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A monthly publication about conservation in Missouri. Started in 1938, the printed magazine is free to residents of Missouri.
KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – This year, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) celebrates 80 years of serving nature and you. MDC was founded by Missourians – concerned by the state’s decimated fish, forests, and wildlife – through a constitutional amendment passed in 1936 to create the nation’s first apolitical conservation agency in 1937.
Keeping with its tradition of citizen-based conservation, MDC will hold open houses around the state in August through October to share information and gather public feedback.
The MDC Northeast Regional Office will host an open house on Monday, Aug. 14, from 6 – 8 p.m. The Northeast Regional Office is located at 3500 S. Baltimore Road in Kirksville.
Come early to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Northeast Regional Office from 4:30 – 6 p.m. The celebration will include opportunities for free, guided fishing and hiking outside, and indoor exhibits on Spring Creek Watershed management, Mississippi River fishing, bats, bees, and other wildlife, as well as nature craft activities.
MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley will attend all open houses to share insights on the Department’s history, conservation priorities, and challenges on the horizon. Kirksville City Manager Mari Macomber, and National Wild Turkey Federation-Missouri Regional Director Mike Allen will also attend the event to address how partnerships with municipalities and outside organizations can further progress local and statewide conservation efforts.
Attendees are encouraged to give feedback on Department regulations, infrastructure, strategic priorities, and statewide and local conservation issues.
No registration is required for this event and refreshments will be served. The first 80 attendees at each open house will receive a special gift from MDC.
“Citizen involvement and participation have always been important to the Department of Conservation,” said Director Pauley. “Whether through gathering input from hunters on deer season regulations, or hikers and birdwatchers on how a conservation area should be managed, we value public input. We want to hear from you.”
Watch this video for an invitation from Director Pauley: youtube.com/watch?v=hQ0khwwQRWc.
MDC will also gather public feedback at the National Hunting and Fishing Day event in Hannibal on Sept. 23, and at MDC’s annual fall driving tour at Poosey Conservation Area in Livingston County on Oct. 15.
Can’t make an open house? Share your comments online at mdc.mo.gov/openhouse.
For more information, contact MDC Public Involvement Coordinator Michele Baumer at (573) 522-4115, ext. 3350, or Michele.Baumer@mdc.mo.gov.
