Missouri River Hills

Improving property for nature and owners in priority geographies

Some of Missouri’s greatest assets can be found within our diverse ecological communities. From the expansive cropland north of the Missouri River to the densely wooded Ozarks, outdoor enthusiasts can find a vast variety of wildlife and plant species to explore.

MDC and private landowners across the state work together to manage the land that Missourians cherish. In fact, MDC has designated 11 priority geographies statewide that are now receiving focused attention for habitat enhancement. Each of the 11 areas include varying amounts of privately and publicly owned lands and contain one or more MDC-managed conservation areas.

One such priority geography, called the Missouri River Hills, is located in central Missouri. MDC and many other conservation partners have determined that this area holds high potential for preserving woodland habitat.

Meet the Priority Geography

Missouri River Hills consists of Missouri’s largest block of high-quality woodland and forest habitat north of the Missouri River. Within this 45,510-acre swath of land that makes up the priority geography, an incredible diversity of native species exist on both private and public ground.

Woodland habitat is one of the four main types of habitats in Missouri where trees play a major role. Forests have the highest density of trees, then woodlands, open woodlands, and finally savannas, which have the lowest density of trees. Each of these habitats play a key role in the local ecosystems, and they require varied management techniques. 

In the case of Missouri River Hills, this area contains habitat and noted populations of many species of conservation concern and endangered species, such as the wood frog, ringed salamander, Indiana bat, fir clubmoss, yellow false marrow, and more. Because of the opportunity that this land offers, MDC designated this region as a priority geography and has a dedicated team focused on working with landowners to support habitat restoration and land management in ways that align with landowners’ goals and other needs for their property, while still benefiting nature.

Public and Private Partnerships

Missouri River Hills hosts a mix of private and public land. In this region, nearly 7,000 acres are public land while about 38,000 acres are privately owned. While MDC intensively manages the land it owns within the geography, including on Danville Conservation Area and Daniel Boone Conservation Area, there is also an emphasis on coordination among landowners for management on private property, contributing to landscape-scale conservation goals across the priority geography.

Since the region’s designation as a priority geography, MDC has worked with over 100 cooperating landowners. One such landowner, Andy Ley, has been involved in a management partnership with MDC for many years.

Nestled in a quiet area just south of Interstate 70, the 130-acre Ley property is an oasis from the bustling highway. Originally, he purchased this property with the intention of finding land close to where he lives full time that allowed him to enjoy a sense of relaxation when he wished to immerse himself in nature. Little did he know he had stumbled into an ecological haven that would respond well to management practices he wanted to implement. Ley just needed to determine the best avenue for maintaining and improving his property. It was through other landowners as well as the Missouri Conservationist magazine that Ley learned that MDC could provide not only expertise, but also financial assistance for managing his property.

Ley decided just over four years ago that he was committed to the idea of improving his land for wildlife. After speaking with MDC’s private land conservation staff, he decided to focus his initial management efforts on improving the portion of his land — nearly 80 percent — that was covered in timber. His land is primarily comprised of oak hickory forest and woodland acres, and when he purchased the property, there were issues with old fields encroaching on areas that were better suited as wooded habitat.

“Andy approached me with an interest in both wildlife habitat and the productivity of his woods,” recalls MDC Private Land Conservationist Jordon Beshears, who initially consulted with Ley about his property. “MDC provided him with a forest management plan, which broke his woods into several management units, each with its own detailed prescription for management.” 

From that plan, Ley began prescribed burning and timber stand improvement practices. He worked with a local contractor to complete the work, and MDC provided cost-share to help offset his expenses.

This forest management project influenced the way Ley thought about his property. At face value, improving the timber on his property included prescribed burning, tree thinning, and removing invasive species. These practices were aimed at improving the habitat for the turkey population on his property.

He quickly learned that this management effort influenced other species as well. As his work led to better quality, more marketable trees, Ley began to note a marked improvement in the number of deer traveling his property. The trees were producing ample acorn crops, enough to sustain the deer and draw them away from nearby agricultural cropland.

“An acorn crop is another benefit for the deer as opposed to a food plot that may or not come up based on drought conditions that year,” Ley said.

In a year like this past one, food plots may not be reliable due to lack of precipitation that hinders their growth. Come fall, this leaves hunters and wildlife watchers frustrated without the aid of the food plot to help draw in deer. Having a secondary draw, such as a booming acorn crop, can help encourage deer to visit your land.

It is not uncommon for land management to have a broader impact on the ecosystem than for what it was originally intended, as Ley saw with his acorn crop. Often, proper land management creates positive feedback loops on a property. For instance, managing a wooded property for deer and turkey may also improve the habitat for songbirds and small game. This is because thinning trees and prescribed burning create a diversity of habitats. This includes snags that provide nesting habitat for woodpeckers and other birds, as well as stimulating ground vegetation that provides cover and food resources for many species of birds and wildlife. Den trees, or live trees with a natural hollow in the trunk or limbs, also provide shelter for squirrels and other small mammals. Even in areas where row crop farming dominates the land, small management changes can improve production.

Implementing a transitional zone between habitat types can offer critical wildlife food and cover. A high-quality woodland edge will allow a crop field border to revert naturally to native plants. It can also be supplemented with other plants when needed. Some farmers even prefer to utilize prairie strips to break up their crop fields. These small areas provide pollinator habitat while also maintaining soil integrity by preventing erosion.

Working Together

When it comes to habitat management, small changes can create big outcomes. It can be difficult to know where to begin when considering how to improve your property, and that is where MDC’s expert staff can help. Not only do they listen to the landowner’s end goals and provide them with a step-by-step guide on how to achieve those goals, but they also can provide them with information on how to obtain cost-share funding for their management projects.

“The money helps,” Ley said. “Being able to reap some of the financial benefits that are there for the people during a time when costs for gas and insurance are high allows not only us, but those around us, to benefit from the land improvement.”

Managing property will feed back into the local economy. Purchasing the materials needed for management goals as well as working with contractors directly influences local businesses.

“If you hire a contractor, that money goes toward contractors feeding their families,” said MDC Private Land Conservationist Ben Diekmann, who is currently assisting the Ley family.

Just one landowner who decides to manage their property can impact the businesses around them as well as neighboring properties.

“It spreads when your neighbor catches on, and it grows to a landscape-scale management,” said Diekmann.

This landscape-scale management is what the focus of the priority geographies is all about; Missourians using the resources provided by local businesses and governmental agencies like MDC to manage their property in a way that benefits not only themselves, but the natural communities that depend on that land.

For those interested in managing their property, the first step is to determine what the end goals are. Whether the desired outcome is improved wildlife habitat, more robust crop yields, increased livestock production, or something else entirely, choosing your end goal allows you to determine the best steps toward that goal. Once a landowner knows what they hope to accomplish, they can reach out to their local MDC private land conservationist to see how MDC can aid the project. MDC staff are local resources who can provide landowners with best management practices along with guidance on how best to fund their management goals.

Find local private land conservationists on MDC’s website and start a land management project this year. 

Maddie Est is MDC’s media specialist for the Central and Northeast Regions.