In Brief

MDC Announces New Commissioner

Gov. Mike Kehoe appoints Centertown man to serve on commission

MDC and the Missouri Conservation Commission welcome Edward C. Clausen of Centertown to the Missouri Conservation Commission following his recent appointment by Gov. Mike Kehoe and pending confirmation by the Missouri Senate.

“We’re excited to have Ed’s professional experience and personal passion for conservation on the commission,” said MDC Director Jason Sumners. “He knows how important the outdoors are to our quality of life in Missouri, including managing private land for wildlife and outdoor recreation opportunities on public lands.”

Clausen is a partner at Newman, Comley, and Ruth P.C., a law firm specializing in defending medical malpractice claims. He is an active member of several organizations, including the Conservation Federation of Missouri, the Association of Defense Trial Attorneys, and Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He previously served on the board of directors for the Friends of the Eleven Point River. Clausen earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Missouri School of Law.

He lives in Centertown with his wife, Debby, and their land adjoins the Roger V. and Viola Wachal Smith Conservation Area.

“I’m humbled and honored to be appointed as a conservation commissioner,” Clausen said. “Ours is the premier conservation department in the nation and I’m grateful to the people of Missouri for supporting such a bounty of nature-focused public land for everyone to enjoy.”

He added that the hunting, fishing, floating, hiking, wildlife-watching, and other outdoor opportunities in Missouri are amazing.

“I’ve been to many, many conservation areas around the state, and our family did a lot of floating, camping, fishing, and hunting when our three kids were little,” he said. “We still enjoy floating Missouri streams and other outdoor activities with them as adults — and also now with our grandson, Hudson.”

Clausen and his family also have a history of managing their land for wildlife. They recently cleared cedar trees that were invading several acres along the road and then planted wildflowers. He added that they’ve also done timber-stand improvements over the years and maintain trails on their property.

His ties to nature go back to his childhood and he has shared them with his kids.

“My dad informally showed me how to hunt when I was a kid, but some of the most valuable outdoor learning for me was through MDC’s Hunter Education program,” Clausen explained. “I took the class with my oldest son when he started to hunt decades ago, and it was incredibly helpful.”

Commissioner Clausen was appointed for a six-year term that will expire in 2031. He replaces outgoing commissioner Mark McHenry of Kansas City, whose term expired July 1. Clausen joins Commissioners Margaret F. (Margy) Eckelkamp of Washington, Raymond T. (Ray) Wagner Jr. of Town and Country in St. Louis County, and Steven D. Harrison of Rolla.

“I also look forward to helping our next generations of conservationists,” Clausen added. “To paraphrase an old quote, ‘Wise are those who plant trees under which they will never sit.’ This future focus applies to fisheries and wildlife conservation, as well.”

The Missouri Conservation Commission consists of four members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. Commissioners serve six-year terms with no salary or other compensation with not more than two allowed from the same political party. Their responsibilities include appointing the MDC director, serving as MDC policy makers, approving regulations of the Wildlife Code of Missouri, strategic planning, and budget development and major expenditure decisions.

Managed Waterfowl Hunts

Reservations are required to guarantee an opportunity to hunt on MDC’s 14 intensively managed wetland conservation areas. There are two ways to obtain a managed waterfowl hunt reservation online. The pre-season reservation period will run Sept. 1–18. Hunters may apply for pre-season reservations at up to three managed waterfowl hunting areas. In-season weekly drawings will take place on Monday afternoons starting in mid-October with a seven-day application period that opens the Tuesday before and closes the Monday of the drawing at 3 p.m.

Pre-season and in-season waterfowl hunting reservations together will comprise 50 percent of daily hunting positions. Of the 50 percent of positions going to reservation holders, half will be from pre-season applications and half from in-season applications.

The remaining 50 percent of spots will go to hunters who do not have reservations but who participate in the daily morning drawing, called the “poor line.” For example, if an area has 20 hunting spots, 10 will be allocated through the poor line, five through pre-season reservations, and five through in-season reservations.

Only Missouri residents and qualifying non-residents, such as students from out of state attending a school in Missouri or members of the military stationed in Missouri, can apply online for a reservation to guarantee them an opportunity to hunt on a specific day on a specific area. Residents and nonresidents can arrive at a managed waterfowl hunting area the morning they wish to hunt and wait in line for the possibility of getting a hunting spot. Residents and nonresidents can also hunt with a reservation holder. Hunting parties are limited to a maximum of four people.

Applicants for waterfowl reservations must have their required permits to apply, and their Federal Duck Stamp to hunt.

Successful pre-season and in-season reservation applicants will be notified after their respective drawings via email or text message with their hunt date, area, and pill assignment. “Pills” designate the order hunting parties select their hunting location on the area. The lower the number, the sooner hunting parties get to select their hunting location.

Hunters with disabilities can apply to use ADA hunting blinds through the online reservation system during the same timeframe as the pre-season application period. ADA blinds that are not allocated during the pre-season drawing will be placed in the weekly in-season draws.

In addition to managed waterfowl hunts offered by MDC, waterfowl hunting opportunities can be found on other conservation areas, as well as Missouri’s rivers, streams, and reservoirs.