April 2002
Glaser shaped conservation philosophy
Monday, April 29, 2002
The forester and former deputy director was the first to lead the Conservation Department's Planning Division.
JEFFERSON CITY Edwin H. Glaser, former deputy director of the Missouri Department of Conservation, died April 14 in Jefferson City at age 75. Coworkers remember that his 40-year career with the Missouri Department of Conservation was distinguished by hard work, diplomatic advocacy and a vision that helped shape conservation in the 20th century.
Glaser's career with the Conservation Department began in 1950, when his bachelor's and master's degrees in forestry won him a job as a forestry technician at the princely salary of $2,880 per year. He left the Conservation Department for two years to teach forestry at Mississippi State University, but returned in 1956 to work as a farm forester. He received a promotion and moved to the central office in Jefferson City in 1959, supervising fire control and later state forests and nurseries.
By 1964, he had attracted the attention of Director Bill Towell, who assigned Glaser to work with the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation to develop a state outdoor recreation plan. His ability as a planner eventually led to his being appointed to head the Conservation Department's new Planning Division. In that capacity, he worked closely with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on river management issues.
In 1984, Glaser became an assistant director, and in 1988 was promoted to deputy director, coordinating the efforts of three assistant directors. He retired from that job in 1992.
Jerry Presley, the last Conservation Department director to benefit from Glaser's services, remembers his deputy as being "first and foremost a top-notch professional."
"Ed's career path took him into the environmental side of the job," said Presley. "It was tough work on water quality and things that weren't always popular, but Ed was diplomatic and sensitive to people's feelings. He was a gentleman at all times, and people responded to that."
Presley said Glaser also worked hard at keeping the Department's assistant directors pulling in unison. "When Ed brought me a recommendation, I was always comfortable that it had the support of everyone."
Presley also remembers that Glaser loved to get out among the Conservation Department's field staff and citizens. "He used to work check stations during deer season so he could talk with deer hunters and the folks working the check stations. He went on lots of outings with the University Advisory Council and other groups. He regularly showed up for public events like A Day with Wildlife, and he really connected with people. He didn't have to do those things; he really enjoyed it."
- Jim Low -
Gov. Holden inaugurates anti-littering campaign
Monday, April 29, 2002
The "No MOre Trash campaign targets people most likely to litter.
JEFFERSON CITY While some Missourians were celebrating Earth Day on the Capitol lawn, Gov. Bob Holden appropriately pitched Missouri's first statewide antilitter campaign. Hip television ads, an interactive website and a video contest offering cash prizes will target Missouri youth.
"No MOre Trash!" is the campaign slogan, which initially will target the age group research shows is most likely to litter - 16- to 24-year olds. The Missouri departments of Transportation and Conservation are launching this campaign to make people aware of littering and its consequences.
"Annually, MoDOT spends more than $6 million to clear litter from highways throughout the state," says Stacy Armstrong, MoDOT's Adopt-A-Highway coordinator and No MOre Trash! campaign coordinator. "The goal of the campaign is to reduce litter in the first place. We would much rather use that money on roadside beautification and other projects."
A video contest is one opportunity for young Missourians to help make Missouri litter-free. Anyone 16 to 24 years old may submit their own 30-second antilittering video ad, which is eligible for a $200 award. Winning entries will be used to help promote the campaign. The first deadline for submitting entries is June 1. The contest will continue monthly throughout the summer.
A 30-second, humorous television commercial will also run on cable stations that attract younger viewers, such as Comedy Central, MTV and BET. The ads will begin the first week of May in St. Louis, Kansas City, Columbia, Jefferson City, Springfield and Cape Girardeau.
The new interactive website, www.nomoretrash.org, is a place to learn what people are doing to fight litter throughout the state and how everyone can get involved.
"What we want to do is plant a dream," said Lorna Domke, the Conservation Department's Outreach Chief and No MOre Trash! campaign coordinator. "Picture yourself living in a Missouri that's fresh, clean and full of life. No broken glass to hurt you, no piles of food wrappers, no discarded tires, no cigarette butts. Just you and a clean sidewalk, green lawn or clear stretch of stream."
Domke said Stream Teams, which adopt sections of the state's streams and lakes, picked up more than 420 tons of trash last year, an increase of almost 100 tons over the amount collected in 2000.
MoDOT and MDC are jointly providing the funds to get the No MOre Trash! campaign off the ground. The agencies hope to raise additional funds from nongovernment sources to expand the effort. Assisting in the No MOre Trash! effort is the Missouri Anti-litter Advisory Board established by Governor Holden and First Lady Lori Hauser Holden. The board is composed of government, business and nonprofit organizations.
Information about the No MOre Trash! campaign is available on the Internet at www.nomoretrash.org. Contest videos should be sent to: No MOre Trash!, 9229 Ward Parkway, Suite 225, Kansas City, MO 64114.
- 30 -
Opening day turkey harvest sets new record
Monday, April 29, 2002
Hunters bagged 1,285 more birds on opening day of spring turkey season this year than they did on the 2001opener.
JEFFERSON CITY - Hunters bagged 9,504 turkeys during the first day of Missouri's spring turkey season, setting a new record. The previous record, set in 2000, was 9,103.
Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Research Biologist Mike Hubbard attributed the strong opening-day harvest to a thriving turkey population and favorable weather.
"The record opening day doesn't surprise me," said Hubbard. "We have a very robust and healthy population, and there was perfect weather opening day across a large part of the state, so we had all the right ingredients for a record opener. As long as the weather holds, we should have an excellent season."
Hubbard said continued favorable weather should guarantee excellent hunting for the rest of the threeweek season. "There are plenty of birds in the state. If hunters spend as much time as possible in the woods, they have an excellent chance of a close encounter with an adult gobbler. The rest is up to them."
The Conservation Department recorded only a single, nonfatal firearms-related hunting accident on opening day.
Counties leading opening day harvest totals were Texas, 205; Franklin, 204; and Laclede, 177. Regional harvest totals were: west-central, 1,415; northeast, 1,306; east-central, 1,220; northwest, 1,183; southeast, 1,099; central, 1,045; southwest, 910; Ozark, 849; St. Louis, 240; and Kansas City, 237.
- Jim Low -
Fish, anglers benefit from conservation "Design"
Thursday, April 18, 2002
Missourians have gotten their nature's worth from sales ax money invested in fisheries management and research.
JEFFERSON CITY B If, 25 years ago, you had told fisheries management professionals that nearly 40,000 Missouri citizens were going to flock to their aid, donating millions of dollars worth of labor annually to monitor water quality, haul hundreds of tons of trash out of streams and lobby government officials to take better care of creeks and rivers, they might have said you were a cockeyed optimist.
If you had told downtown St. Louis residents a quarter century ago that they soon would be able to walk across the street and catch rainbow trout, they might have questioned your sanity. Yet these very things and many other astonishing changes have occurred since Missouri voters approved a sales tax for the Missouri Department of Conservation in 1976.
Missouri voters weren't content to make do with forest, fish and wildlife programs paid for exclusively with money from the sale of trapping, hunting and fishing permits. But they didn't consent to the sales tax concept blindly. In August 1975 the Conservation Department laid out a plan for how they would use money from the sales tax if it was approved. Voters liked the detailed proposal, called the "Design for Conservation." When they went to the polls a little more than a year later, they approved a one-eighth of 1 percent general sales tax earmarked for the Conservation Department's exclusive use.
Among the many promises conservation officials made was to upgrade fish hatcheries, provide better access to streams and build more lakes. Today, 25 years after sales tax revenues began arriving, Missourians have:
--Urban fishing programs that offer year-round fishing opportunities in Kansas City and St. Louis.
--500 lake, river and stream accesses
--125 community lakes and hundreds more on conservation areas.
--Outreach programs that introduce Missourians young and old to angling through local, how-to fishing clinics.
--State-of-the-art fish hatcheries that produce more than 20 million fish annually, compared to 5 million in 1976.
The additional fish include black crappie, bullheads, flathead catfish, hybrid striped bass, hybrid sunfish, paddlefish, redear sunfish and walleyes. Research and state-of-the-art fisheries facilities have allowed the Conservation Department to develop fish-culture techniques that turn out larger fish faster and with less feed.
Statewide initiatives have brought walleye and muskellunge fishing to locations around the state, and established special areas where anglers can find superb fishing for rock bass, smallmouth bass, brown trout and rainbow trout. Missouri even has several wild trout management areas in addition to the extensive stocked-trout fishing program. A bluegill research project now under way will develop special management strategies for this popular species.
To ensure that every Missourian has fishing opportunities close to home, the Conservation Department expanded its urban fishing program. This initiative began in 1969 with a pilot program in St. Louis. In 1978 it was expanded to Kansas City, and in 1983 the Conservation Department added a suburban fishing component.
At first, the urban fishing program stocked catchable-sized channel catfish, bullheads, sunfish and carp in ponds and lakes. In 1990 rainbow trout were added to extend the fishing season year-round.
In 1994, the Conservation Department re-examined the urban fishing program. Through surveys, it learned that 1.5 million anglers in St. Louis and Kansas City had only about 12,000 acres of lakes and ponds and 300 miles of streams in which to fish. It came as no surprise, then, that stocked fish rapidly disappeared. Furthermore, access to existing fishing water was limited, fish habitat was dwindling, and the variety of game fish available to urban anglers was meager. In response to these findings, the Conservation Department established a program of fish population monitoring and habitat enhancement. It developed special regulations to make the best use of available fish and worked to improve stream corridors.
To help people who want to fish but don't know how, the Conservation Department conducts urban fishing clinics where instruction and fishing equipment are available. Eighty-five percent of participants at these workshops catch fish.
Accessibility for people with special needs is part of the Design for Conservation, too. New facilities include disabled-accessible fishing docks, jetties, boat boarding ramps and toilets.
Recognizing that enormous fishing resources exist on private land, the Conservation Department offers owners of lakes and ponds a variety of services to improve fishing there. Fish are available to stock ponds, and landowners who want to build new ponds or improve existing ones can get help from technical publications and private land conservationists. Other programs offer cost-sharing and incentives to landowners who want to protect or improve streams on their property.
Missouri's two great rivers aren't forgotten under the Design for Conservation. The Conservation Department monitors fish populations and other aquatic life on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers and works to improve fish habitat and ensure that fishing and other uses of these historic streams don't damage the rivers' wild resources. An example is commercial harvest of catfish on the Missouri River. Alarmed by declines in catfish, the Conservation Department banned commercial fishing for these popular game fish. The size and number of catfish in the Missouri have increased steadily as a result.
Missourians have gotten more for their money than great fishing, however. Conservation Department hatcheries also perform other functions, such as raising endangered pallid and lake sturgeon for restoration efforts. They also harbor representatives of fresh-water mussels, such as the Neosho mucket, whose stream habitats are so badly degraded that their survival is in question. Other endangered fish, including the Topeka darter and Ozark cavefish get attention from field biologists, who monitor their numbers and keep an eye on developments that could affect their habitat.
Following the Great Flood of 1993, the Conservation Department stepped in to help farmers whose Missouri River bottom land was irreparably damaged by erosion or sand deposits. Using a combination of state and federal programs, the agency found ways to help farmers get fair payments for their lost land. Thousands of acres of former flood plain were reopened to the river. Besides increasing fish and wildlife habitat and nursery areas, returning this acreage to the flood plain prevented or reduced later floods. Proof of the value of these acres came in 1998, when torrential rains led the National Weather Service to predict that the Missouri River would crest at 35.9 feet at Jefferson City. The actual crest was 29.55 feet, well below levee tops. The Great Flood of '98 went down in history as the flood that wasn't, because the water had somewhere to go besides developed land.
One of the biggest success stories to come out of the Design for Conservation is Missouri Stream Team, a cooperative effort of the Conservation Department, the Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. This volunteer program empowers citizens to adopt and care for their favorite streams. In the 12 years since the program began, Missourians have formed 1,863 Stream Teams. Each chooses its own focus. The most common activities are stream cleanups and water quality monitoring. The more than 37,000 people who belong to Stream Teams effectively multiply the Conservation Department's stream conservation staff by a factor of several hundred.
Norm Stucky, Administrator of the Conservation Department's Fisheries Division, said it is almost impossible to gauge the impact that the Design for Conservation has had on Missouri's water-based resources.
"I think folks in the mid 1970s understood that their fish, forests and wildlife were at a crossroads, much as they were in the 1930s," said Stucky. "They may not have known exactly what the challenges of the 21st century would be. But they could see that demands on streams and lakes were growing, pollution was a problem, and they darned sure didn't want lose what they had. We still face lots of challenges, but thanks to the conservation sales tax, we're up to those challenges."
The Conservation Department received approximately $88 million from the conservation sales tax in fiscal year 2001. This was about 64 percent of the agency's total revenue. The state of Missouri's revenue total for fiscal 2001 was 17.3 billion, making the conservation sales tax approximately one half of 1 percent of total state revenues.
- Jim Low -
Editor's note: This is the second in a series of stories detailing changes and progress achieved with money that Missourians have provided through the 1/8 of one percent sales tax for conservation. Future installments will deal with forests, non-game and endangered wildlife, research and recreational opportunities funded as part of the Conservation Department's "Design for Conservation."
More communities dealing with goose populations
Thursday, April 18, 2002
For the second year in a row, the Conservation Department will collect Canada geese and donate them to food banks.
JEFFERSON CITY B Canada goose nesting season is here, and the Missouri Department of Conservation is gearing up for its second round of nuisance goose roundups. Why is the agency removing birds that it worked for decades to restore to the state?
The stories are becoming familiar. Giant Canada geese - once a delightful addition to a residential neighborhood - multiply until their droppings make lawns and ponds unusable for people. Looking for new sites to accommodate their growing numbers, geese take up residence on the grounds of a pharmaceutical company, where their feces interfere with medicine production. Others find a lunch buffet at a golf course and cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage to greens and fairways.
Because they are migratory birds, giant Canada geese are protected by federal law. However, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) recognizes that resident Canada geese can cause problems for people, and the agency has responded to property owners' requests for help. In the 1990s, the federal agency loosened hunting regulations to allow Missourians to harvest more of the birds. So far, liberalized hunting seasons alone haven't been enough to pare the state's Canada goose flock to the desired number. So last year the FWS granted the Conservation Department power to authorize other control measures. These included nest disturbance, egg addling and roundups of nuisance birds.
Disrupting goose nests and coating their eggs with corn oil to halt their development are allowed only with Conservation Department permission. Dozens of communities already are addling eggs this year. Private Land Field Programs Supervisor Tom Hutton said he expects the number of treated eggs to increase substantially this year.
Last year, the Conservation Department estimated the state's resident Canada goose population at 50,500. To keep goose problems at acceptable levels, the conservation officials want to reduce the statewide population to 40,000 geese.
Egg oiling can halt the growth of local goose populations, but it isn't a quick way to reduce goose numbers or the problems they cause. That's why the Conservation Department conducted goose roundups in Kansas City, St. Louis and Columbia last year.
In all, the agency removed 258 birds. Sixty-four were juveniles that had not formed attachments to their home sites. These were moved to Truman Lake and released. Moving adult birds doesn't work. They simply fly back where they came from. So the remaining 194 adult birds were processed for distribution to needy families through food banks. The 2001 roundups took place at sites where property owners already had tried other measures - such as harassing geese, using repellants and putting up special fences - but failed to solve the problems.
Hutton said the Conservation Department plans more roundups this year. "We have requests from landowners to remove geese again this year," he said. "In each case, people have made substantial efforts to solve their goose problems with other techniques."
Hutton said Conservation Department personnel will conduct the roundups again this year. He said his agency is still reviewing applications, so the number and location of roundups isn't known yet. Wildlife damage control providers will be invited to take part to further their training and experience. He said the Conservation Department wants commercial nuisance wildlife services to take over goose roundups eventually.
According to Hutton, the Conservation Department also gets help from local chapters of Geese Peace, a national organization that promotes non-lethal solutions to goose problems. Geese Peace chapters in Kansas City and St. Louis provide advice and assistance in conducting goose control measures. They also have trained dogs that discourage geese from staying in areas where they aren't wanted. Private nuisance wildlife control operators and some other businesses also offer similar services.
Information about Geese Peace is available from Conservation Department wildlife damage biologists at Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center in Kirkwood and the Discovery Center in Kansas City. Urban wildlife biologists in the Kansas City and St. Louis offices can help, too. Or contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Services, 1714 Commerce Court, Suite C, Columbia, MO 65202. Phone 573/449-3033.
- Jim Low -
Youth hunters harvest record number of turkeys
Thursday, April 18, 2002
Favorable weather helped make the second youth Spring turkey hunting season a resounding success.
JEFFERSON CITY B Young hunters took advantage of the Youth Spring Turkey Season, killing 3,102 birds and completing the two-day season without a single reported hunting accident.
The Missouri Conservation Commission set aside April 13 and 14 for youngsters 15 and younger to hunt wild turkeys. Those 11 and younger had to hunt under the supervision of a hunter-education certified adult.
Laclede County led harvest totals with 66 birds brought to check stations. Osage County was second with 63. St. Clair, Henry and Franklin counties tied for third place with 55 birds each.
Regionally, hunters checked the most turkeys, 485, in west-central Missouri. Northeastern Missouri was second with 423 birds checked, followed by the northwest (421), east-central (388), central (348), southwest (341), southeast (278), Ozark (258), Kansas City (81) and St. Louis (79).
This is the second year that Missouri has offered the youth hunt. Last year, youngsters killed 2,530 birds. Conservation Department officials say they don't expect the youth harvest to affect hunter success during the three-week regular spring turkey season, which opens April 22. They predict that, with favorable weather, the harvest will be comparable to last year's record-setting figure of 57,842 birds.
- Jim Low -
No change is good news for turkey hunters
Thursday, April 11, 2002
With favorable weather, this year's spring turkey harvest is likely to be about the same as last year's record kill.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Where do you go from "phenomenal"? In the case of Missouri turkey hunting, you go on to "phenomenal again."
Mike Hubbard, turkey biologist for the Missouri Department of Conservation, says Show-Me State turkey hunters are headed for another terrific spring turkey hunting season. He said this year's spring turkey harvest should rival last year's record-setting harvest of 57,842 birds unless bad weather cuts into hunter success.
"If we have a nice, warm spell right before the youth turkey season, it could be phenomenal," said Hubbard. The youth hunt takes place a week before the regular spring turkey season. This year's dates are April 13 and 14. The regular season runs from April 22 through May 12.
Weather always is a key factor in spring turkey hunters' success. "When we have warm, fair weather, hunters spend more time in the woods, and the harvest is good," said Hubbard. "When it's rainy and windy, people don't hunt as often or as long, so they naturally don't kill as many birds.
Aside from changeable spring weather, everything looks great for spring turkey season. Hubbard said turkey reproduction was just slightly less than average last year. "That's actually really good," he said. "With a statewide flock of 550,000 birds, it would take several years in a row of terrible reproduction before hunters would notice a difference."
That certainly hasn't been the case in recent years. Two years ago turkeys had an excellent year for nesting, and the year before that nest success was 20 to 25 percent above the long-term average. Hubbard says the ample 1999 crop of turkeys ensures that hunters will find lots of big mature gobblers roaming the woods this year.
According to Hubbard, turkey reproduction was best in the eastern Ozarks last year. Hunters there will find lots of young, inexperienced male turkeys, called "jakes."
Last year's turkey crop was not quite as good north of the Missouri River and in the state's western prairie region. Nest success there was off due to cold, wet weather in early June. The two-week spell of unseasonable weather cut nest success from 2.3 poults (young turkey hatchlings) per nest in 2000 to 2.1 in 2001. Hubbard said that isn't enough to make a noticeable difference for most hunters.
Hubbard said weather to date has been fairly average, although it might not seem so. He said spring has come early the past two years, causing trees to leaf out and prompting male turkeys to begin gobbling early. He said continued average weather should put hunters in the woods right when they should be.
"If the weather doesn't turn cold and rainy, we ought to have a tremendous turkey season again this year."
Turkey hunting regulations are the same as last year. One difference, however, is that turkey transportation tags come attached to the permit. The tag must remain attached to the permit until a turkey is taken. The legal requirement to have a yellow "Be Safe" sticker on the receiver of your shotgun while hunting turkey remains in effect. These used to be part of the transportation tag. Now, however, they are supplied separately by permit vendors. Ask for one when you buy your turkey hunting permit.
The Conservation Department sold 117,736 turkey hunting permits last year. Approximately four out of every 10 hunters bagged at least one gobbler. Last year, 14,600 Missourians age 15 and younger took part in a Youth Spring Turkey Season. They killed 2,530 birds during the two-day season, which was the first of its kind in Missouri.
Details on this year's youth-only turkey season are found in the 2002 Spring Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which is available at permit vendors statewide.
- Jim Low -
Cell phones can help turkey hunters
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Technology is no substitute for good hunting habits, but it can be useful when emergencies arise or when poachers appear.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Even hunters who go to the woods to escape modern technology might want to consider taking a cellular phone with them this spring. According to the Missouri Department of Conservation, go-anywhere phones are becoming a valuable tool for stopping game thieves.
Spring turkey hunting season begins April 22 and runs through May 12. It's a busy three weeks for conservation agents, who must patrol hundreds of square miles in pursuit of the small number of people who take more than their fair share of turkeys, hunt illegally over bait or hunt without valid permits.
"Being spread thin is just part of the job. Agents are used to it." said Protection Programs Supervisor Bob Staton. "But they welcome help from ethical hunters who see illegal activities."
According to Staton, that kind of help increasingly comes from hunters carrying cell phones. And tips delivered from the field while violations are occurring - instead of hours later - are much more likely to lead to convictions.
"Normally, I'd be the last person to tell people to take their phones to the woods" said Staton. "Most of us don't want to be reminded of everyday cares when we're hunting. But you can turn the ringer off, and a cell phone can be mighty handy. All you have to do when you see someone breaking the law is dial the Operation Game Thief (OGT) hot line, 800/392-1111. Sometimes it's possible to get an agent there within minutes."
Hunters also can program the OGT hot line number into their speed-dial. Those with service through U.S. Cellular can simply touch *OGT, and their call will be put through immediately.
Besides their usefulness in reporting poachers, cell phones can save lives. Summoning help to the scene of a hunting accident is much easier to do by phone than on foot.
"You can rely on technology too much," said Staton. "To begin with, cell phones don't work everywhere. But more important, the best safety measure is to avoid accidents in the first place." Measures Staton recommends to stay safe while turkey hunting include:
--Make sure you have a clear field of view. Choose a hunting spot that enables you to see an approaching hunter.
--Sit with your back against a tree at least as broad as your shoulders to provide protection from behind.
--Don't wear or carry anything colored red, white, blue or black. These colors are associated with turkey gobblers.
--Camouflage your entire body and head. An exposed hand or face can be mistaken for part of a turkey.
--When you kill a turkey, tag it immediately and cover it completely with a bag or wrap it in a hunter-orange cloth before carrying it out of the woods.
--Never hunt in areas that you know others are using. They could mistake you for game or unknowingly catch you in their line of fire.
--Never assume you are the only hunter in the area.
--If you see another hunter, shout to identify yourself. Never wave. The movement of your camouflaged form could draw fire from a careless shooter.
--Exercise extreme caution in the placement of turkey decoys. These may draw fire.
--Don't try to stalk a turkey. You could be stalking another hunter, who could shoot you by mistake. Besides, it is virtually impossible to sneak up on a turkey. Sitting still as a stone is the only effective way to get close to a turkey.
--Never run with a firearm. When you shoot a turkey, return your gun's safety to the "safe" position before running to subdue the downed gobbler.
-Jim Low-
Chambers receives double conservation honors
Thursday, April 11, 2002
Otter expert and internationally renowned wildlife film maker Glenn Chambers received awards for education and lifetime achievement.
SPRINGFIELD, MO. -- Dedication to conservation education that took him into the depths of Missouri streams with river otters and among the clouds with Canada geese earned Glenn Chambers the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM) 2001 Conservationist of the Year award.
The Federation is Missouri's largest conservation group, with 30,000 members and more than 70 affiliate organizations. At its annual awards, CFM recognizes outstanding contributions to conservation.
Chambers also received a lifetime achievement award for a conservation career that has spanned three decades. His work includes wildlife research, cinematography and still photography for the Missouri Department of Conservation. He is best known for his education programs that have taught people across the nation about the biology and habits of river otters. Chambers also is an author and lecturer.
Conservation Department Wildlife Management Biologist Jay Bowmaster was named Wildlife Conservationist of the Year. Bowmaster has helped develop thousands of acres of wetlands, prairie, bottomland forests and other habitat in Missouri. He also helped acquire land to develop Four Rivers Conservation Area into the largest diverse wetland in the Midwest.
Larry Whiteley was recognized as Conservation Communicator of the Year. Whiteley, of Springfield, writes outdoors columns for three Ozark magazines and hosts the radio programs "Great Ozark's Outdoors" and "Outdoor World Radio." He specializes in examining and explaining complex ecological issues.
Skip Mourglia, owner of Heatland Forestry in Monett, was selected Outstanding Forest Conservationist. Mourglia helped establish and administer the Missouri Consulting Foresters Association and will serve as the organization's logger-training program instructor. The program teaches landowners how to properly manage forestlands.
The Professional Conservationist of the Year award was given to Conservation Department Natural History Regional Biologist Norman Murray. Murray's accomplishments include coordination of a partnership between the Conservation Department and the Nature Conservancy to establish a seed-cleaning facility at Wah'Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area. The facility provides seed to reconstruct approximately 600 acres of prairie land each year.
University of Missouri-Columbia professor Dr. John (Jack) Jones received the CFM Water Conservationist award. Jones helps lead the Lakes of Missouri Volunteer Program, which provides training and equipment that enable citizens to participate in water quality monitoring.
Rolla teacher Christine Schmidgall was honored as the 2001 Conservation Educator of the Year. Schmidgall has developed an outdoor classroom that includes prairie habitat, a pond and trails. She also has helped the Conservation Department develop a conservation curriculum.
Wallace Moore Jr. of Springfield is the Hunter Education Instructor of the year. Moore has taught hundreds of youngsters in southwest Missouri about safe firearms handling, sportsmanship and outdoor ethics.
Reed Springs High School senior Amber Sphonn captured the honor of Youth Conservationist. Sphonn is a volunteer in her school's Stream Team program, which conducts water quality investigation. She works to promote the program by encouraging other local high schools to create Stream Teams.
The Clarence Cannon Wholesale Water Commission received the Conservation Organization award. The agency was recognized for the North Fork Water Project, which provides community leaders with information and training to address water quality issues.
- Arleasha Mays -
Missourians urged to watch for hungry bears
Friday, April 05, 2002
Taking away foods that can attract black bears to your home will keep you and the bears out of harm's way.
JEFFERSON CITY -The best way to make a stray animal your pet is to feed it. Black bears are no exception to this rule. After a long winter of hibernating bears need food that is high in nutrition and quantity and obtained with little expenditure of energy. That can turn birdfeeders or any other food sources around your home into a black bear smorgasbord.
Without enticements there is very little risk of bears foraging near your home. Missouri has a small bear population ( about 300 ) mostly in the east-central Ozarks and southwestern corner of the state. Forests in those areas supply the food bears need to survive and enough space to steer clear of people. Bears are naturally afraid of humans and in most cases avoid them. However, the prospects of regularly supplied meals can make some bears ignore their fear of humans.
"Bears are very easily habituated to human feeding," says Missouri Department of Conservation Wildlife Research Biologist Dave Hamilton. "A lot of problems can occur when bears are conditioned to expect food from humans. It's up to us to prevent those problems by removing anything that can attract bears to our homes."
Hamilton recommends the following measures to avoid bear problems.
--Take down, clean and put away bird feeders, and clean up any seeds that may have fallen to the ground.
--Feed dogs and cats indoors. If you must feed them outdoors, clean up spilled food and place food dishes inside after each meal.
--Store pet food in airtight containers in locked storage areas.
--Clean up outdoor grills after each use and store them indoors.
--Put garbage out the morning of collection. Double bagging and use of ammonia will reduce odors that can attract bears.
--Do not place meat or sweet food scraps in your compost pile.
--Never intentionally feed bears.
Campers also should be watchful this time of year, because bears sometimes learn to associate campgrounds with an easy meal. Rules for bear-safe camping include never cooking, eating or storing food in tents or sleeping areas and keeping food locked inside vehicles when not in use. If a bear enters your campsite, get inside your vehicle and stay there.
If a bear wanders into your yard while you are outside, make your presence known by making lots of noise and get inside as quickly as possible.
"There's an old saying that 'a fed bear is a dead bear," says Hamilton. "Bears that lose their natural fear of humans can become aggressive. At that point they are a danger to property and in rare cases to people. Almost always when that happens the only solution to the problem is killing the bear."
Missourians who suspect a bear is foraging at, or near, their homes should call the nearest Conservation Department office.
- Arleasha Mays -
Purple paint provision makes posting land easy
Friday, April 05, 2002
Those whose hobbies take them outdoors should watch for "No Trespassing" signs without words.
JEFFERSON CITY - Preparation for participating in outdoor activities this spring should include a refresher course on trespassing laws. Hunters and nature viewers should be aware that purple markings on trees and fence posts is one of the ways landowners identify private property where trespassing is prohibited.
Missouri's Purple Paint Statute of 1993 was designed as a simple way for landowners to protect their property rights. The law recognizes purple paint on trees and fence posts as a means of marking private property against trespass. It enables property owners to clearly identify the boundaries of their land without the expense and problems of erecting and maintaining fences and signs.
Landowners using paint to mark their property must place paint between three and five feet off the ground on trees and fence posts no more than 100 feet apart. The paint stains must be vertical lines at least eight inches long.
The bright purple stains can help prevent outdoors persons from unknowingly breaking the law. Often it is difficult, if not impossible, to determine where land you have permission to explore ends. When you find purple markings you will know to go no further without the permission of the landowner.
Trespass in the first degree is punishable by a fine of up to $500, a six-month jail sentence, or both. This charge is filed in cases where land has been adequately marked or fenced to prevent trespass. However, land does not have to be marked for trespassing for laws to be enforced. A charge of trespass in the second degree can be filed in cases where land is not marked. A fine of $200 is possible in such cases. It is the responsibility of each individual to determine ownership of a parcel of land and acquire permission before entering.
Landowners deserve the courtesy and respect any homeowner would expect to receive in their own yard. Look for and get permission before stepping onto property marked with purple paint.
- Arleasha Mays -
Leave wildlife in the wild
Friday, April 05, 2002
"Adopting" wildlife may seem like an act of kindness, but it can be ruinous for both adoptees and their human guardians.
JEFFERSON CITY-What is the best thing you can do for wildlife you think has been abandoned? Nothing. Biologists with the Missouri Department of Conservation advise against attempting to rescue baby animals believed to be orphaned. Doing so often causes the animals' demise.
The Conservation Department receives hundreds of calls each spring from people who find birds, raccoons, opossums and a variety of other juvenile wildlife "abandoned." Conservation Department biologists say that in most cases nothing is wrong, and human intervention is inappropriate.
Birds often grow too large for their nests before they are able to fly. They fall or jump out, and parents continue to bring food for them on the ground. "Rescuing" a young animal from this situation is likely to result in its death. Most people aren't equipped to supply young animals' dietary needs. And removing an animal from the wild - even if you return it later - increases the chances its parents won't be able to find it.
Similarly, people who report "orphaned" fawns may not understand that white-tailed deer don't stay with their young 24 hours a day. Quite the contrary, fawns spend most of their time alone until they are old enough to keep up with their mothers. This protects fawns - which have practically no odor of their own - from being detected by predators that scent the doe.
The rule that wildlife usually is better off if you leave it in the wild works in reverse. Adopting wildlife can expose humans to undreamed-of perils. The danger may be direct, from a scratching, biting wild animal. Less obvious dangers from wild animals include contracting dangerous parasites.
If your child brings home a baby bird or rabbit, forget the popular myth that human scent will prevent the parent from taking it back. Return the animal as quickly as possible to the place where it was found.
It is true that a young bird on the ground can be easy prey for a roaming cat or other predator. But that is how it is supposed to be. If every robin that hatched lived to maturity, the world would be overwhelmed with robins. If you have a flightless bird in your back yard, the best thing to do is keep your pets indoors and chase away neighbors' cats and dogs that come snooping around. Remember, the parent birds will continue to care for the little one until it can fly.
And if you find the bird dead in spite of your efforts, don't be sad. "Conservation and the natural world turn on populations and processes," said Conservation Department St. Louis Natural History Regional Biologist Mike Arduser. "Mortality, life and death, is a very important process. It drives the natural world.
Becoming comfortable with that process is a difficult but valuable lesson to learn. There would be no spring without it."
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