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| Contributing to the bald eagle's remarkable recovery in Missouri, this adult stood guard over two fuzzy gray chicks in a nest at Truman Lake in April.(Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
The number of states in the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact is multiplying quickly. So is the number of poachers who are out of business, at home or away.
JEFFERSON CITY-The old saying, "You can run, but you can't hide" is increasingly true for those who break fish and game laws. Participation is growing in an innovative program to keep poachers from crossing state lines to escape the consequences of their behavior.
Colorado, Nevada and Oregon formed the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact in 1989. The primary goal was to allow member states to honor hunting and fishing privilege suspensions of other states, effectively cutting off repeat fish and wildlife offenders who otherwise might be able to escape suspensions imposed in their home states.
The Compact grew quickly from this modest start. When Missouri joined in 2000, there were 12 members. Today, 22 states belong, and six more are working on legislation needed to join.
The average hunter or angler who intentionally or unintentionally commits a violation and gets a ticket does not have to worry about running afoul of the Compact. The only people affected are repeat offenders or those who commit very serious violations.
"We aren't talking about folks who stretch a fish or shoot one too many squirrels," said Dennis Steward, chief of the Missouri Department of Conservation's Protection Division. "The Compact is there to help us deal with lawless people who won't quit violating at home, and when they get suspended there think they can just take their bad habits to other states. Once you are suspended in one member state, you are out of action in all of them."
Steward said repeat offenders hate suspensions because it eliminates their excuses for being outdoors with hunting or fishing gear. They can't claim they were not doing anything wrong. For the duration of their suspension, being afield with hunting or fishing gear is enough to trigger arrests and stiff penalties.
As of March 2, nearly 4,000 hunters and anglers nationwide were suspended by Compact member states. Missouri ranked seventh in the number of suspensions with 89. Top states were Idaho (294), Iowa (251) and Minnesota (240). In 2005 alone, member states suspended 1,650 hunters and anglers.
In Missouri, suspension durations depend on the number and severity of violations. One year is the most common period, but a life suspension is possible.
"We give people a chance to learn their lessons," said Steward. "But we also have the ability to deal with those who refuse to mend their ways."
The Compact also provides a significant benefit for hunters and anglers who are not repeat offenders. Before the Compact was organized, member states had trouble collecting fines from nonresidents. To ensure compliance with court instructions, offenders often were required post bonds or appear in court before leaving the state. Now violators from Compact states often are spared this inconvenience; officers can issue citations, knowing that if violators try to evade penalties, they will lose hunting and fishing privileges in their home states.
Compact members in addition to Missouri are Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming. States with enabling legislation in progress are Alaska, Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Compact states have ultimate discretion in observing other states' suspensions. Although it is in each state's interest to honor most suspensions, they can evaluate the merit of every suspension and choose which to honor. Missouri's Conservation Commission has done this in some instances, such as when a violation that triggered a suspension in another state is beyond the Conservation Department's authority in Missouri.
Missourians can turn in poachers by calling the toll-free Operation Game Thief Hot Line (800) 392-1111. Cash rewards are available for poaching reports leading to arrests.
-Jim Low-
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| Columbia Bottom Trail Rangers include, from left, Wendy Surinsky, Fontania Brown, Terry Cross, James Jackson, Stephanie Phillips and Chiffontae Ross. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Any school, public, private or home can qualify.
JEFFERSON CITY-Teachers planning for the 2006-2007 school year should remember that the application period for Conservation Field Trip Grants opens Sept. 1.
The program, sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation, is entering its second year. During the 2005-2006 school year, the agency awarded more than $91,000 to enable schools to take students in grades K through 12 on conservation-related outings. The grants are intended to help cash-strapped schools maintain quality programs that get students excited about science and conservation.
Conservation Field Trip Grants provide up to $700 per grant and $1,400 per school or group to cover the costs of taking students to places that bring scientific principles to life. Eligibility criteria for Conservation Field Trip Grants are:
* Field trips must take place after notification of a grant award and by May 25, 2007.
* Mileage is limited to 200 miles per trip.
* Field trips must be to fish, wildlife or natural habitat related sites in Missouri.
* Field trips must address specific science or other academic instructional goals and be connected to classroom instruction.
* Grant requests must be for transportation costs only.
* Estimated transportation cost per student may not exceed $7.
* At least 20 students must attend the field trip.
* The application period is Sept. 1 through March 1.
* Individual students are only eligible for one field trip.
Field trip grants provide reimbursement for actual expenses up to the awarded amount. Schools that receive grant approval must submit transportation receipts and narratives describing trip accomplishments and benefits. Documentation must be received by the Conservation Department within 15 business days after the field trip is taken.
Educators in all Missouri schools or school districts--including public, private, parochial and home schools--may apply. Applications are available from Conservation Department education staff and regional offices, or may be downloaded from the agency's public website at www.missouriconservation.org starting August 15. Click on keywords "Education" and then "Conservation Field Trip Grant."
For more information, contact Norma Gilliland, (573) 522-4115, ext. 3808, norma.gilliland@mdc.mo.gov.
-Jim Low-
Missouri's August A. Busch, III, calls the campaign "a race against time."
MEMPHIS, Tenn.-Ducks Unlimited (DU) has announced the largest wetlands conservation campaign in history. August A. Busch, III, called the Wetlands for Tomorrow initiative to raise $1.7 billion in five years "a race against time."
Jim Kennedy, president of Wetlands America Trust and chairman and CEO of Cox Enterprises, Inc., announced the campaign at the 69th annual DU convention in Phoenix, Ariz.
"I can't imagine these places going away, and we are not going to let them," he said. "America's greatest treasure is the grasslands of the prairies, and wetlands are vital to our existence. I don't want to have to describe wetlands to my future grandchildren. I want to be able to show them these wonderful places."
Busch, who is chairman of Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc., and a long-time waterfowl conservation activist, stressed the timeliness of DU's response to the wetland conservation crisis. In a video message, he told DU convention attendees, "We are in a race against time, and the world we share is only given to us in trust for our grandchildren."
Wetlands for Tomorrow will raise funds for nine initiatives to restore and manage millions of acres of wetlands. Because these initiatives are specific to certain areas of North America, donors will be able to direct their gifts toward regions and projects in which they have a special interest or about which they are particularly concerned.
DU Executive Vice President Don Young said time is critical to the effort. "Every 10 minutes in the United States, an acre of wetlands is lost. We must reverse this trend, and with this campaign, we know we can do it."
More information about Wetlands for Tomorrow is available at www.ducks.org/WetlandsForTomorrow/. To send contributions, visit www.ducks.org/donateonline.
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Conservation Department says efforts now must concentrate on assessing the size of the zebra mussel population and its impact on native species.
The discovery of zebra mussels in Lake of the Ozarks emphasizes the need for Missourians to increase efforts to protect our natural resources from invasive species. The Missouri Department of Conservation today confirmed that the Eurasian mussels have been found in Lake of the Ozarks. The zebra mussels were discovered this week after an alert citizen contacted the Conservation Department upon finding what he thought to be zebra mussels on items submerged below a dock at the lake.
While the introduction of zebra mussels in Lake of the Ozarks is unfortunate Conservation Department Invasive Species Coordinator Brian Canaday says it is not surprising.
"Each year there are tens of thousands of visitors to the lake," says Canaday. "It's likely the zebra mussels were unintentionally transported into Lake of the Ozarks by someone who did not detect the tiny mussels attached to his or her boat. Because adult zebra mussels can live for several days out of water there is a great risk for avid boaters to transfer the mussels from one body of water to another. That's why we encourage all water recreationists to inspect and thoroughly clean all fishing equipment, boats and other watercraft upon removing the items from a body of water."
Since their arrival in the U.S. in the mid-1980s zebra mussels have expanded their range west to the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. The fingernail-sized black-and-white striped mollusks (similar to clams) are native to the Caspian Sea region. They were transported to North American waters in the bilge or ballast water of international ships and were first discovered in Lake St. Clair near Detroit in 1988. Since then, zebra mussels have spread rapidly throughout the Great Lakes and connected waterways of the Mississippi River, including the Arkansas, Illinois, Ohio and Tennessee rivers.
Zebra mussels were first reported in Missouri in 1991 in the Mississippi River. For eight years, they were not found west of the Mississippi in our state. In spring 1999, however, zebra mussels were reported in the Missouri River near Sioux City, Iowa. In August 1999, zebra mussels were found in the lower Meramec River, a Mississippi River tributary south of St. Louis.
The invading mussels feed on plankton, the microscopic plants and animals that form the basis of the aquatic food chain. This puts them in direct competition with native mussels and young fish, including bass, bluegill and other popular sportfishes. Zebra mussels can attach to power boats' drive units and clog water intakes, causing damage to engines.
Zebra mussels pose no health risks to humans but they can cause some problems. The sharp shells wash up on land, limiting access to beaches and encrusting boat docks and the hulls of boats left in the water.
Now that zebra mussels have been found in Lake of the Ozarks, the Conservation Department will work to limit damage from the species. The agency will establish a monitoring protocol to assess the size of the population and continue monitoring the lake to gauge its potential impact on native aquatic species.
"The best thing that can be done now is to educate lake users to take precautions against spreading zebra mussels to other waters," said Canaday.
Water recreationists can take the following actions to prevent the further spread of zebra mussels:
● Inspect boats and trailers thoroughly, and remove any trash, mussels or aquatic weeds before leaving any water body. Mussels and other items removed from the boat should be properly disposed of in a trash container.
● Drain water from the motor, live-well, bilge and transom wells, and any other water from the boat and equipment before leaving any water body.
● Dump leftover bait on land, away from the water.
● Rinse boats, trailers and equipment (including live-wells, bilge, and cooling systems) thoroughly with hard spray or HOT (104 degrees) water, like that found at a do-it-yourself carwash.
● Dry boats, motors, trailers and equipment thoroughly in the hot sun before using them again.
● Several Missouri STREAM TEAMS already are helping by monitoring lakes and streams for zebra mussels. If you would like to join the effort, call (800)781-1989 or visit the Stream Team web-site at www.mostreamteam.org.
Anyone who is concerned that their boats, other watercraft or fishing equipment may be infested with zebra mussels can contact the nearest Conservation Department office for assistance. For more information about zebra mussels contact Invasive Species Coordinator Brian Canaday at (573)522-4115 ext. 3371 or go online to www.missouriconservation.org, or www.protectyourwaters.net.
The new plan focuses on maintaining the citizen involvement that created Missouri’s conservation program and has kept it vital.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri, which has been in the forefront of conservation innovation for 70 years, has a new strategic plan that officials say will carry the state’s conservation vision well into the 21st century. Titled "The Next Generation of Conservation," the document lays the foundation for action, with broad conservation goals, challenges and results to be achieved.
The Missouri Department of Conservation recently unveiled the strategic plan, which the Conservation Commission approved at its March meeting in Kirkwood.
"The Conservation Commission had asked for a new, long-range plan and the Conservation Department staff has responded with an excellent product," said Commission Chairman Lowell Mohler. "This plan is born of collaboration and input from conservation partners, concerned citizens and staff at all levels."
Conservation Department Director John Hoskins called the document "an active plan-not a plan to gather dust."
"Every organization needs a clear vision with clear objectives to achieve its goals. The Conservation Department is no exception. This agency strives to serve people, as well as forests, fish and wildlife. We have worked hard to make this a plan that addresses the needs of human communities as well as its natural communities."
"Conservation is not a destination that we are going to arrive at one day and we can sit down and relax after that," said Mohler. "It is a work in progress, a process of maintaining the wild and natural things we love. Even though we may have achieved many of the conservation goals that were set out 30 years ago, much still remains to be done."
The Next Generation of Conservation provides a framework for conservation action based on nine major goals.
CONSERVING PLANTS, ANIMALS AND THEIR HABITATS
Conservation officials say they will preserve and expand healthy, functioning natural communities while minimizing the effects of non-native species. Some examples of actions planned to achieve this goal include:
● Protecting and restoring 6,000 additional acres of prairie on public and private lands by 2025.
● Protecting and restoring 3,000 additional acres of forested wetlands on public and private land by 2025.
● Restoring healthy, sustainable populations that allow the removal of five species from the state endangered species list by 2015.
● Developing a web-based, interactive plan to deal with non-native plants and animals that threaten ecological and economic damage to Missouri.
● Establishing or expanding 40 natural areas in the Missouri Natural Areas System.
● Promoting partnerships between public and private conservation organizations in areas where restoration and management have the greatest potential to yield significant results.
● Continuing the production and stocking of fish, such as paddlefish and sturgeon, and other aquatic species whose populations are not able to survive naturally, due to changes in their habitat.
PROTECTING CLEAN AND HEALTHY WATERS
The agency wants to expand Missouri’s already burgeoning citizen involvement in conserving streams and waters. Actions contemplated in the plan include:
● Empowering more citizens to care for streams by providing information about stream protection and management techniques.
● Increasing the number of volunteer Stream Teams from 3,000 to 6,000.
● Developing a stream education program for Missouri schools by 2008.
● Completing tests of six new erosion-control methods on conservation areas by 2012 in order to provide more affordable and effective erosion-control options for landowners.
● Managing stream corridors on all conservation areas to serve as models for landowners.
PROMOTING HEALTHY TREES AND FORESTS
Agency planners intend to ensure the health of Missouri’s forests and urban trees on public and private land so they continue to provide wildlife habitat, recreation and forest products produced in ecologically responsible ways. Means to achieve these goals include:
● Monitoring diseases and insect threats.
● Maintaining fire-suppression efforts.
● Expanding partnerships with the forest products industry to promote sustainable practices and conservation training for timber industry workers.
● Providing technical support to at least 3,000 private forest owners annually.
● Providing at least $250,000 in cost-share assistance for private forest management annually.
● Increasing community forestry programs to improve urban tree health.
● Restoring formerly forested lands on conservation areas by 2030 to support wildlife that needs glades, savannas, woodlands and forests.
PRESERVING MISSOURI’S OUTDOOR RECREATION HERITAGE
The plan seeks to increase the availability and participation in recreational activities on conservation lands by:
● Increasing fishing opportunities close to home with fish stocking, assistance in managing community fishing waters and developing public fishing areas.
● Renovating the state’s oldest managed wetland areas by 2015.
● Supporting hunting as a recreational activity and a wildlife management tool with understandable regulations.
● Providing high-quality trout fishing through hatchery renovations that increase trout production.
● Introducing families to a wide range of outdoor recreational activities through a new Missouri Outdoor Families program by 2008.
● Encouraging and mentoring new hunters and anglers through youth seasons, kids fishing days, youth hunting workshops, beginning trapping clinics and other special events.
● Drawing Missourians outdoors by increasing opportunities for diverse outdoor activities using emerging technologies, such as global positioning units.
● Developing five new shooting ranges by 2012 in partnership with communities, colleges and other organizations.
TEACHING MISSOURIANS ABOUT FISH, FOREST AND WILDLIFE RESOURCES
To make conservation information easier to find and understand and ensure that people understand the benefits of healthy natural communities, the plan calls for:
● Creating an exciting new hands-on, school-based Learning Outdoors Program.
● Providing $500,000 in grants to help schools implement Learning Outdoors.
● Developing educational materials for 4-H, Scout, home school and after-school youth programs by 2010.
● Providing public information about conservation through radio, television, magazines, newspapers and the Internet.
● Supporting the training of more than 3,000 Master Naturalists by 2015, enabling them to take their knowledge back into their communities.
● Providing educational exhibits at nature centers, visitor centers, shooting ranges and outdoor education centers.
● Promoting understanding of the benefits of using native plants around homes, farms and commercial sites with Grow Native! Program partners.
SUPPORTING CONSERVATION IN OUR COMMUNITIES
This goal aims to enhance quality of life and provide economic benefits where people live through conservation partnerships by:
● Developing demonstrations of the use of conservation-friendly construction methods, green space, trails and wildlife viewing opportunities.
● Helping communities find programs and grants for community conservation projects.
● Helping individuals and communities control nuisance wildlife.
● Providing fisheries management and funding to develop fishing facilities at community-owned lakes.
● Supporting local fire departments with more than $350,000 annually for equipment, training and volunteer fire assistance programs.
HELPING PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ADVANCE CONSERVATION
To encourage citizens to include conservation in their land management, the plan calls for:
● Responding to 40,000 requests annually for information and assistance.
● Providing on-site technical advice to 6,000 landowners per year.
● Developing a guide by 2010 to help landowners understand and use conservation practices.
● Hosting field days, workshops and farm tours to demonstrate land management techniques.
● Helping landowners take advantage of cost-share programs.
● Conducting workshops to train private conservation contractors.
SERVING NATURE AND YOU ON CONSERVATION AREAS
To provide safe, high-quality outdoor experiences on conservation lands, the plan calls for:
● Providing restrooms, drinking water, security lighting, picnic tables, trails interpretive signs, enforcement patrols and paved parking lots at 10 conservation areas near urban areas by 2025.
● Hosting 16 Serving Nature and You events annually on conservation areas to demonstrate recreational opportunities.
● Expanding and renovate hiking and equestrian trails on 40 conservation areas by 2015.
● Establishing camping areas with drinking water, picnic tables, restrooms and trails on selected conservation areas by 2015.
● Providing an online Conservation Atlas to help Missourians find conservation areas.
● Providing areas accessible to Missourians of different ages and physical abilities.
● Managing conservation areas as models for natural-community conservation.
ACCOUNTING FOR DEPARTMENT OPERATIONS
To ensure accountability in its policies and actions, the Conservation Department’s new strategic plan calls for:
● Listening to Missourians in public meetings, one-on-one conversations, surveys, focus groups and through an ombudsman.
● Creating an annual report describing the agency’s activities, performance and budget.
● Retaining a professional work force and programs that reflect the demographics and interests of Missouri citizens.
● Continuously assessing policies and procedures to ensure efficient, work.
Hoskins said The Next Generation of Conservation is a blueprint for meeting Missouri’s conservation challenges for the foreseeable future. He noted that 70 years ago, Missourians were discontent with how their wild resources were being managed. Three-quarters of the state’s voters approved Amendment No. 4 to the state constitution, establishing the Conservation Department.
'The hunters and anglers who came up with this ‘Missouri Plan’ had a revolutionary vision of how forests, fish and wildlife ought to be managed,' said Hoskins. 'A generation later, voters amended the constitution again, this time to provide funding for conservation. They wanted to employ skilled and dedicated staff who would use scientific principles to guide policy decisions. Those were the cornerstones of the plan.'
He said The Next Generation of Conservation sets a new course for conservation in Missouri. "The long-term result will be a better future for our state’s forests, fish and wildlife and, most important, a better future for our state’s citizens.'
The Next Generation document is available at: http://mdc.mo.gov/documents/about/nextgen.pdf.
-Jim Low-
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| Missouri’s frogging season opens at sunset June 30. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
JEFFERSON CITY-The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its next meeting June 22 and 23 at Springfield Conservation Nature Center, 4600 S. Chrisman, Springfield.
The Commission will meet in closed executive session June 22. It will meet in open session at 8:30 a.m. June 23. Commission meetings are open to the public. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend Conservation Commission meetings can make arrangements by writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, fax (573) 751-4467, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, chairman; Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau, vice-chairman; Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, secretary; Chip McGeehan, Marshfield, member.
-Jim Low-
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| John Irvin of Drexel caught this 6-pound, 6-ounce yellow bullhead catfish at Old Drexel Lake in Bates County May 27. The fish is a new Missouri state record and is larger than the current records recognized by the International Game Fish Association and the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Loss of prairie habitat has this spectacular bird on the ropes, but citizens and the Conservation Department refuse to throw in the towel.
CLINTON, Mo.-Nineteenth century pioneers reported finding "numberless flocks" of prairie chickens on Missouri's northern and western prairies. One estimate put their numbers in the hundreds of thousands statewide. Today, the state's prairie chicken population is somewhere around 500. The jury is out as to whether the bird also known as the "prairie grouse" ever can thrive in the Show-Me State again. But the Missouri Department of Conservation plans to try.
At its March meeting, the Conservation Commission received a presentation about a five-year Greater Prairie Chicken Recovery Plan. The document sets an ambitious goal of increasing the state's prairie chicken population to 3,000 and holding it there for 10 years. If that happens, the species will come off the state's endangered list.
"I don't know today if it can be done," said Private Land Conservationist and Prairie Chicken Recovery Leader Max Alleger, "but time is running out for this animal in Missouri. It's now or never."
The prairie chicken's past in Missouri is nearly as uncertain as its future. No one ever kept records of the number of the birds taken by hunters, although commercial markets in St. Louis recorded sales by the ton.
Some milestones recorded in state statute books shed light on prairie chicken history. In 1851 the state Legislature decreed the first prairie chicken season, a liberal five months. Prior to that, hunting had been allowed year-round.
The Legislature passed a law closing the season in Pike and Lincoln counties in 1857 but repealed that restriction two years later. In 1874 legislators decided that a six-month season was in order. They pared that back to 3.5 months in 1878, but then reversed themselves two years later and went back to the six-month season.
It was 1905 before the legislature imposed a daily limit on the number of prairie chickens hunters could shoot. Apparently the species was wearing thin by then. In 1907 the Legislature closed the season. It has never reopened.
That same year the State Fish and Game Warden estimated the prairie chicken population in 25 counties at 12,500 birds, yet the birds' numbers continued to plummet. In 1929 Aldo Leopold, conducting a survey of game in the Midwest, found prairie chickens in 33 counties and estimated their total numbers at 8,647.
For a while the species seemed to rally. The Conservation Department started an annual prairie chicken census in 1941 and estimated the population statewide at 13,692. But by 1965 the census turned up just 7,500. Since then the Conservation Department has attempted reintroduction of wild-trapped birds from other states, but the newly established populations have failed to thrive. From 1989 to 2005 populations declined from 3,000 to 500 birds. The species was designated as endangered in Missouri in 1999.
The greater prairie chicken, Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus, is related to the bobwhite quail, the wild turkey and various grouse. Like these other "gallinaceous" birds, it has an elaborate mating ritual in which males inflate brilliant orange neck pouches and dance around in circles while uttering unearthly bubbling sounds that can be heard as much as a mile away. Cocks spar to establish which one is dominant, but the choice of mates ultimately is up to the hens. The spectacle created by dozens of garishly colored, 18-inch birds "booming" at daybreak on a flat, elevated displaying ground is unforgettable.
The prairie chicken is not the first game bird to come close to extirpation. Wild turkeys and giant Canada geese were almost eliminated by the early 20th century. However, these species responded to the combined effects of closed hunting seasons and reintroduction of wild-captured birds. The difference seems to be the prairie chicken's habitat needs.
Turkeys and geese are generalists, thriving in a wide range of habitats and tolerating the presence of people and the habitat changes that human activities create. In contrast, researchers have discovered that prairie chickens can exist only under very specific conditions.
Researchers realized fairly early that prairie chickens do not do well in areas where more than one-third of the land is occupied by tilled land. They are creatures of prairie, where native plants create a sheltering canopy of tall grasses and an open understory with a tremendous diversity of broadleaf plants.
Recreating such conditions on conservation areas of several hundred to a few thousand acres failed to boost the species significantly, however. It took decades before researchers realized that prairie chickens cannot thrive without vast expanses of open grassland. Grassland habitat that is fragmented by trees is a deal breaker. Furthermore, roads crisscrossing an otherwise peaceful prairie landscape can create enough disturbance that prairie chickens may avoid using the area.
Researchers also learned that simply setting aside high-quality grassland and letting nature take its course was not enough to bring back prairie chickens. Missouri's native prairies were shaped by fire and other forces, such as grazing. Without periodic burning and carefully planned grazing, grasslands rapidly become inhospitable to the big birds.
Armed with such knowledge, the Conservation Department's Wildlife, Private Land Services and Resource Science divisions have devised a plan for bringing prairie chickens back to parts of their native Missouri range. To do this, Alleger and the rest of the recovery team must accommodate a highly mobile species whose habitat needs extend as far as it can see.
"This is a landscape-scale challenge, and it is going to require landscape-scale solutions," said Alleger. "No government agency has the resources do to it. In fact, all the state and federal agencies and private conservation partners put together couldn't do it. It is going to take conservation agencies, partners and private landowners working together if we are going to save this bird in Missouri."
Alleger said the government part of the equation is mostly in place. The federal farm agencies, the Conservation Department and other conservation agencies all have stakes in conserving prairie habitats and encouraging sustainable agricultural practices. They have at their disposal an impressive array of incentive programs, including the Conservation Reserve Program, the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program, the Environmental Quality Incentive Program and state-level companion programs.
Private conservation groups will play a role in the effort. The Missouri Grasslands Coalition-a group of agencies and groups focused on grassland conservation-has adopted the prairie chicken as a symbol of grasslands and supports the recovery effort. Coalition members, including the departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the Missouri Prairie Foundation, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Society chapters, Quail Unlimited, and a number of other agencies and groups all are natural partners in the effort.
However, Alleger said prairie chicken conservation efforts can not succeed without the help of private landowners who are willing-and financially able-to make their land more prairie chicken-friendly.
Missouri's prairie chicken recovery plan recognizes that northern and western Missouri have changed permanently. Farm and conservation agencies must use their combined technical and financial resources to help landowners achieve agricultural goals in ways that create a landscape where the birds can survive. Partners hope to help landowners develop management plans that make financial sense and help restore grassland bird populations.
Just setting aside prairie land will not benefit prairie chickens and other grassland species. To maintain quality habitat, partners will use a combination of prescribed burning, patch burning or managed grazing, haying and high clipping of grassland vegetation.
To create the necessary landscape-scale habitat changes, the recovery plan draws on the Bird Conservation Area concept used by Partners In Flight. This approach starts with a 2,000-acre minimum core area of high-quality grassland. Participating partners then work with landowners to establish or maintain additional, high-quality grassland tracts in the surrounding 8,000 acres. The result is a 10,000-acre "model landscape" where prairie chickens can thrive.
The plan calls for releasing wild-trapped prairie chickens from other states, but not until land protection and management have created favorable conditions for their survival.
The prairie chicken recovery plan calls for implementing this model on four focus areas by 2010. Grasslands Coalition partners have identified six potential focus areas that include parts of Harrison, Adair and Sullivan counties in northern Missouri, Pettis and Benton counties in west-central Missouri and the southwestern counties of Barton, Bates, Cedar, Dade, Jasper, Lawrence, St. Clair and Vernon.
The initial recovery emphasis will be around Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie Conservation Area (CA) east of El Dorado Springs, Taberville Prairie CA to the north, Hi Lonesome Prairie CA north of Cole Camp and large tracts of open land in southern Pettis County. If success is achieved there, efforts will expand to other focus areas.
"Prairie-chicken recovery will be a long-term venture," said Alleger, "and like other endangered-species management programs, there is no guarantee of success. However, because prairie-chickens need a diversity of healthy grasslands across large landscapes, managing with them in mind serves the interests of myriad native grassland plant and wildlife species. Investments in this effort will pay dividends toward helping to restore grassland ecosystems that once covered a third of Missouri."
For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Conservation, Wildlife Division, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, (573) 751-4115 or visit www.mdc.mo.gov/landown/wild/pchicken/.
-Jim Low-
This informal network allows birdwatching enthusiasts to take turns guiding and being guides in new areas around the world.
TORONTO, Ontario-Birdwatching enthusiasts who have a yen for travel but don't want to waste precious time looking for the best birding spots have a new friend-potentially thousands of friends, in fact-at www.birdingpal.org/.
The online networking site is the brainchild of Knud Rasmussen, a native Dane who now lives in Canada. An avid birder himself, Rasmussen wanted to travel to exotic places to pursue his hobby. Birding guides can be expensive, however, and they are not available everywhere. He also wanted to be able to take side trips to see birds when traveling for business.
"I started the site about five years ago after a business trip to British Columbia," he said. "I had one day off for birding, but I did more driving than birding. That gave me the idea."
Thinking that other birders must share his ambitions and frustrations, he decided to provide an online clearinghouse where people all over the world could arrange to trade birding knowledge and favors.
The headline on Birdingpal's main page says it all: "Birdwatching Contacts and Information: Select a continent to find a local birder to go birding with."
"From e-mails I receive, I know of many new friendships being made by birders using the site," said Rasmussen. "Personally, I have friends in Europe, India, Sri Lanka, Brazil and Argentina from my trips, but also a number of people I have hosted in Toronto."
Birdingpal users report differing success with the site. Rachel Katz, Rutledge, Mo., is one of eight Missourians who have listed themselves as local birding contacts. She has used the service once to locate a local birding guide.
"I found folks to bird with in Maryland," said Katz. "They were friendly and very knowledgeable. I also have looked when I traveled to other places, but I have never contacted folks elsewhere."
So far, said Katz, no one has contacted her for birding help.
Marilyn Koshland, who lives in Lee's Summit, said she discovered Birdingpal while researching an upcoming trip. She has found the number of participating birders in her favorite travel destination-South America-limited. However, she looks forward to hosting international visitors.
"This is a wonderful plan if one does independent travel and is going to the countries where there are host families," said Koshland.
St. Louis resident Dave Faintich also discovered Birdingpal while Web browsing for birding information. He tried to find a local birding contact in Puerto Vallarta during a daytime layover on a cruise, but he struck out. He also missed making a connection with a Birdingpal contact on Maui. It turned out the contact was a student who happened to be in college on the mainland during Faintich's visit to the island.
Faintich has received a few contacts from other birders. One was staying at a hotel in downtown St. Louis and wanted to see a Eurasian Tree Sparrow while she was in the area.
"Since I have them in my backyard, I told her she could come to my house via taxi and I would show her the birds. She didn't want to spend the money for cab fare and wanted me to pick her up. My volunteer Birdingpal effort doesn't include free taxi service, so we didn't hook up."
He said the informal nature of the Birdingpal network makes connecting with others difficult. "When you are visiting a new area on a trip or conference, you may only have one morning to bird-and it may not be convenient for the 'pal.'"
Rasmussen said contacting birders in your intended travel area well in advance of trips improves chances of making a connection. He just returned from a visit to Birdingpals in Brazil and Argentina. He said his birding success there was greatly enhanced by having local guides to show him the ropes.
Approximately 60 percent of Birdingpal participants are from North America. The remainder live in 126 countries.
Rasmussen also maintains a blog where birders can post field reports and travelogues of their own trips. The blog site is www.birdingpal.org/BBS/. For more information about birding in Missouri, visit mdc.mo.gov/nathis/birds/emobirds/.
-Jim Low-
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| Unseasonably cool weather in late April and early May created good conditions for development of sycamore anthracnose, a fungal disease that causes sycamore trees to lose their leaves. Tree experts with the Missouri Department of Conservation say the condition is no threat to the survival of otherwise-healthy trees. For more information, visit na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/anthracnose_east/fidl-ae.htm. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Missouri's deer regulations remain essentially unchanged from last year.
JEFFERSON CITY-Deer hunters will find few changes in 2006 deer hunting regulations. Rules have changed on a few conservation areas, and one county has been closed during the December antlerless-only hunt. Otherwise, Missouri's 2006 deer hunting regulations remain essentially unchanged from last year.
The Conservation Commission approved 2006 firearms and archery deer hunting regulations at its meeting May 19 in Jefferson City. Season dates are:
Firearms Deer Season
* Urban Portion - Oct. 6 through 9 in the same counties as 2005
* Youth Portion - Oct. 28 through 29
* November Portion - Nov. 11 through 21
* Muzzleloader Portion - Nov. 24 through Dec. 3
* Antlerless Portion - Dec. 9 through 17
Hunters may take one deer of either sex statewide on an any-deer permit. Additional deer may be taken on firearms antlerless permits in selected counties.
Archery Deer Season
* Sept. 15 through Nov. 10
* Nov. 22 through Jan. 15
Archery hunters may take two deer of either sex, except that only one antlered deer may be taken before the November portion of firearms deer season. Additional deer may be taken on archery antlerless permits in selected counties.
Archery Turkey Season
* Sept. 15 through Nov. 10
* Nov. 22 through Jan. 15
The limit is two turkeys of either sex.
The Conservation Commission removed Wright County from the list of counties open to hunting during the antlerless portion of firearms deer season. It voted to continue for a third year the trial of the four-point antler restriction in the same counties as last year during the archery season and all portions of the firearms season except the youth portion.
This year, qualifying resident landowners of 75 acres or more will receive the same number of no-cost archery antlerless-deer and firearms antlerless-deer permits as non-landowner permittees may fill for the county for the county in which their property is located, up to a maximum of two each. In recent years, landowners in some counties received one or two antlerless-deer permits in counties where non-landowners could fill none or one antlerless permit, respectively.
Landowners still will be able to buy and fill regular antlerless permits in counties where allowed. For example, in the 19 counties where only one firearms antlerless permit is allowed, landowners may fill their no-cost firearms antlerless permit on their land in one of those counties and also buy and fill one firearms antlerless permit in the same county.
In 14 southeastern counties, resident landowners are eligible for a no-cost, any-deer permit, and may also purchase an any-deer permit. No antlerless permits are available in those counties.
Resident landowners who receive and fill a no-cost any-deer permit also may purchase and fill a second any-deer permit, but only one antlered deer may be taken during the firearms season. They may take an antlered deer on one any-deer permit, but may only take antlerless deer on the other any-deer permit.
Deer hunting regulations have changed on a few areas owned or managed by the Conservation Department. These changes are detailed in the 2006 Fall Deer and Turkey Hunting Information booklet, which will be available from permit vendors in July.
-Jim Low-
The Conservation Department continues to gather information from the season, now in its second year.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri's experimental hand-fishing season entered its second year June 1, with 26 people buying permits by opening morning. They have a month and a half to catch catfish without the aid of hooks, lines, poles or other equipment. The Missouri Department of Conservation continues to track hand-fishers' success as part of its ongoing effort to gather scientific data on catfish.
The experimental season runs from sunrise to sunset June 1 through July 15 in parts of three streams. These are:
* The Fabius River system from the mouth to the Highway 61 bridge and the South Fabius River in Marion County from the Highway 61 bridge upstream to Dunn Ford Access.
* The Mississippi River from the mouth of the Fabius River upstream to the mouth of the Des Moines River.
* That part of the St. Francis River that forms the boundary between Arkansas and Missouri.
Hand-fishing permits ($7) are available only from the Conservation Department's Central Office. The process of applying for and receiving a hand-fishing permit takes several days, so advance planning is necessary. The permits are available by calling (573) 522-4115, ext. 3553, or by writing to Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. In addition to the Hand-Fishing Permit, participants must buy a regular fishing permit.
Hand fishers may take up to five channel, blue or flathead catfish in the aggregate daily. A 22-inch minimum length limit applies to flathead and blue catfish. Hand-fishers may use only their feet and bare hands without the aid of hooks or other manmade devices. They are not allowed to possess fishing equipment, except stringers, while on designated hand-fishing waters or adjacent banks.
Only catfish may be taken by hand-fishing and only from natural objects or natural cavities. Fish may not be taken from manmade objects except those related to bona fide construction projects, such as bridges, docks, boat ramps and rock rip-rap. No part of any object may be disturbed or altered to harvest catfish by hand.
Gathering information about hand fishers' success will contribute to knowledge about catfish and how they are affected by different types of fishing. Hand fishers are required to report their catches within 10 days of the season closer July 15. They must send in a report at the end of the season even if they caught no fish or did not attempt to hand-fish during the season.
Of the 108 persons who purchased hand-fishing permits in 2005, 22 failed to submit reports. Those who did not send in reports are not eligible to receive hand-fishing permits this year.
Fifty-seven of the 86 hand-fishers who did submit reports said they went hand-fishing during the 2005 experimental season. They made 153 hand-fishing trips and caught a total of 30 catfish. Ninety-five percent of last year's reported hand-fishing trips occurred on the Little Fabius River. No hand-fishers reported trying their luck on the St. Francis River, despite the fact that this stream produced a 94-pound flathead catfish that set a state record in 1971.
The experimental season is part of a comprehensive, five-year study of catfish biology. The multi-faceted study includes flathead and blue catfish populations in streams in northern, western and central Missouri.
The first step in the study was to document the age and size of catfish in eight streams. This baseline information will enable biologists to learn how fish populations change in response to fishing pressure, including hand-fishing on selected streams. Last year biologists sampled more than 8,000 blue and flathead catfish and tagged more than 2,300 catfish.
Spawning behavior is included in the study. Male catfish normally guard eggs laid by females. Researchers will observe spawning behavior of flathead catfish. Another phase of the research will use radio transmitters to track catfish's seasonal movements.
One research tool the Conservation Department is using is very popular with anglers. Catfish have been fitted with tags, and anglers or hand-fishers who report catching a tagged fish receive a $25 reward. At the end of the year, those who returned tags are included in a drawing for four bonus rewards of $250 each. Last year anglers and hand-fishers returned 173 reward tags.
Tags must be turned in to receive rewards, but tags can be returned to anglers as keepsakes. Participating anglers and hand-fishers also receive letters telling what biologists know about the fish they caught. All tags should be returned to Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 368, Clinton, MO 64735.
-Jim Low-
SPRINGFIELD, Mo.- The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its next meeting June 22 and 23 at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, 4600 Chrisman, Springfield.
The Commission will hold a closed executive session June 22. It will meet in open session June 23. Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, fax (573)751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is June 8.
People requiring special services or accommodations to attend Conservation Commission meetings can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by calling (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, chairman; Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau, vice-chairman; Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, secretary; Chip McGeehan, Marshfield, member.
-Jim Low-
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