MDC seeks public input on Mussel Fork Conservation Area in Macon, Linn counties

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Northeast
Published Date
08/02/2017
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BUCKLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is in the multi-year process of updating Conservation Area Management Plans and is seeking public input on how conservation areas are important to Missourians. 

A draft management plan for the Department’s Mussel Fork Conservation Area is available for public review through Aug. 31. To preview this draft management plan and share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans

Mussel Fork Conservation Area contains 2,440 acres of forest, open land, old field, woodland, grassland, savanna, wetland, and open water in Linn and Macon counties. MDC manages this area to provide, develop, and protect upland habitat and associated wildlife, while providing compatible outdoor recreational opportunities. The area offers 10 individual campsites and four fishable ponds for public use.

Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover almost one million public acres for the purpose of restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife resources, and for providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources. Most Missourians are within a 30-minute drive of an MDC conservation area.

Conservation Area Management Plans focus on natural resource management and public use on conservation areas. The plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing, and other area uses, which are set by the Conservation Commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best incorporate them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional, and statewide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.