Xplor reconnects kids to nature and helps them find adventure in their own backyard. Free to residents of Missouri.
MDC seeks public input for Prairie Home Conservation Area
COLUMBIA, 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 plan for the Prairie Home Conservation Area (CA) is available for public review from March 1-31.
To preview the draft management plan and to share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.
Prairie Home CA is located in eastern Cooper County and is comprised of 1460 acres. Area users enjoy opportunities for fishing and wildlife viewing. For the hunting enthusiast, the area supports deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit and quail. Hikers and birders find a seasonal array of migrant and resident songbirds including summer tanagers, woodpeckers, vireos, warblers, and sparrows. It is an upland area with a mix of old fields, small crop fields, grasslands, and woodlands.
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.
“Missourians care about conservation and use conservation areas for many different reasons,” said MDC Director Bob Ziehmer. “These areas help people discover nature through various activities, and help make Missouri a great place to hunt, fish, and enjoy other outdoor activities. We want to know how conservation areas are important to Missourians. Encouraging public comments on Conservation Area Management Plans is part of MDC’s ongoing efforts of working for and with Missourians to sustain healthy forests, fish and wildlife.”
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 state-wide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.