mixer at 6:30 p.m.
Program offerings will include six plenary session speakers, four workshops and six concurrent technical sessions comprising 66 presentations. Concurrent session themes are Forests in Time and Space, The Landscape of Rivers and Streams, Wildlife on the Landscape, Soils Information for Natural Resource Assessment and Management, Monitoring Missouri's Species Populations and Ecological Education and Technology. Other conference events will include a School of Natural Resources Alumni Breakfast, a Cave and Karst Round Table, awards banquet, raffles and professional society Youngsters interested in quail management and hunting get an in-depth introduction at this intensive, week-long course.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri teens can learn firsthand what it is like to be a quail biologist. MO Quail Academy is accepting applications for those interested in learning about the habits and habitat of bobwhite quail.
MO Quail Academy is an intensive five-day course that focuses on quail management, biology and hunting. The program is larger than ever this year, with two events planned. One will take place at Flat Creek Ranch in Barry County about an hour from Springfield and Joplin June 9 through 14. The other will be at Malinmor, near Bowling Green, June 16 through 21.
The course combines education in quail biology, habitat management and wildlife conservation with exercises in recreational shooting sports. In addition, cadets learn about outdoor ethics, firearm safety, photography, entomology, bird dogs, botany and leadership skills. The academy is a joint effort of the Missouri Department of Conservation and Quail Unlimited.
Quail cadets also learn what they can do to improve quail habitat in their communities. Part of their course work includes learning what food and cover plants quail need to thrive. They learn leadership skills, including how to write news releases and give public talks. Each student is expected to give three programs in his or her community after completing the course.
The MO Quail Academy is open to current high school freshmen and sophomores who have grade point averages of 2.5 or above. Students also must successfully complete a hunter education course before the start of the academy. The academy, including food and lodging, is free to participants.
For more information on the MO Quail Academies write to: MO Quail Academy, Roxanne L. Hoover, 2500 S. Halliburton, Kirksville, MO 73501, hoover@mail.conservation.state.mo.us, or Bob Schroeppel, 2630 N. Mayfair, Springfield 65803, schror@mail.conservation.state.mo.us.
- Arleasha Mays -
"Streams–Uniting and Dividing the Landscape" is the theme for this year's event.
CAMDENTON, Mo. -- Professional conservationists and citizens with a strong interest in the stewardship of Missouri's natural resources will gather for the annual Missouri Natural Resources Conference Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at Marriott's Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach. The focus of the conference will be Missouri's streams.
This year's theme is "Streams – uniting and dividing the landscape." Conference sessions will explore research into how streams work, management strategies to maximize stream health and human benefits and ways of involving all stream stakeholders in management solutions.
On-site conference registration will open at 1 p.m. Jan. 30 and continue through 8 p.m. Exhibits of art and commercial equipment will begin at noon and run through 11 p.m. The conference will kick off with a student job fair at 5 p.m. Jan. 30, followed by a mixer at 6:30 p.m.
Program offerings will include six plenary session speakers, four workshops and six concurrent technical sessions comprising 66 presentations. Concurrent session themes are Forests in Time and Space, The Landscape of Rivers and Streams, Wildlife on the Landscape, Soils Information for Natural Resource Assessment and Management, Monitoring Missouri's Species Populations and Ecological Education and Technology. Other conference events will include a School of Natural Resources Alumni Breakfast, a Cave and Karst Round Table, awards banquet, raffles and professional society meetings.
Conference registration is $25 before Jan. 7 and $50 thereafter. Student registration is $10 before Jan. 7 and $20 after that date. The conference agenda, registration forms and other information are available online at http://www.mnrc.org/ or contact Duane Chapman, 4200 New Haven Road, Columbia, MO 65201, 573/876-1866.
For lodging, contact Tan-Tar-A, P.O. Box 188TT, State Road KK, Osage Beach, MO 65065, 800/826-8272, http://www.tan-tar-a.com.
The conference is sponsored by the Missouri chapters of The Wildlife Society, the American Fisheries Society, the Soil and Water Conservation Society and the Society of American Foresters in cooperation with the Missouri departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Missouri Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, the University of Missouri School of Natural Resources and the USDA Forest and Natural Resources Conservation services.
- Jim Low -
Outdoor experiences are gifts of lasting value.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Seldom are the dolls, footballs, or the latest fad toys the things that make the holidays memorable. When most reminisce about holidays, thoughts of time spent with family and friends come to mind. Create some of those memories this year by treating your family to outdoor adventures.
Boating and angling enthusiasts who would like outdoor gift ideas can find them at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) website at www.WaterWorksWonders.org. The site has information about how and where to boat and fish across the nation. The site also has creative boating and fishing gift ideas such as:
--Subscriptions to fishing and boating magazines. Thumb through a few publications at your grocery store or newsstand to find the magazine most suitable for the recipient's needs.
--A family-fishing package with life jackets and fishing gear for each family member and a well-stocked tackle box.
--A guided fishing trip.
No matter what your preferred outdoor activity, a little imagination can help you create the perfect gift to share your love of the outdoors with loved ones. Consider creating your own outdoor gift certificates. The certificates could be redeemed for an outing of the recipient's choice or lessons in casting, hiking or shooting.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has programs and services with gift potential. Options include participation in outdoor skills training programs, such as Hands-On Outdoor Training, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman and hunter education. The programs are designed to help participants learn skills ranging from Dutch-oven cooking to firearms safety and butterfly gardening.
Gift certificates are available for the BOW and HOOT programs. Hunter education classes are free. For more information about Conservation Department outdoor skills programs, call 573/751-4115 ext. 3189 or 3608 or e-mail hughem@mail.conservation.state.mo.us. To find out about hunter education classes in your area, contact the conservation agent for your county.
- Arleasha Mays -
This federal excise tax, created through the efforts of hunters, provides funding for wildlife restoration programs nationwide.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The pleasure of pursuing game is just one of the benefits derived from the purchase of hunting gear. Those sporting goods purchases contribute millions of dollars to conservation in Missouri, thanks to the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act.
The Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, also known as the Pittman-Robertson Program, was initiated by hunters and conservationists in 1937, a crucial time for the nation's wildlife. Industrialization, destruction of habitat and increases in hunting and poaching were causing drastic declines in wildlife and wildlife habitat. In an effort to reverse that trend, hunters sought congressional legislation to levy an 11 percent excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, with the tax proceeds to be appropriated to state restoration programs. On Sept. 2, 1937, legislation putting the tax into effect became law.
The restoration law has been amended twice. In 1970, a 10 percent tax on handguns went into effect, with half those funds dedicated to hunter education programs and shooting range construction and maintenance. Two years later, an 11 percent excise tax on archery equipment was established to further boost wildlife restoration.
Despite a threefold increase in the number of licensed hunters and increases in other pressures on wildlife and wildlife habitat, states are restoring many dwindling species. States also have used Pittman-Robertson money to acquire millions of acres of habitat and educate hundreds of thousands of hunters.
Missouri's booming white-tailed deer herd is evidence of the wildlife restoration program's impact. The state's deer population has grown from about 400 in 1925 to approximately 800,000 today. The Pittman-Robertson Act has been instrumental in achieving similar successes in restoring wild turkeys and other species.
Money collected under the program provides 75 percent of the funding for a variety of conservation programs. This year in Missouri, Pittman-Robertson funds will pay $3.1 million for wildlife management, $1.6 million for wildlife research and $800,000 for hunter education.
A similar law, the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration fund, finances aquatic conservation projects and programs. Congress set up this program in 1950 under the Dingell-Johnson Act, and augmented it later with the Wallop-Breaux Act. Those laws, supported by anglers and equipment manufacturers, established excise taxes on fishing equipment and marine fuels. Missouri's share of the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration fund this year is $5.8 million. The Missouri Department of Conservation uses the money for aquatic research projects, to develop and maintain boating accesses and to improve fish habitat.
- Arleasha Mays -
The greater prairie chicken, whose numbers are dwindling, is the beneficiary of a public/private partnership in west-central Missouri
TABERVILLE, Mo. -- A coalition consisting of the Missouri Department of Conservation, the Missouri Prairie Foundation, the Grasslands Coalition and Dr. Wayne Morton, a private landowner, has received a grant from the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) to benefit prairie chickens.
The grant came through the NWF's Keep the Wild Alive Species Recovery Fund. The money will help restore an important breeding ground and brood-rearing habitat for the greater prairie chicken, which is endangered in Missouri.
The project will be carried out on Morton's land near Taberville Prairie Conservation Area. Dennis Figg, Missouri River Unit natural history chief for the Conservation Department, said Taberville Prairie was the first tall-grass prairie bought by the Conservation Department specifically to benefit prairie chickens. "This 1,680-acre conservation area alone, however, is not large enough to provide all the needs of prairie chickens throughout the year," said Figg. "That's why the participation of landowners like Dr. Morton is so important."
The coalition will use its $6,600 Species Recovery Fund grant to restore a prairie chicken "lek" on 320 acres of grassland where male prairie chickens perform their mating ritual and compete for females. The lek on Morton's land is the largest remaining prairie chicken breeding ground in Missouri.
Restoration work will include planting native vegetation to improve cover for young prairie chickens. Plans also call for removing trees and exotic vegetation that reduce the land's value to prairie chickens. Finally, the project will improve fencing to manage cattle grazing better.
"The Grasslands Coalition is committed to helping private landowners like Dr. Morton make changes in grassland management," said Arthur Benson of the Grasslands Coalition. "Taberville Prairie will remain a core for prairie management, and the area around the managed area will remain a working agricultural landscape. Even so, it is possible to restore important function to the grassland landscape and take steps to improve nesting cover. Clearly, we cannot secure or recover the local prairie chicken flock without the willing participation of private landowners."
This coalition is one of ten Species Recovery Fund grant recipients selected from nearly 100 applicants nationwide. The Species Recovery Fund is an integral part of NWF's Keep the Wild Alive campaign, an educational, advocacy and on-the-ground conservation effort that seeks to raise awareness of and improve conditions for endangered species.
"A critical component of conservation involves people taking action on a local level to protect the wildlife and wild places they know and love," said Rebecca Harrison, NWF Species Recovery Fund manager. "These grants provide the means for local organizations to implement innovative, community-based wildlife conservation efforts that will provide a direct benefit for endangered wildlife."
"The Missouri Prairie Foundation is excited to be involved in a growing coalition of groups and individuals working to save an endangered natural community in Missouri, the tall-grass prairie," said Dr. Bob Elworth, president of the Missouri Prairie Foundation. "We're especially grateful to NWF for its commitment to help with an innovative local project designed to stop the decline of the greater prairie chicken, a species whose numbers continue to decline."
The NWF, founded in 1936, is the nation's largest member-supported conservation group.
- Jim Low -
Copyright ©2008 Conservation Commission of Missouri. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Use