MAY 2007VOL. 68, NO. 3

58

11ConventionProduces Resolutions

15COMPOSTINGAWARENESS

DNR Encourages Participation

NEWS & ISSUES

CONSERVATION AWARDS

FEDERATION ISSUES

Recognizing Citizen Conservationists

CFM Fall Conference

ConventionProduces Resolutions

WildlifeMISSOURI

As I grow older, the pace of lifeeach spring catches me by sur-prise. I am amazed, again thisyear, how unbelievably rapidly

things happen once they begin. Sure, along winter of preparation positions ourtrees, our grasses and our wildlife to sur-vive and thrive when the intensesequence of events we know as springgets rolling. Once in a while a great coldsnap comes along to remind us all that“the best laid plans of mice and men”don’t amount to a whole lot in the face ofmajor weather events. This is one ofthose springs.

My best guess had our progression ofspring about three weeks ahead of sched-ule in March this year. Warm days, pleas-ant evenings, restful nights found grassgreen, dogwoods about to bloom far ear-lier than the usual date and redbuds attheir peak. A few rumors of morelsfound and consumed began to reach myears. Most who know me well know howmuch I relish morels and how eagerlyand relentlessly I pursue them when Iknow they are “out.”

Just about the time I was getting allexcited and good and ready to go pickmushrooms to my heart’s content, TheCold came. Down into the teens at night,bitter winds chilling further the 20’s and30’s we had as daytime highs. Last time Ilooked, days ago, the tops of our newgrowth of alfalfa had turned white andwas lost. The impacts of The Cold toMissouri agriculture were landscape intheir scope. Nearly 90% of Missouri’sgrapes are lost. Many grape vines havesuffered irreparable damage from the bit-ter late spring freeze. They were full ofsap and leafing out when The Cold frozethe liquid in the vines and caused thewood to split. Not only will these vinesproduce no fruit this year, they must bereplanted and our vineyards will produceno fruit for several years to come. Howwould your family deal with several yearsof no income? How will these?

Major challenges and how to facethem, the choices we make invariablyhave consequences far beyond the day wemake them. As citizen-conservationistswe are always challenged first to lookbeyond ourselves and beyond the needsof the day. This first step is requiredbefore we can begin to address thosegreat challenges met and dealt with soeffectively by our conservation predeces-sors. Conservation happens just as muchby the century as it does by the day. A lotis going on all the time! How do we acteffectively amidst all the apparent chaos?

Keeping in mind the North Star of com-mitment to the welfare of our forests, fishand wildlife has guided Missouri towhere it is today. The top of the heap, thebest that has ever been, the zenith of citi-zen-created and nurtured stewardship ofall natural resources for all citizens. Themodel of envy for the world and for theages. More deer, more wild turkeys, moreCanada geese, more wood ducks, moreriver otters, more raccoons, more bass,more places to go see and pursue all ofthese species, more places to hike, moreplaces to bike, more places to go ridehorses, more forests, more clean streams,more ponds, more lakes and reservoirs,AND many, many, many more peoplethan we had in Missouri when this allstarted in 1935 or even than we had in1976 when the Design for ConservationSales Tax was approved …by us.

The lessons of history are clear to me,we each must put aside our own selfish,personal interests long enough to allowconservation to work…and plan, prepareand cooperate to achieve excellent results.A legislator friend had it right the otherday when he said “the legislature servesthe people of our state” it is up to MDCto keep forests, fish and wildlife as theirtop priority. Who speaks up for them, ifwe do not?

Are we, as Missourians, immune tothe bickering and infighting amongsportsmen which has prevented conser-vation initiatives attempted in otherstates? Not at all. Our success has notcome by accident, nor will it continuewithout each of us contributing our verybest. Like they say in one of my favoritewestern films “we must hang together, or

we will surely hang separately.”What does all this have to do with a

bear, a fox and a turkey? Let me take astab at that: a bear lives by its might, itsgreat, overwhelming strength; a fox livesby its cunning; and a wild turkey lives byits constant wariness. CFM has consider-able strength in its current membershipof over 80,000 individuals and over 70affiliated organizations. CFM’s strengthis entirely dependent upon those mem-bers and affiliate organizations takingaction when necessary. CFM must main-tain constant wariness and vigilance, thesort only possible when each and everyone of us participates.

CFM has all the strength, cunning andawareness necessary to successfully tackleevery single challenge that has come ourway in the 72 years since we organized.An impressive history, but we mustalways remember the lessons of this his-tory, if we are to continue to be successfulin the future. So the questions of theday for us to ask ourselves may be as sim-ple as: Are we a bunch of barnyardturkeys or a flock of wild ones? Are we abunch of mangy old foxes or an associa-tion of the Reynards of fable? Are we alot of toothless old park bears or, as ourhistory would suggest, a pack of grizzlies?Time will tell. YOU will tell. Let’s notspend time resting on our laurels, whenwe can invest time, effort and resourcesin the opportunities and challenges oftoday. A penny for your thoughts: ormake that one-eighth of a cent, and con-stitutional authority.

Dave MurphyExecutive Director, CFM

2 M A Y 2 0 0 7

The Bear, The Fox And The Turkey WildlifeMay 2007

Vol. 68, No. 3

MISSOURI

Missouri Wildlife is the official publication of theConservation Federation ofMissouri, Affiliate of theNational Wildlife Federation.

ISSN 1082-8591

728 W. MainJefferson City, MO 65101-1559

Phone • 573-634-2322 Fax • 573-634-8205

Email • mofed@socket.netOnline • http://www.confedmo.org

MISSOURI WILDLIFE (USPS 012868) is pub-lished bimonthly in January, March, May, July,September and November for subscribers andmembers of the Conservation Federation ofMissouri, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO65101-1559. Of each member’s dues ($20minimum) $2.00 shall be for a year’s subscrip-tion to Missouri Wildlife. Periodical postagepaid at Jefferson City, MO. and additionalmailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MISSOURI WILDLIFE, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559.

Don JohnsonGlenn Chambers

Mike SchallonDuane AddlemanRandy Washburn

Dave MurphyLynne Jensen Lampe

Laurie Coleman

Leigh Love

PresidentFirst Vice PresidentSecond Vice PresidentSecretaryTreasurer

Executive Director/EditorDesign & ProductionAdmin. Associate/Membership and Managing EditorAdmin. Associate/Accounting

OFFICERS

STAFF

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

COVER: Missouri welcomes spring with thearrival of the Eastern Bluebird. Photo courtesyof Jim Rathert.

VIEW FROM THE STONE HOUSE

We recently completed ourannual convention at theLodge of Four Seasons atLake Ozark, Missouri. It

was a hugely successful operation withmany highlights, including a visit fromLarry Schweiger, President and CEO ofthe National Wildlife Federation. Thecooperation between the ConservationFederation of Missouri and the NationalWildlife Federation continues to groweach year.

Our Conservation Leadership Corpsdemonstrated a large leadership effort

during our convention and the hardwork of these young people have beenrecognized by the National Wildlife Fed-eration. Efforts are underway to pro-mote similar programs throughout theentire United States. Representatives ofthe group spoke at the NWF nationalconvention in Washington, DC, andtruly represented our Federation andMissouri in a wonderful manner.

Our spring season is rapidly develop-ing—we have already completed ouryouth turkey season. I’m sure you all arelooking forward to our spring turkey

season, which will occur in the very nearfuture. Best wishes for a successful andsafe hunt for all who partake.

On the legislative front, we continue tohave challenges to the efforts of wildlifehere in our great state. Our goal must beto continue to meet these challenges headon and champion the great principles thatour forefathers so widely established forus. Continue to stay ready, as we may allbe called to serve soon.

Best wishes!Don Johnson

President, CFM

CFM Meets Successes, Challenges

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 3

What do a retired couple inDent County, a group ofconcerned citizens inWright County and a suc-

cessful husband-and-wife entrepreneurteam have in common? Planned giving tobenefit conservation in Missouri.

Graham and Gerhild Brown built theirdream home on 189 acres in the Ozarks,but Mrs. Brown died a few years later. Tocreate a living legacy to his wife, the wid-ower left the farm to the Missouri Conser-vation Heritage Foundation (MCHF). TheFoundation, in turn, gave the land to theConservation Department, creating Gra-ham and Gerhild Brown ConservationArea (CA).

A group of Wright Countians wantedto preserve 391 acres of stunningly beauti-ful Ozarks land that included the headwa-ters of Bryant Creek and the state’s sec-ond-highest point. They raised enoughmoney to do it, through lots of hard workand cooperation with the MCHF, theJohnny Morris Foundation and otherpartners. The partnership eventually led tocreation of Cedar Gap CA.

Dr. Harry and Lina Berrier of Colum-bia have been making cash gifts to theMCHF for more than 20 years throughtheir successful Show-Me Barbecue Saucebusiness. They let the money accumulate,hoping to do something big with it oneday. They have reached that goal, and nowthey are considering a land purchase.

“Donations don’t have to be enormousto be important,” said ConservationDepartment Grants and Donations Coor-dinator Kit Freudenberg.“By puttingmoney into the Foundation each year asthe Berriers have done, you can build upquite a sum over time.”

Mary Bronstein loved wildflowers andwas a frequent visitor to Powder ValleyConservation Nature Center. After herdeath, her husband, Robert, wanted toshow his appreciation for the many happyhours she had spent at the Kirkwood facil-ity. It seemed natural to set up an endow-ment to care for wildflower plantingsaround the nature center building. Interestfrom the trust pays for refurbishing theflower beds each spring and putting themto bed in the fall.

The MCHF is separate from the Con-servation Department, but it is dedicatedto the same goals. It was formed in 1997and is governed by a board of directorsconsisting of business and communityleaders who have a history of conservationinvolvement. Several Board members areConservation Federation officers or past

conservation commissioners. They makesure that donations are used as intended.

Citizens set up the MCHF to do thingsa government agency cannot. The Foun-dation can move quickly on real-estatepurchases. It also can guarantee that con-tributions will be used for specific proj-ects. Furthermore, accepting donations ofland and other real estate is much simplerfor the Foundation than for the Conserva-tion Department, as the Brown’s exampledemonstrates.

As a nonprofit group organized underSection 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code,the MCHF also offers tax advantages oth-erwise not available to donors. Gifts to theFoundation can be particularly advanta-geous under certain circumstances.

For example, when someone donatesstocks or bonds, as former ConservationCommissioner and Foundation PresidentHoward Wood did, the Foundation cansell the securities and put all the proceedsto work for conservation. If Wood hadsold the stock, worth $500,000 and donat-ed the money, he would have had to paycapital gains taxes on any increase in valuethe stocks showed since purchase, decreas-ing the value of his gift.

Finally, the MCHF can do things thatare beyond government’s financial means.

“Missourians are extremely supportiveof conservation,”said Freudenberg,“butthey also have very high expectations ofconservation. People are asking more thanthe conservation sales tax can deliver. TheFoundation supports conservation pro-grams by obtaining funds from othersources. In recent years, this added moneyhas helped the Conservation Depart-

ment’s stretch available funds for projectssuch as the Cape Girardeau ConservationCampus and land restoration. Plannedgiving through the Conservation HeritageFoundation is one way Missourians can bepartners in projects they especially want tosee accomplished.”

Freudenberg said the reasons forplanned giving are highly personal. Forsome, the love of a place or activity is themotivation. For others, it may be a desireto give back to an activity, such as hunting,that has provided a lifetime of fulfillment.

Whatever the reason, said Freudenberg,every gift should be based on careful fore-thought. People who rush into decisionsabout donations, bequests and other giftsrisk losing potential benefits to both them-selves and their favorite project.

“Planned giving means carefully assess-ing your assets and looking for the bestway to structure a donation,”saidFreudenberg.“Assets can be tangiblethings, such as cash, land, buildings, stocksor bonds, or something that is intangible,such as a conservation easement. Each onehas a different set of considerations thatshould be discussed with a legal or finan-cial advisor.”

The MCHF has a variety of ways fordonors to contribute to conservation, eachwith unique benefits. One arrangement isa life estate, where a landowner can reapthe benefits of donating property, for con-servation while continuing to live on andretain control of his or her land as long asthey live. The Foundation receives theproperty upon the donor’s death.

Another strategy is to donate funds fora charitable remainder trust. Under this

arrangement, donors receive paymentsfrom the trust as long as they live. Themoney in the trust passes to the Founda-tion for conservation upon the donor’sdeath. MCHF has invested funds with theCommunity Foundation of the Ozarks forassistance with deferred giving plans.

“If you watch the Foundation’s work,you can’t help but be impressed by twothings,” said Wood.“First of all, many ofthe projects provide seed-money – initialfunding to get something started. Anexample is the new vandalism-reward pro-gram similar to Operation Game Thiefand Operation Forest Arson. The otherthing that is notable is the fact that a largenumber of the projects involve partner-ships with every kind of conservation enti-ty you can imagine. That multiplies thebenefits to conservation.”

“The Conservation Heritage Founda-tion provides a way for the little guy toplay a part in big things,” said former Con-servation Commissioner Randy Herzog.

Former Commissioner Anita B. Gor-man agreed.“By donating what they canfor things that are important to them, any-one can make a real difference. Far fromgetting lost in a sea of donations, these arethe sea.”

You can make contributions or receivemore information from MCHF, P.O. Box366, Jefferson City Missouri 65102-0366,phone (573) 634-2080 or (800) 227-1488,fax: 573-751-4467, e-mailmchf@MoCHF.org.

MCHF ACHIEVEMENTSSince its formation nine years ago, the

MCHF has accumulated an impressive listof achievements, including:

• Bringing together 13 groups to raise$256,000 and restore 770 acres of wetlandin the upper Truman Lake watershed.

• Funding the creation of more than200 outdoor classrooms and buying out-door equipment, such as canoes andfishing gear.

• Funding disabled-accessible huntingand wildlife viewing blinds and fishingpiers.

• Organizing outdoor skills camps forurban youths.

• Raising $4.3 million for the Anita B.Gorman Discovery Center in Kansas City.

• Purchasing electronic surveillanceequipment to deter vandalism at CAs.

• Funding habitat work for grasslandbirds, such as prairie chickens and bob-white quail and other wildlife.

Jim LowNews Services Coordinator, MDC

Conservation + Planned Giving = A Better Tomorrow

“ E A R M A R K ” P R O J E C T SMissourians who want to support conservation but don’t know where to start can

choose from a number of categories set up by the MCHF. Contributing to one ofthese allows donors to focus their contribution in one area.

One of the most exciting of these “earmark” programs is the Stream StewardshipTrust Fund. This money is available to help landowners with stream conservation.

An example of the program at work took place in Miller County. The county com-mission’s efforts to stabilize a road crossing on Little Tavern Creek unintentionallydestroyed fish habitat and a traditional swimming hole. It also caused the bridgeapproach to flood during heavy rains, making road problems worse. Money from theStream Stewardship Program helped fix the problem, at the same time restoringhabitat for the endangered Niangua darter.

Other earmarked-gift categories include:Land and Coldwater Stream Acquisition • Nature Centers

Habitat Restoration and CA Improvements • Kids Fishing and Youth Hunting EventsMissouri Stream Teams • Natural Resource Research Projects

Wildlife Enforcement and Hunter Education ProgramsAnti-Vandalism Reward Fund • Or where funding is needed most

4 M A Y 2 0 0 7

Those of us who share an inter-est in protecting Missouri’snatural resources often findourselves asking the same

question: Where are we in our quest? IsMissouri air clean for every citizen inevery part of the state? Are our rivers,lakes and streams safe for a variety ofuses? Are we protecting our landresources so they will continue to sup-port and sustain an abundance ofwildlife species?

The Missouri Department of Natur-al Resources recently released “TheState of Missouri’s Environment: 2007”to help address these questions. Thisreport is designed, in part, to help usmap how far we’ve come. “The State ofMissouri’s Environment: 2007” reportsthat bacterial standards now protect 96percent of Missouri’s classified streammiles for swimming and other uses.The report tracks the progress made byefforts to protect Missouri’s land, suchas the recently reinstated 50-cent-per-tire fee. To date, more than 14 milliontires from more than 600 illegal tiresites have been cleaned up with fundsfrom this fee.

The department’s latest biennialreport looks at how recent develop-ments in energy and energy prices areaffecting Missouri’s economy. Sincenearly 94 percent of Missouri’s pri-mary energy sources are importedfrom outside the state at a cost of morethan $13 billion annually, there is agreat deal of interest in finding ways tokeep this money in-state. Interest inharnessing wind and solar power isgrowing, and, according to the report,ethanol production in Missouriexpanded from approximately 50 mil-lion gallons in 2003 to approximately118 million gallons in 2005. More pro-posed ethanol production facilities areon the horizon.

The report looks at how the parks,soils and water sales tax has been usedto make important improvements toMissouri’s state parks and to protectsoil and water quality in our 114 soiland water districts. The report looks at

the recent renewal of this tax and howit will affect the future of these effortsas well.

It also details the significant eco-nomic impact of the state’s historicpreservation efforts. Passage of thestate historic rehabilitation tax creditin 1998 triggered significant rehabilita-tion activity in Missouri. Since incep-tion of this tax credit, more than $2.35billion has been invested in Missouri’srehabilitation projects. Missouri also isa leader nationwide in the use of feder-al tax credits.

“The State of Missouri’s Environ-ment: 2007” measures the effectivenessof the department’s efforts to improvecustomer service, including the addi-tion of several new satellite offices, aField Services Division and anombudsman program.

According to the report, in the firstyear since its inception, ombudsmencontacted nearly 1,500 citizens, com-munity leaders, business owners andother groups. These proactive effortsare designed to increase environmentalcompliance and head off dangerousand costly environmental problems

before they occur.The report shows that Missourians

have made tremendous strides in pro-tecting the state’s natural resources. Wealso found that there is still work to do.Addressing ground-level ozone in St.Louis and Kansas City continues to bea challenge. Too many of our water-ways are impaired, and a great deal ofwork remains at Johnson’s Shut-InsState Park, in addition to the normalmaintenance and repair at our 83 stateparks and historic sites. The report alsolooks at growing issues like e-scrap,which may pose a threat in the future.

In compiling this report, we werereminded of the important role ourpartners play in these efforts. Withoutthe leadership and commitment tostewardship provided by organizationslike the Conservation Federation ofMissouri, the progress we’ve experi-enced would not have been possible.

To request a free copy of “The Stateof Missouri’s Environment: 2007,” callthe department toll-free at 1-800-361-4827, or download the report from thedepartment’s Web site atwww.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub1332.pdf.

Where Do We Go From Here?State Of The Environment Report Provides Road Map For Action

AGENCY NEWS

Celebrating NatureProgram To Preserve Natural Areas Reaches Landmark Anniversary

AGENCY NEWS

You’re invited to a celebration!This year marks the 30thanniversary of the MissouriNatural Areas Program. The

committee was formed on April 20,1977, by a joint agreement between theMissouri Department of NaturalResources and the Missouri Departmentof Conservation. The goal of the com-mittee and the program is to coordinatethe classification, inventory, designationand stewardship of Missouri’s most out-standing natural features. In the past 30years, the committee has designated 180natural areas in 74 counties.

The Missouri Natural Areas Programis outstanding for several reasons. In

addition to designating the state’s mostoutstanding natural features, the pro-gram is an example of intergovernmen-tal cooperation among state and federalagencies. The departments of NaturalResources and Conservation, along withthe U.S. Forest Service, National ParkService, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Serviceand The Nature Conservancy all havesuccessfully worked toward a commongoal. This cooperation continues withthe organizations that own these naturalareas — state and federal agencies, con-servation organizations, local govern-ments, corporations, private citizens,foundations and other ownership asso-ciations.

The Department of NaturalResources owns or manages 41 naturalareas. Staff are involved in major land-scape restoration projects to preserveand interpret forests, woodlands, savan-nas, prairies, glades, wetlands and cavesin Missouri state parks. These naturalareas not only bring visitors into contactwith a variety of landscapes, but theyalso support and sustain numerous dif-ferent types of wildlife.

In honor of the 30th anniversary ofthis important program, you’re invitedto explore some of Missouri’s most sig-nificant natural features this summer. Anumber of special events are plannedthroughout the year so state park visitors

can see and appreciate designated natu-ral areas. Expect to see and learn abouthigh-quality examples of the natural ter-restrial and aquatic communities in Mis-souri within our wide variety of stateparks and 41 natural areas.

For more information about specialevents, contact the Department of Nat-ural Resources at 1-800-334-6946 orvisit the department’s online calendar atwww.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/parkssearch.do. For more information about Mis-souri state parks and historic sites, visitthe Web at www.mostateparks.com.

Doyle ChildersDirector, DNR

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 5

2007 Fall ConferenceThe 2007 Conservation Federation

of Missouri Fall Conference will beheld Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Sep-tember 14, 15 and 16, 2007 at CampClover Point, Lake Ozark State Park,Osage Beach, Missouri.

Programs planned are ColemanRepair, Spear Throwing (Atlatl),Archery with Don Johnson, Cookingwith Henrietta, Earthquakes by SarahSeidler, Dutch oven cooking by CharliePonciroli, fire making, orienteeringwith compass, wildlife rehab, knifesharpening, making a whistle from awillow branch, and crafts for adultsand kids.

Entertainment will be games, bingo,square dancing, marshmallow roast,campfire, story telling and guitar play-ing.

The Happy Hour and White Ele-phant Sale Saturday afternoon isalways a good time. When you arecleaning out your garages and base-ments, save some good stuff to donateto the White Elephant Sale. The salehelps to defray the expenses of the FallConference.

The food is always wonderful!Reserve September 14 – 16, 2007 on

your calendar and plan to attend forthis relaxing weekend. There will be aregistration form in the July/Augustissue of Missouri Wildlife.

See you there.

Surplus Property to beAuctioned May 19

Get your checkbook or credit cardand mark May 19 on your calendar.That is when the Missouri Departmentof Conservation will hold its surplusproperty auction selling vehicles,boats, motors and trailers to the high-est bidders.

This year’s sale will include john-boats, boat trailers, boat motors,

gooseneck and van trailers up to 30feet long, office equipment, farm trac-tors and 40 vehicles, ranging fromsedans to 2-ton trucks with rollerbackbeds and all-terrain vehicles.

For a tentative list of sale items call(573) 522-4115 ext. 3279 or 3283. Acomplete list of sale items will be avail-able at the registration desk the day ofthe sale. Auction items are on displayfrom 8:00 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. the daybefore the auction and starting at 8:00a.m. the day of the auction. The auc-tion will begin at 10:00 a.m.

All property must be paid for on theday of the sale and before removal.Acceptable methods of paymentinclude cash, MasterCard, Visa or per-sonal checks with proper identifica-tion.

Welcome CFM New Members

Thomas Abernathy, Saint LouisNorma Ackley, Jefferson CityGlen Baker, DixonEsther Banta, BridgetonEdith Barclay, FlorissantDavid Bates, Kansas CityJohn Baxter, IndependenceLeona Bell, MoberlyJim Bishop, ColumbiaPaul Bobeen, TroyCharles Brader, Saint LouisJames Brandt, GrandviewDan Bray, Lees Summit

Bill Brighoff, ChesterfieldJohn Buettner, Saint LouisLarry Bunse, CosbyHomer Butler, Saint CharlesSuzanne Byrne, Saint LouisVirgil Cagle, ColumbiaEdward Campbell, KirksvilleDanny Caylor, JasperWalter Chipps, Saint JosephPaul Coker, Kansas CityCleo Colville, HelenaLon Cooksey, MoberlyCounty Electric Company, Saint LouisJohn Crosby, Lees SummitJeffrey Cytron, Saint LouisDavid Dale, Saint LouisWarren Davis, RepublicElliott DeClue, WarrensburgEdward DeGroot, FarmingtonBetty Jo DeLong, Jefferson CityMartha Desloge, FlorissantRoss Diviak, Kansas CityMelvin Dockins, Platte CityRon Douglas, SpringfieldEtta Eagle, ChesterfieldBirkle Eck, Saint LouisJohn Eckert, KirkwoodBarbara Eichenseer, BarnhartLeland Ellege, Maryland HeightsRay Elmore, Saint LouisBrad Enke, Saint LouisJames Ernst, KirkwoodFirst State Bank, FarmingtonD. F. Flint, ChesterfieldMerle Fox, Rock PortRobert French, KoshkonongEugene Fuchs, Saint LouisGregg Galbraith, CarthageMatt Gaunt, ColumbiaLelyn Gfeller, RoachEd Gillett, SarcoxieGeorge Godfrey, HarrisonvilleJoe Gogel, O’FallonCarol Goodwin, Saint LouisJennie Gorham, Mount VernonDick Graham, Jefferson CityMark Greenwell, FlorissantBridget Grissom, ClevelandFredona Groh, HarrisonvilleBob Hafeli, Saint LouisPeter Haigh, ColumbiaNatalie Halpin, WarrensburgJohn Hambacker, SalemHammons Products Company, StocktonEarl Haywood, Saint LouisNeil Higgins, LickingNeil Hoffner, Saint LouisAlan Howald, MoberlyRick Hughlett, SpringfieldHarry Hurlburt, Kansas CityGreg Iffrig, Saint LouisEdward Imo, Saint LouisElizabeth Jackson, BallwinRonald Jenkins, IndependenceCarolyn Johnson, SpringfieldConnie Johnson, GalenaJames Joy, ColumbiaWendell Kaiser, Osceola

Harold Keairnes, Kansas CityWilma Keepper, GreenwoodRobert Kelley, IndependenceRuth Kelley, SpringfieldTerry Kennett, Saint LouisBob Kinker, BallwinJ. L. Kleinert, RevereEarl Koder, Saint LouisEldo Lakey, Lake Saint LouisHarry Lawyer, SarcoxieDenis Ledgerwood, BallwinBill Lewis, EdinaHuey Linegar, SpringfieldMaurice Lonsway, WentzvilleRoy Lowe, HarwoodRobert Lumma, HazelwoodRay Madden, JoplinNorene Maevers, Cape GirardeauGene Mareschal, HazelwoodPhyllis Martiz, Saint LouisRichard Martin, LibertyJames Mazzola, Wright CityJim McCollum, Houston, TXAnn McFarland Sullins, Saint LouisPatrick McMurry, Saint JosephEric Merritt, SpringfieldRick Merritt, EoliaTheila Metz, Saint LouisBarbara Moran, FultonVerda Morrow, NewburgWayne & Judy Morton, OsceolaSteve Mowry, Kansas CityJames Murphy, Saint LouisWilliam Nash, Blue SpringsDaniel Nix, Grain ValleyDale Nixon, Kansas CityMildred Nyblad, DadevilleMelvin, O’Dell, Webb CityMark Oldani, Saint LouisJack Olds, ImperialLarry & Nancy O’Reilly, SpringfieldByron Parkin, FentonTimothy Patterson, HillsboroDonald & Mary Pautler, Lees SummitCharlotte Phillips, ColumbiaJoel Picus, Saint LouisElliott Potter, CarthageKenneth Preiss, Saint ClairMary Ratz, PacificLinda Reifschneider, Saint LouisLowell Reynolds, LewistownErnest Robbins, Cedar HillThomas Roehr, FlorissantRuth Rosenthal, GainesvilleJames Ruffini, BeltonJerry Salarano, Saint LouisR. E. Sanders, BrookfieldMartha Scheetz, HigbeeBob Schulz, WilliamsburgEugene Schwab, Jefferson CityJohn Schweiss, Saint LouisEric Seaman, ColumbiaRichard Secrease, Saint LouisRoger Shannon, High RidgeRobert Sieckhaus, Saint LouisRobert & Joce Slater, Kansas CityRobert Smith, OwensvillePeter Stevens, Saint Louis

NEWSA COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATEAND ISSUES

Dennis Stinson, New BloomfieldKenneth Suelthaus, Saint LouisDavid Swinger, O’FallonC. Frank Taggart, Jefferson CityBob Tarrant, FlorissantJim & Rita Thomas, Hermann

Linden Trial, ColumbiaN. P. Trimborn, BallwinJerry Tripod, HarrisonvilleJohn Tucker, Lees SummitJames Turner, RollaSpencer Turner, Columbia

Dennis & Melinda Twyman, SullivanGlenna Udre, TroyElmer VanDyke, SedaliaW. D. Vasse, MoberlyMike Vittorino, Kansas CityJane Voss, Saint LouisSharon Washabaugh, Jefferson CityThomas Westhoff, Montgomery CityHarold Whitaker, Bland

Lee White, Blue SpringsRichard Whiting, ChesterfieldRobert Wilson, IndependenceTeresa Woody, Kansas CityJames Worton, Saint LouisLeon Wright, SmithvilleDavid & Judy Young, Windsor

6 M A Y 2 0 0 7

NEWS AND ISSUES

MEDIA PRODUCTIONSSpecializing in Wildlife Conservation Education

There are many experienced hunters, boaters and conservationists.

There are many award-winning video and TV producers.Very few are all of the above.

To talk to one of the few who does it all, callLee Vogel at 816.510.9127 • www.wacondamedia.com

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 7

Will you join today to help us conserve our natural resources for tomorrow?

Check the member category you prefer:❑ $20–Individual ❑ $15–Student ❑ $30–Family ❑ $100–Corporate ❑ $1000–Lifetime

Please mail this application with your membership dues to:Conservation Federation of Missouri728 West MainJefferson City, MO 65101-1559

If you have any questions, call us at 1-800-575-2322 or visit us at www.confedmo.com.

Name __________________________________________________________________

Address ________________________________________________________________

City __________________________________State ____________Zip code __________

Work phone: ____________________________Home phone: ______________________

Fax number: ____________________________E-mail address: ____________________

Please make checks payable to the Conservation Federation of Missouri.*Or you may charge your membership dues to your MasterCard, Visa, or Discover.

Credit card number ________________________________Expiration date __________

Signature of cardholder ____________________________________________________

Your membership dues include a one-year subscription to Missouri Wildlife, logo sticker, and membership card.

Pull...for Conservation!!Conservation Federation of Missouri First Annual Sporting Clays Tournament

Oct. 13, 2007 • 9:00 am–3:00 pm • River Hills Sporting Clays • Boonville, MO • Sponsored by Bass Pro Shops8:30 am ~ registration begins9:00 am - 3:00 pm ~ shoot and reshoot

River Hills Sporting Clays is a first-class shooting facility. Fun for beginnersand experienced competitors alike. Special price for youth (17 and under)$20. Improve your score, reshoot for only $20.

11:30 am–1:00 pm ~ lunch served all day

All day ~ auction bidding and gun raffle. We will have some outstandingitems up for silent auction bidding, plus chances at winning a fine shotgundonated by Bass Pro Shops. Tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Tickets may be purchased before the event or when you register at the event. Winner neednot be present to win.

4:00 pm ~ award party

A and B flight prizes will be awarded for first and second place two-personteams according to Lewis Class. Each contestant also receives a commemora-tive event souvenir.

SIGN ME / SIGN US UP!!

_____ Team Sponsor $250 (4 competitors and sign) _____ Squad $175 (4 competitors)

_____ Station Sponsor $125 (sign) _____ Team $100 (2 competitors)

_____ Shotgun Tickets ($5 each or 5 for $20) _____ Reshoot $20

_____ Youth $20 (17 and under)

Your Name _________________________________________________________________________________

Address ____________________________________________________________________________________

City _________________________State_______Zip____________

Home Phone ___________________Work Phone _____________________Email________________________

Company Name (for sponsor signs)________________________________________________________________________

Preferred shooting time: (circle one) ~ Morning or Afternoon

In addition to yourself, who will join you?

1. ___________________________________________

2. ___________________________________________

3. ___________________________________________

Payment of $ __________ enclosed. Please charge my Visa, MasterCard or Discover

Card No. ________________________________________________Expiration Date________________

Please complete the form at left and return with payment to:Conservation Federation of Missouri

728 West Main StreetJefferson City, MO 65101

For more information, call the Open Space Council at 636-451-6090

Reduce Reuse

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8 M A Y 2 0 0 7

Agroup of Missouri citizen con-servationists were awardedprestigious CFM statuettes fortheir volunteer and profes-

sional efforts to improve and protect ournatural resources at the Annual Conven-tion of the Conservation Federation ofMissouri on March 16 at the Lodge ofFour Seasons. Chosen from a selectgroup of nominees, the 2006 award win-ners represent the best of the best. Alarge crowd of CFM members andawardees family members and friendscelebrated the elite group’s accomplish-ments at a reception sponsored by BassPro Shops. Presenting the 2006 awardswas CFM President Don Johnson.

Conservation Communicator of the YearJOYCE HAYNES

It’s often said the key to conservingour wonderful natural resources is toeducate our young people - the conser-vationist of tomorrow. It’s also impor-tant the conservation message continuesto reach adults. If the Awards Commit-tee wishes to honor someone who workshard - and succeeds - at both of thesemissions, look no further than JoyceHaynes of the McDonald County News-paper Group, a newspaper chain consist-ing of the McDonald County Press,McDonald County News Gazette, Ander-son Graphic, Southwest City Republicand Goodman News-Dispatch newspa-pers.

Joyce is the art director for thesepapers and, as part of her duties, shecoordinates Newspapers in Educationprojects. Newspapers in Education(NIE) is a national program throughwhich newspapers partner with localschools to provide a special page that canbe used as an educational tool in the

classroom. Though this page is designedfor students, readers of all ages can learnfrom the information on the page since itis published in the newspaper.

One look at her NIE pages indicatesJoyce should also have the title of “con-servation educator.” She combines herartistic talents, writing skills and aninterest in the outdoors to produce 12conservation oriented NIE pages in 2006.Though these pages are written in a sim-plistic (and usually humorous) style thattargets young children, the messages ofenvironmental stewardship they conveyring clear for older readers, as well.Whether the NIE product be in the formof a “Frog Press” page or an interviewwith such characters as “Murray theMussel,” the conservation message thatcomes through is straight-forward andemphatic: We need to take care of theoutdoor world around us.

Conservation Educator of the YearJOE PITTS

Joe Pitts has been a conservationleader and a mentor to thousands ofteachers and lay leaders. For many years,his conservation and environmentalcourses through the Department of Nat-ural Resources have been and continueto be thorough, practical, very informa-tive and instructive. Those who com-plete the courses are always giving hiswork rave reviews.

Joe is the leader of Project WET forthe State of Missouri. He was veryinstrumental in bringing this conserva-tion education program to the state.With his guidance, one of our teachers,Herb Turner of Waynesville, became partof the writing and editing staff. Mr.Turner has received our EducationAward. Joe met Herb through theStream Team program, where he has

been a leader and educator for the pro-gram. Because his work with the begin-nings of Project WET was so good, hebecame the Missouri program coordina-tor for Project WET and remains in thatposition.

He has a cadre of teachers and conser-vation professionals that teach thesecourses throughout Missouri. He haskept the goals and objectives of ProjectWET aligned with the standards of edu-cation set by the Department of Sec-ondary and Elementary Education.

Joe has been a leader with MissouriEnvironmental Education Association,always assisting in keeping the goals ofenvironmental education pertinent tothe needs of the State of Missouri.

Joe has been a major contributor toCFM’s Conservation Leadership Corps.In all of his activities, he has promotedthe Conservation Federation. He hasbeen in regular attendance to the Educa-tion Committee’s meetings and volun-teers to help the Federation wherever thehelp is needed.

Conservation Organization of the YearWEST CENTRAL MISSOURI CHAPTER QUAIL UNLIMITED

The West Central Chapter has beenestablished since 1993 serving a fourcounty area with about 100 active mem-bers. The Chapter completes numerousactivities each year which implementportions of the Northern Bobwhite Con-servation Initiative (NBCI) Nationalgoals at a local level. Many of these activ-ities are directly related to habitat of theNorthern Bobwhite Quail and have posi-tively affected local quail populationnumbers, especially in the past fouryears.

The West Central Chapter has contin-ued to be a statewide leader in QuailHabitat Initiative Program (QHI) aimedat a cooperative effort between the Mis-souri Department of Conservation andQuail Unlimited to provide technicalassistance and cost share to private

landowners for establishing wildlifehabitat, especially for bobwhite quail.This program has been an excellent fill inprogram used by the chapter when othergovernment programs are not eligible oravailable to landowners. Since 2000 theWest Central Chapter has completedover 175 QHI landowner habitat projectsin the four county area. These projectsinclude 3,050 acres of actual habitatinstalled for quail field borders NativeWarm Season Grass (NWSG) conver-sions, 300+ covey headquarters devel-oped, and nearly 25 miles of edge-feath-ering completed. Taking the general ruleof one acre of habitat actually affects 10acres for wildlife the number of acresimpacted is 30,500. The chapter by part-nering has been able to spend over$106,000 to date on these landownerhabitat projects. This has been an excel-lent way for the chapter to partner withothers to impact quail in a positive wayfor the future, and also implement manyof the NBCI goals.

The West Central Chapter has wonnumerous habitat awards over the pastyears and for the fourth year in a row haswon the First Place National HabitatAward from Quail Unlimited in recogni-tion for its work in restoring quail habi-tat in this area. This is the first time thishas ever been done in the history of theaward.

The chapter has continued to be aleader in habitat conservation and habi-tat development in the local area withnumerous amounts of habitat havingbeen developed over the past years.Some of the projects and activities thatwere not mentioned above include, inthe past three years distributing over18,000 pounds of food plot seed tolandowners to develop various wildlifefood plots thus creating nearly 2,500acres of early successional habitat in thearea and assisting landowners with thepurchase of over 44,000 pounds ofNWSG and other seed mixes for wildlifeplanting which in turn created over 4,400acres of wildlife habitat. In addition,standing crops of milo/soybeans werepurchased directly from the farmer inorder to provide wildlife with additionalwinter food supply on about 150 acres.

Another very important part of theNBCI and quail habitat restoration iseducation of the public and landowners.This chapter has always served in thisrole and continues to build upon this

Esteemed CFM Conservation Awards PresentedCitizen Conservationists Recognized At Annual Convention

CONSERVATION AWARDS

Don Johnson (left) and Joyce Haynes.

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Don Johnson (left) and Joe Pitts.

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Quail Unlimited members accept the award.

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M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 9

each and every year. Just in the past threeyears the chapter has hosted and assistedwith:

• 7 Farmer Appreciation Days/work-shops

• 5 Sport shows• 30 Articles or ads promoting quail

management• 4 Public Presentations or Talks• 10 Habitat Management Field Days• 10 Chapter Habitat Newsletters• 6 Pamphlets or brochures developed• 20 Covey whistle counts on farmsThe chapter also works on numerous

other activities to promote not only theNBCI and its goals but also quail andwildlife management in general. Some ofthese activities include holding regularmonthly meetings open to the public inwhich a speaker of various quail topicscomes in to speak to the group, hosts andsponsors at least 5 youth events annuallythat vary from youth hunts to outdooreducational workshops, sponsors andassists with the Missouri Quail Academyin which high school students attend aweek long training course on quail andquail habitat.

As you can see the West Central Chap-ter of the Quail Unlimited has continuedto develop as a leader on both the local,state, and national scale in the area ofquail conservation and continues to tryand build upon this each and every year.

Forest Conservationist of the YearFRED CROUSE

Fred is a full-time professional con-sulting forester since his retirement in2000 as a Resource Forester for the Mis-souri Department of Conservation. Fredstarted work with MDC in 1967 aftergraduating from the University of Mis-souri School of Forestry. After 33 yearswith MDC and over 6 years as a consult-ing forester, Fred is now in his fortiethyear in the profession. If Fred is not thebest and most experienced forester inMissouri, he is certainly among the selectfew. Fred is Certified Forester #2047 withthe Society of American Foresters.

One reason Fred is such an excellent

forester is his broad base of experience.He started for MDC in the heavily tim-bered southeast Ozarks, transferred toSaint Joseph in northwest Missouri forseveral years, and finished the last twentyor so years in central Missouri workingout of the Columbia Regional office.What really separates Fred from manyothers is that he has owned and managedtwo Tree Farms for many years. One innorthwest Boone County north ofColumbia and one in Adair Countynorthwest of Kirksville. Fred has com-pleted Timber Stand Improvement (TSI)on 100% of each Tree Farm. He and hiscrew still do TSI for some clients and heis considered one of the foremost expertson proper chemical application in forestmanagement. Fred is a firm believer thatyou cannot have a healthy forest whichcan make a profitable income and pro-duce abundant wildlife while growinglow-value crooked, forked, or damagedtrees, particularly of species which haveminimal if any market value.

While in college in the mid-60’s, Fredworked spring breaks and weekends ontree planting crews. He has continuedplanting trees ever since on both his andhis clients’ woodlands. He has had asmall Christmas Tree operation on theKirksville Tree Farm for many years.Fred is considered an expert on propertree planting techniques and especiallychemical weed control. Foresters knowthat without proper weed control, manytree plantings are doomed to failure.

If there is one area of forest manage-ment in which Fred really excels, it istimber sales. The paint-marketing oftrees to be harvested to improve thefuture quality of a woods and their prop-er marketing in order to receive the high-est fair market value for the landowner isFred’s forte. This service also includesgetting the landowner’s money inadvance of harvesting , the signing of atimber sale contract which is fair to allparties, and the supervision of the log-ging operation. Recently Fred has asmany as sixteen such sales ongoing atonce. The value to the landowner ininvolving a professional forester to selectand mark the trees for sale, and the prop-er marketing of the harvestable trees isunlimited. No one does this better thanFred. Among Fred’s many friends are theloggers/mill operators who regularlyhave worked on Fred’s sales.

Fred makes time and is active in anyorganization which has a goal to improveour natural resources. He has been onthe Missouri Tree Farm Committee formost of his career, holding many posi-tions, including past Chairman. He is anactive member of the Missouri Consult-

ing Foresters Association and treasurer ofthe Missouri Chapter of Walnut Counciland Other Fine Hardwoods—an excel-lent organization which teaches forestlandowners on ways to manage theirwoodlands. Fred has always been anactive member of the Conservation Fed-eration of Missouri, the Society of Amer-ican Foresters, the Missouri Forest Her-itage Center, Missouri Farm Bureau,National Rifle Association, and MissouriForest Products Association.

In discussions regarding professionalforesters and the many areas of expertiseneeded to properly manage a woodland,it is amazing how many times FredCrouse’s name comes up as being thebest in the state. As Dizzy Dean saidmany years ago,“It ain’t bragging if yadone it,” and Fred Crouse has done it theright way for many years.

Hunter Education Instructor of the YearEVELYN “LYNN” PIERCE

Evelyn “Lynn” Pierce is a true HunterEducation Professional. She demon-strates a high level of commitment toMissouri Hunter Education and is alwayswilling to assist in any way she can withour programs.

Evelyn is very dedicated and extreme-ly reliable and is always willing to shareher passion for firearms safety and safehunting with everyone but especiallyyoung people. She has such a strongclassroom presence and a very soft spo-ken demeanor that everyone enjoyslearning with Lynn.

Evelyn is an exemplary Hunter Edu-cation Volunteer Instructor and onewho represents the Department verywell. She has exceeded the minimumexpectations in the number of classesthat she has taught by participating in15 classes more than the minimum of 2for every 2 years during her tenure overthe past 5 years. She has taught severalclasses in Bolivar, Halfway, Bois D’ Arc,Springfield, and Hickory County areasand is always promoting the HunterEducation program and the MissouriDepartment of Conservation.

Evelyn is a Range Volunteer at theAndy Dalton Shooting Range and Out-door Education Center and in thatcapacity she has had the opportunity tobe involved with many Public programs.With her participation in these variousprograms and special events, she hasalways demonstrated a high desire forpassing on her knowledge and skills toassist other to enjoy Missouri’s outdoorssafely. Through a great number of thesehunting and shooting sports programs,she has been able to consistently showparticipants how to safely conduct them-selves with vigilance towards firearm andhunting safety. Evelyn works part time ata local archery shop and is always speak-ing with individuals who have youngpeople who need to attend a HunterEducation program and she has anamazing way of convincing the adults toaccompany the young person and takethe class as well.

Evelyn’s tireless efforts in promotinghunting and firearms safety in her classesaround Missouri indicate a deep rooteddesire that shows her level of commit-ment to ensuring our hunting heritage ispassed on to future generations of peo-ple. These extend to both those whocome from hunting families along withthose who do not.

Her previous record of volunteeraccomplishments reinforces her dedica-tion to Missouri’s Hunter Education pro-grams and the Missouri Department ofConservation through her high degree ofprofessionalism. Evelyn is willing to takethe basic Hunter Education program tothe next level through her active partici-pation in recruiting new participantsinto many programs and special eventsincluding Youth Hunting Events andprograms for people with disabilities.

Professional Conservationist of the YearDUANE CHAPMAN

Duane is currently the “ImmediatePast President” of the Missouri Chapterof the American Fisheries Society (AFS).He was elected vice president of theChapter in 2004 and served as presidentfrom 2005-2006. In this position he alsoserved on the governing board of theNorth Central Division of the AFS from2005-2006. As president he presidedover a substantial revision of the bylawsof that organization, to bring the bylawsup-to-date with current activities andwith the parent society constitution.Duane wrote nearly all the changes andsubmitted them to the EXCOM and thenthe membership for comment and thenfor final approval. Approval will be by

CONSERVATION AWARDS

Don Johnson (left) and Fred Crouse.

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Don Johnson (left) and Evelyn “Lynn” Pierce.

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Continued on next page

1 0 M A Y 2 0 0 7

CONSERVATION AWARDS

electronic ballot and is currently under-way, but is highly likely to pass. Changesin the bylaws will in turn require sub-stantial changes in the Operations Man-ual of the Chapter, and we have alreadybegun a draft revision of that document.

Duane served as Chair of the Legisla-tive and Environmental Issues Commit-tee of the Missouri Chapter of the AFSfrom 1998 until 2004. In this position itwas required that he be the spokesmanfor the Chapter in its three-year advocacybattle over in-stream gravel mining. Hetestified to the Missouri Chapter’s posi-tion on gravel mining at numerous meet-ing of the Missouri Land ReclamationCommission and in Missouri State con-gressional hearings. Duane also draftedposition statements and letters for theChapter regarding gravel mining, invasivespecies, and Missouri River activities bythe Corps of Engineers. He representedthe Society in meetings led by the Mis-souri Department of Natural Resourcesthat determined the regulations requiredof aquaculture effluents. In 2006, heagain had to testify in State congressionalhearings to defend the agreements thatwere made during the earlier effort.Work on advocacy issues is performed onleave or other personal time because ofthe service to the Chapter.

Duane’s professionalism during thesand and gravel hearings in the last twosessions of the Missouri Legislature haveincreased the profile of the ConservationFederation an the Missouri Chapter ofthe American Fisheries Society as techni-cal experts with streams and streammanagement.

Driven for knowledge, Duane hasexemplified what it means to be a Fish-eries Professional and we are fortunate tohave him and his dedication, strength,and talents in Missouri. This is morethan a job for Duane, it is truly a passionto do this work.

Water Conservationist of the YearVICKI RICHMOND

Vicki is one of the most dedicated

and hard-working volunteers you willfind. Her home is Kansas City butmore specifically the Blue River Water-shed. She is a member and was a part-time employee of the Blue River Water-shed Association (BRWA)/Stream Team1878. Vicki is involved with water qual-ity monitoring, community outreach,and extensive education efforts. In2002, Vicki played a vital part in theBRWA receiving one of EPA’s RegionalGeographic Initiative (RGI) Grants.She has helped to lead and coordinatethe group’s efforts through this grant.These efforts have included a Blue Rivermitigation project, website develop-ment and maintenance, informationalhandouts, workshops, and hands-oneducational opportunities for water-shed schoolkids.

Vicki has also been an instrumentalpart of Stream Team 175/Friends ofLakeside Nature Center. This Teamstarted in 1990 and one of their biggestaccomplishments annually is the BlueRiver Rescue. This annual event isresponsible for removing an average of75 tons of trash per year from a 7.2 milestretch of river. Blue River Rescue con-nects hundreds of volunteers with thisurban stream every year. The group hasalso planted over 35,000 trees to stabilizestream banks and reforest the riparianzone. She was directly responsible forthe organization receiving the 2005Bridging the Gap’s EnvironmentalExcellence Award in the Keep KC Beauti-ful Category in the fifteenth of the BlueRiver Rescue. This activity has resultedin over four million pounds of trashfrom in and around the river. It is anamazing site to see all of these peopleworking together on a common goal toclean up one small part of the Blue Riverand how much trash that is collectedafter one of these events.

During the summer of 2003, KansasCity was chosen as one of eight locationsvisited by Fran Sorensen, Water WatchRegional Coordinator from NE Victoria,Australia. Fran was visiting the United

States as a part of a Churchill Fellowshipshe was awarded. These fellowships giveAustralians the chance to travel abroadto learn about things that they cannotlearn about in their home country.Fran’s goal was to visit several states hereand learn about their community volun-teer efforts. She researched environ-mental volunteer programs on the inter-net and chose Missouri as one of herdestinations because of the Stream Teamprogram and the recent accomplish-ments of the Blue River Watershed Asso-ciation. On very short notice, Vicki setaside projects in order to spend severaldays with Fran, lead her on a tour of thewatershed, and share information aboutthe Stream Team program and projectson a statewide and local level.

Another example of Vicki’s dedica-tion was shown recently when she com-mitted to help Stream Team staff with aMissouri Outdoors photo shoot. Vickihelped to schedule the event; set up thesites used for the shoot, and providedthe staff and crew with images theyneeded to make a great Stream Teamstory. Kansas City efforts will shine inthis new clip!

By and large, if you need action in theKC area or the Blue River watershed,Vicki is the gal to call on! Her dedica-tion and reliability are unsurpassed. Shewill not stop until the Blue is improvedand everyone in the watershed is aware.

Water Conservationist of the YearJAMES RIVER BASIN PARTNERSHIP

James River Basin Partnership(JRBP) is a not-for-profit organizationwhich was formed in 1997 as a project ofSouthwest Missouri resource conserva-tion and development. The James Riveris approximately 75 miles long and cov-ers part of seven counties with 931,000acres.

During the last five years JRBP haspartnered with other organizations tohost multiple Clean Water Kids pro-grams. JRBP has over 5,500 studentsparticipate in a variety of field trips,educational presentations, and hands-onactivities. JRBP assisted Taney Countyand hosted the first Christian County

Watershed Festival for all 5th gradersthat reside in these counties. The Festi-val gave the students an opportunity tolearn from experts by hands-on activi-ties how to protect our water resources.

Public outreach and education is cru-cial to protecting and improving ourwater resources. JRBP staff, board ofdirectors, and partners has been able todeliver water quality information to avariety of community groups througheducational presentations, workshops,demos, and field days hosted in ourregion. JRBP has reached over 300,000individuals through the public serviceannouncements which were designed topromote the annual River Rescue event,septic tank maintenance, urban lawnfertilizing plans, and stormwater runoffreduction.

JRBP worked with NRCS foresters,SWCD personnel and MoDNR to:

• Establish 22 miles of riparian cor-ridors

• Fill and seal 20 abandoned wells• Fence 664 acres to protect woodland

from over grazing damage• Prepare 24 nutrient management

plans for farmers• 5,633 acres of planned grazing sys-

tems• Completed 10,422 acres of pasture

improvementsThe partnership is also thinking

toward the future by working with part-ners and stakeholders to develop aWatershed Management Plan for thebasin to help determine priorities andcreate an action plan that is developedby the stakeholders of this million acrewatershed.

Wildlife Conservationist of the YearPAUL NELSON

Paul Nelson is deserving of a CFMachievement award for his effort to revisethe classification of Missouri’s terrestrialnatural communities which culminatedin the publication in 2005 of The Terres-trial Natural Communities of Missouri, afull color, 550-page book published bythe Missouri Natural Areas Committee.

Don Johnson (left) and Duane Chapman.

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JRPB representatives accept the award.

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Don Johnson (left) and Vicki Richmond.

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Paul Nelson (left), Paul’s son, and Don Johnson.

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M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 1 1

Paul led an interagency team in produc-ing this work, which will help foresters,biologists, park managers and others rec-ognize and manage key elements of ournatural landscape.

In 1979, The Missouri Natural AreasCommittee created a task force to developa terrestrial natural community classifica-tion system for Missouri. With a goal ofconserving all of the state’s extant naturalcommunities within the Natural AreasSystem we needed some definition andconsensus on what, exactly, that missionentailed. Paul Nelson chaired that group.He devoted incredible effort to the proj-ect during the next few years. In 1981, theMissouri Natural Areas Committeeadopted the new classification system rec-ommended by Paul and his task force.Recognizing that the new system hadbroad application to conservation andscience, the Committee asked Paul toexpand the technical report into a publi-cation - a manual for the conservationand study of Missouri’s landscape diversi-ty. Paul, with help from other knowl-edgeable and dedicated people, authoredThe Terrestrial Communities of Mis-souri, published in 1985.

Over the past two decades “The Nel-son System” became the standard forinventory, assessment and tracking ofMissouri’s best remaining examples of itslandscape diversity. The new MissouriNatural Heritage Database adopted theNelson nomenclature for all terrestrialcommunity records in its database. TheMissouri Department of Conservationused the Nelson System to conduct 27comprehensive regional natural featureinventories between 1981 and 2003.These inventories acquired extensive newdata for the Natural Heritage Database.Conservationists in MDC, DNR, TheNature Conservancy, and federal agenciesused the classification. The system alsoserved us well in its original intended role—to evaluate progress in completing theMissouri Natural Areas System. We cre-ated a scorecard of natural communitieswithin and outside of the Natural AreasSystem, and identified gaps - naturalcommunities not yet conserved withinMissouri Natural Areas. The classifica-tion system thus provides a critical per-formance measure for the Missouri Nat-ural Areas Program. Through all of theseapplications the Nelson nomenclaturepermeated the vocabulary of a generationof conservationists.

Sweeping advances in both knowledgeand technology have occurred since pub-lication of The Terrestrial Natural Com-munities of Missouri. Growth in the Nat-ural Areas System; knowledge of theextent and condition of remaining natu-

ral communities gained from the Mis-souri Natural Features Inventory;increased experience in managing naturalcommunities; new research on historicinfluences on natural communities suchas dendrochronology analysis of fire anddrought histories; better understandingof how plants and animals relate to theirnatural communities; a new ecologicalclassification system; and advances in thescience of landscape ecology haveenhanced our understanding of naturalcommunities and how they relate to thelandscapes in which they are embedded.Improvements in the Natural HeritageDatabase, faster and more powerful com-puters, data loggers, GIS, GPS, remotesensing, and digital imaging have given useffective new approaches and techniques.Additionally, the users - inventory biolo-gists, ecologists and land managers - hadthoroughly tested the system and hadsuggestions for improvements and modi-fications. After 20 years it was time for asubstantial revision.

Paul Nelson, still active in conserva-tion, and still a Missouri Natural AreasCommittee member, recommended in1997 that the classification system berevised. We again turned to Paul Nelsonto create and head a working group toaccomplish this task.

This publication is a result of thateffort. It accomplishes the needed revi-sion of the terrestrial natural communityclassification, incorporating the knowl-edge, technology and user suggestionsthat have surfaced since the original pub-lication. It greatly expands treatment onnatural processes, landscape relation-ships, animal components and interac-tions, threats to natural communities,and management considerations. It pro-vides more background on the humanhistory and present consideration of Mis-souri’s landscapes. It will continue toguide us in building the Missouri NaturalAreas System. This publication will beused in inventory, assessment, protection,restoration, management, and education.It provides management targets for main-taining and enhancing extant naturalcommunities that have all but vanishedfrom the landscape. It will help agenciesand organizations achieve larger scale,landscape restorations. It will guide theMissouri Natural Areas Committee inmanaging Natural Areas within larger,functional landscapes.

Conservationist of the YearDIANA MULICK

Diana Mulick is long overdue recog-nition for her outstanding work in con-servation education. She is a teacherforemost, both in the school setting and

in the field of conservation. She hasbeen a vital part of the Fall Conference,Chair of the Education Committee, andhas explored the underwater wildernesswith her husband, Don, as a scuba diver.Her support for conservation is life longand has always been superb. One couldstrike out superb and insert any of thefollowing: magnificent, dominant,remarkable, stellar, or excellent!

The Conservation Federation of Mis-souri has had a reasonably active Educa-tion Committee for several years. Sever-al of us have done the expected androutine things with the committee -reuse, recycle, plant, camp, and educatestudents on current issues. Diana, how-ever, has taken that challenge “to edu-cate” to a totally different and higherlevel. She is in a league by herself!

Along with Al Vogt, Diana arrangedfor students to begin to attend the Con-servation Federation annual meeting.This led to the establishment of theConservation Leadership Corps (CLC).For a student to be nominated to theCLC program, the individual had tohave exhibited evidence of accomplish-ment in organized conservation activi-ties.

Diana gave this group of high schooland college students an opportunity togive input and/or make a statement con-cerning conservation. Students wereasked to take on the task of influencingconservation policy and actions. Dianaasked for (and got) CFM to budget forstudent registration and price considera-tions, food incentives, as well as space fordiscussions, opinions, and policy writingto take place. She also saw that funactivities were incorporated in the CLCmembers stay, a broader educationalreason to belong to the group.

Under Diana’s guidance this leader-ship group has continued to grow andmake an impact on the ConservationFederation with their knowledge, inter-est, and much needed infusion of youngblood into the organization. These

future leaders have been encouraged byDiana to write policy and defend theintent to a committee of veteran mem-bers.

As a result of Diana’s desire to see theCLC membership acknowledged, a newaward has been added to the Conserva-tion Federation’s annual meeting, that ofa Student Conservation AchievementAward. Students who complete threeyears as a participant in the Conserva-tion Leadership Corps and a conserva-tion related college curriculum are eligi-ble.

The CLC group, under Diana’s guid-ance, has gained prestige and recogni-tion. National Wildlife heard about thesuccess of this program and felt it was aworthy goal for any conservation groupto know about, as well as how to get itstarted. Consequently, this year fourCLC students have been asked to attendthe National Wildlife Conference tospeak to the national membership.

Diana is to be applauded for her ded-ication to give the CLC members owner-ship in the program. She leads frombehind, as well as in front when needed.Her goal has been to give the studentsthe responsibility to do for themselves.As such, the students are the ones whotalk out at the meetings in favor of a pol-icy or in opposition to one. Students arethe ones who will tell the story toNational Wildlife. The students are, andhave indeed, been trained to be leaders.

A couple years ago, Diana came to themeeting just out of the hospital becauseshe felt her role so important - to seethat “her kids” got to do the things sheknew was important to them. And, byso doing, CFM is gaining young mem-bership and fresh ideas.

As Aldo Leopold states, “It is incon-ceivable to me that an ethical relation toconservation can exist without love,respect, and admiration for land. One ofthe requisites for an ecological compre-hension of land is an understanding ofecology. An understanding of ecologydoes not necessarily originate in coursesbearing ecological labels; it is quite aslikely to be labeled geography, botany,agromony, history, or economics. What-ever the label, ecological training isscarce.”

As an educator, Diana has done themost important job one can ever do -encourage students to experience forthemselves in becoming ecologicallyaware. In her quiet, graceful, gentlemanner, Diana has done an incredibleservice to conservation by instilling alove and a passion for guarding and pro-tecting those precious resources of con-servation in the youth of today.

CONSERVATION AWARDS

Don Johnson (left) and Diana Mulick.

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CONVENTION

The delegates of this year’s Con-servation Federation of Mis-souri Annual Convention havevoted to adopt fifteen resolu-

tions on current conservation issues.The convention challenged over twohundred Federation members, meetingin natural resource committee sessions,to debate current conservation issuesand develop positions statements, whenappropriate.

Action letters will be sent to theagency heads, legislative leaders (stateand national), non-profit directors, andothers requesting their response.

#1: CELLULOSIC BIOFUEL PRODUCTIONNow, therefore, be it resolved that

the Conservation Federation of Mis-souri assembled at the Lodge of FourSeasons, this 18th day of March, 2007,requests The General Assembly toactively support legislative initiatives: 1.To encourage, support, and provideincentives for the establishment of cel-lulosic biofuel facilities in Missourithrough private organizations, and stateand federal agencies, e.g. Missouri For-est Products Association, MissouriFarm Bureau, Missouri Department ofEconomic Development, MissouriDepartment of Agriculture, MissouriDepartment of Conservation, U.S.Department of Agriculture, U.S. Envi-ronmental Protection Agency; 2. Toencourage cellulosic biofuel producersto require their facilities to only pur-chase materials that have been harvest-ed in a responsible manner from sus-tainably managed forests following amanagement plan under the supervi-sion of a professional forester and agri-cultural lands; 3. To increase privatelandowner awareness and educationabout cellulosic ethanol production byutilizing the outstanding resources ofUniversity of Missouri Extension, Mis-souri Department of NaturalResources, and the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation.

#2: FERAL HOGSNow, therefore, be it resolved that the

Conservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, requeststhat the State of Missouri and UnitedStates government through agencyactions, and General Assembly of theState of Missouri through legislative

actions, take steps necessary leading to:1. The immediate removal of feral hogsfrom all public lands in Missouri bymethods including trapping, groundand aerial shooting, and other methodsas may be appropriate; 2. Expandedassistance to private landowners toremove feral hogs from private lands; 3.Enhanced regulatory and enforcementdiligence to eliminate the prospect ofescapes and accidental releases of feralhogs from hunting preserves; 4. Reclassi-fication of the criminal action for delib-erate releases of hogs to the wild to“felony” status with appropriate modifi-cations in penalty; 5. Removal of theundesirable and illegal premise underwhich feral hogs are being illicitlyreleased.

Be it further resolved, the Conserva-tion Federation of Missouri, as a princi-pal conservation organization in Mis-souri working on behalf of Missouri’ssportsmen and women, condemns thosewho are releasing feral hogs for the pur-pose of establishing populations forhunting.

Be it further resolved, that the Con-servation Federation of Missouriencourages similar statements of con-demnation by other conservation organ-izations and by agricultural organiza-tions in Missouri.

#3: CAPTIVE-REARED MALLARDSNow, therefore, be it resolved that the

Conservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, supportsthe Missouri Department of Conserva-tion regulations to restrict the release offree-flying mallards and to regulatehunting opportunity on shooting pre-serves.

Be it further resolved, that the Con-servation Federation of Missouri oppos-es any legislation that would restrict theMissouri Department of Conservation’sconstitutional authority to regulate theuse of captive-reared mallards and othergame birds on licensed hunting pre-serves.

#4: HUNTING ON NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGES

Now, therefore, be it resolved thatthe Conservation Federation of Mis-souri assembled at the Lodge of FourSeasons, this 18th day of March, 2007,respectfully requests of the U.S. Fish

and Wildlife Service Regional Region 3Director that portions of each Nation-al Wildlife Refuges in Missouri beopened to hunting and that all Refugesin this state collaborate on a compre-hensive hunting plan with public inputto supplement and guide the Compre-hensive Conservation Plans for eachrefuge.

#5: WATERFOWL HUNTING OPPORTUNITIES

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, encouragesthe concept of study to allow a secondparty to hunt a waterfowl blind after theprevious party has left, thus encouragingmore public involvement in the out-doors.

#6: WETLAND CENTER OF EXCELLENCENow, therefore, be it resolved that the

Conservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, activelysupports The School of NaturalResources in securing a Center for fur-ther learning and aiding in the additionof key missing components of such anesteemed degree program.

#7: ELECTRICAL BARRIER BELOW THESANITATION AND SHIPPING CANAL

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, activelysupports the substitution of the perma-nent barrier for the temporary barrierand encourage the Congressional Dele-gation of Missouri to support theappropriation of funds needed to oper-ate the electrical barrier as a buffer untilthe funds can be raised to finish the sec-ond phase of the construction andappropriations of funds to providehydraulic separation between DesPlaines River and Chicago Ship andSanitary Canal at the locations whereinvasive species can bypass the electricalbarrier during periods of high water.

#8: PROTECTION OF WATERWAYS NEAR HUMAN DEVELOPMENTS

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,

this 18th day of March, 2007, supportsan increase in Land Disturbance Permitfees from $300 per permit cycle to a $500annual fee for operators.

Be it further resolved, that thisincrease go to the Missouri Departmentof Natural Resources to hire staff thatmust overlook and approve develop-ment plots and enforce water-friendlydevelopment techniques near water-ways.

#9: MISSOURI FARMLAND PRESERVATION ACT

Now, therefore, be it resolved thatthe Conservation Federation of Mis-souri assembled at the Lodge of FourSeasons, this 18th day of March, 2007,stand in strong affirmation of the cre-ation of the Missouri Farmland Preser-vation Act.

Be it further resolved, that the Con-servation Federation of Missourirequest that the Missouri Departmentof Conservation, Missouri Departmentof Agriculture, United States Depart-ment of Agriculture, and the Depart-ment of Natural Resources, with nongovernment organizations to fund thecreation of voluntary coalitions to workin a joint effort with farmers. Thesecoalitions will form agricultural dis-tricts of 200 contiguous acres or moreof useable farmland, to prevent urbanand rural clash, along with any farmwithin five miles could join the districtas an extension of the district. Farmerscould choose to enter the contract forten, fifteen, or twenty-five years, andkeep their land devoted to agriculturaluses. Farmers who choose to join thesecoalitions will receive the developmen-tal value for their land. Farmers couldpetition the committee for the right toconstruct non-agricultural structureson the effected land, if it promotes fur-ther agricultural production.

#10: FESCUE ALTERNATIVE GRAZINGPUBLICATION

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, activelysupports cooperation between the Mis-souri Department of Conservation, theMissouri Department of Agriculture, theUnited States Department of Agricul-ture, and University of Missouri Exten-sion through the Missouri Agricultural

Conservation Federation Of Missouri Debates Issues Annual Convention Produces Conservation Resolutions

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 1 3

CONVENTION

Land Management Resources Institute(MALMRI) to compile and distributeprint and electronic based publicationsthat describe the aforementioned tallfescue related problems.

Be it further resolved, the informa-tion should contain solutions and corre-sponding cost share programs. Theresulting print and electronic publica-tions should be widely distributed andreadily available.

#11: COMPREHENSIVE WILDLIFE STRATEGY

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, supportsambitious implementation of the Mis-souri Comprehensive Wildlife Strategyand encourages state and federal agen-cies to review their commitments toprotecting our diverse natural resourcesand work with the Missouri Departmentof Conservation to see that the guidance

for comprehensive wildlife conservationbe integrated into the plans and policiesof state and federal agencies so it trulybecomes an “all wildlife strategy” forMissourians.

#12: WILDERNESS AREAS DESIGNATION

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, supportsthe introduction and passage of legisla-tion to permanently protect the follow-ing areas under the provisions of theWilderness Act of 1964: Big Spring(7,600 acres), Lower Rock Creek (13,800acres), North Fork (7,200 acres), SmithCreek (2,500 acres), Swan Creek (9,200acres), and Van East Mountain (2,500acres).

Be it further resolved, urges the Mis-souri congressional delegation to worktogether for the prompt introductionand passage of legislation to achievethese purposes.

#13: RESOURCE MANAGEMENT EDUCATION

Now, therefore, be it resolved that theConservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, enjoins theMissouri Department of Conservationto set forth programs to educate thepublic, not only to ensure a clear andscientifically sound view of fur trappingas a management tool, but also of theuse of furs in clothing and other goodsas a proper and responsible use of ourresources. This education effort shouldbe based on recent market research thatidentified key messages about the use oftraps and trapping. This could then bethe first step towards a more securefuture for scientific wildlife manage-ment as well as renewed confidence forthe consumers of furs and other Mis-souri products.

#14: QUAIL COMMITTEENow, therefore, be it resolved that

the Conservation Federation of Mis-souri assembled at the Lodge of FourSeasons, this 18th day of March, 2007,establish a separate natural resourcecommittee dedicated to quail and quailhabitat.

#15: GLOBAL WARMING LEGISLATIONNow, therefore, be it resolved that the

Conservation Federation of Missouriassembled at the Lodge of Four Seasons,this 18th day of March, 2007, call uponCongress and the White House to enacta cap and trade legislation to curb car-bon dioxide emissions by a rate of noless than 2% per year from base emis-sion levels to achieve an 80% reductionby the year 2050.

Be it further resolved, that Missouri,as a leading conservation state in thenation, calls on the state legislature andgovernor to adopt model legislation pat-terned after California and New Mexico,reducing pollution by 80% by the year2050.

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Name: _____________________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________________

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Payment Method (circle one): Cash Check

Credit Card _______________________________ Exp. Date:__________

Charles Abele, Saint LouisDuane and Nancy Addleman, SpringfieldRichard Ash, Saint CharlesDane Balsman, PerryvilleJim Tom Blair, Saint LouisStephen Bradford, Cape GirardeauRon Coleman, Saint AlbansMark Corio, ColumbiaDave Kolb Grading, Saint CharlesJohn Enderle, KelsoMr. & Mrs. Andrew Fleming, ColumbiaHoward & Sara Fleming, MoberlyMr. & Mrs. Matt Fleming, MoberlyGery Gremmelsbacher, Saint LouisAllan Hoover, Pleasant HillDon Johnson, FestusRoger & Debbie Johnson, HumansvilleDuane & Cosette Kelly, IndependenceSara Knight, Charlotte, NCCarl Kurz, Leawood, KS

Jay Law, Saint JamesGerald Lee, Kansas CityJoel LeMaster, FultonLeroy Logan, ArnoldChip McGeehan, MarshfieldCynthia Metcalfe, Saint LouisDavid Murphy, ColumbiaAbe Phillips, Saint LouisGerald Ross, Jefferson CityMike Schallon, BallwinTimothy Schwent, JacksonCharles & Winnie Stribling, MexicoBarbara VanBenschoten, Kansas CityLee Vogel, Kansas CityAl Vogt, ColumbiaRandy Washburn, Jefferson CityStephen Wilson, HartsburgDick Wood, Saint LouisHoward Wood, Bonne TerreRobert Ziehmer, California

Conservationists For Life($1,000 Contribution)

1 4 M A Y 2 0 0 7

During my annual address tothe Conservation Federationof Missouri, I challenged ourorganizations to lead a

statewide discussion about the future ofconservation in our state. There aremany opportunities to advance fish, for-est and wildlife resources, but many chal-lenges to think through to be successful.One notable trend worthy of our atten-tion is the shifting demographics of Mis-souri’s hunters and anglers.

A recent study by MDC’s ResourceScience Division analyzed permit recordsof hunters and anglers and discoveredthat Missouri’s traditional core of conser-vationists is aging. This is a cause forconcern because the analysis also revealsthat these sportsmen and women are notbeing replaced by younger participants atthe same rate they were years ago. WhileMissouri is currently leading the nationin the recruitment of new hunters, if notreversed, current trends project a loss ofmore than 110,000 resident firearms deer

hunters, 200,000 anglers and 130,000small game hunters over the nextfew decades.

The cause of these declines ishard to pinpoint, but it is safeto say that societal changesand the expanding role oftechnology is influencingthe receptiveness oftoday’s youth to anoutdoor education.In many ways, tele-vision, video games, the internet andemail make our communications andeducation more efficient. However, thesewidely available technologies also make itattractive to connect with an electronicbox before we connect with our neigh-bors or the open areas near our homes.

How do we ensure that tomorrow’sadults become active participants in out-door recreation and protectors of theresources CFM was formed to conserve?At its basic level, the question is—Whowill teach our sons and daughters about

fish, forests and wildlife? We know public understanding

that hunting and fishing are impor-tant to conservation management

must increase. Therefore, MDCformed a task force of conser-

vation professionals andpartners, such as CFM, to

identify strategies toreverse these trends.

The group is explor-ing many topics to

identify barriers to attracting new huntersand anglers. Topics like: the complexityof regulations; the exposure to huntingand fishing in urban areas; the role ofmentors in developing outdoor passions;and new education programs that intro-duce Missourians to nature and outdoorexperiences. We welcome your help inthis monumental task.

Grassroots coalitions and meaningfuldebates about the role of conservation insociety are necessary to precipitate action.We have to start talking today about the

new resources needed to advance conser-vation, not just the need to conserveresources. The key will be what we indi-vidually contribute to broadening aware-ness.

CFM’s diverse group of 70 affiliatesproves that conservation in Missouri is abig tent with a wide entrance for all whowish to come in. All of us engaged inMissouri conservation have a personalresponsibility to share our passion withour families and the youth we encounter.And it’s simple to do; find a child andtake a walk, go to a pond, pattern a shot-gun or find a spot to witness the springbird migration. Every encounter withnature has lasting significance.

Not every youth will become an adultwho hunts or fishes, but we can dramati-cally increase the number of future adultswho value our resources and take actionsto protect them.

John HoskinsDirector, MDC

Plan For Tomorrow’s Resources Today

AGENCY NEWS

A unique partnership between CFM and Jim Rathert has begun. You can buy fantastic images ofMissouri wildlife, caught in the act of living, by renowned photographer Jim Rathert.

Best of all, each of these vivid slices of Missouri wildlife will greatly benefit CFM. The cards are soldonly in high-quality sets of 12. There are 3 copies of each of the 4 images in every set (whitetail buck,greater prairie chicken, belted kingfisher, eastern bluebird). Each card is 5 x 7 with a full color photoon the front, a nature note by Jim with our CFM logo, mission statement and contact information onthe back and plenty of space for your message on the inside. High quality, matched envelopes accom-pany each card.

Please order your cards today! We are certain you will enjoy sending them as much as your friendswill enjoy receiving them. A dozen cards are yours for only $19. If you order 3 or more sets, you payonly $16 per set. Prices include shipping and handling. To buy cards, use the form below, call (800) 575-2322 or go to www.confedmo.org. Mail your payment to 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Name:_________________________________________________________________________________

Address:________________________________________________________________________________

City: ________________________________________ State: ______________ Zipcode:_____________

Quantity (# of sets): _________ Total Price: ________________ ❑ Check ❑ Cash

❑ Credit Card ~ Card #: ________________________________________ Exp. Date: ______________

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M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 1 5

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Spring is a great time of year to getback to nature. The temperatureoutside creeps back up, trees andgardens are in bloom and a gen-

eral feeling of rebirth is all around. Per-haps this is why spring also ushers in atime of environmental awareness events:We have Earth Day April 22, Arbor Day isApril 27, and the whole month of April isNational Garden Month.

The theme continues into May withInternational Composting AwarenessWeek, which lasts from May 6 to May 12.During that week, people are encouragedto learn about the benefits of compostand engage in various composting activi-ties.

Compost is made from decomposingorganic matter. Materials that can becomposted include yard waste such as

grass clippings, fallen leaves, weeds, gar-den plant remains, chipped tree limbs,and fruit and vegetable scraps. Thingsthat should NOT be composted includepressure-treated or painted wood, meatscraps, bones or fatty foods.

Compost is a practical and convenientway to transform these waste materialsinto a valuable resource. If you have agarden, lawn, trees, shrubs or planterboxes, you can use compost to enrich thesoil and improve plant growth.

Here are some ways you can celebrateInternational Composting AwarenessWeek:

• Organize a compost sale in yourcommunity

• Host a “How to get started compost-ing” get together

• Plant a tree in your community

using compost-enriched soil or mulch• Start a garden with compost-

enriched soil. Donate flowers to localhospitals and food to local food banks

To learn more about InternationalComposting Awareness Week, visit Unit-ed States Composting Council’s Web siteat www.compostingcouncil.org.

To learn more about how to compostand what the benefits of composting are,please visit the Department of NaturalResources’ Solid Waste ManagementProgram’s Web site athttp://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/com-posting/compost1.htm.

For other questions about compost-ing, recycling and other solid waste issuesplease contact the program at (573) 751-5401 or by mail at P.O. Box 176, JeffersonCity, Missouri 65102.

Spring Into Action During Composting Awareness WeekMissouri Department Of Natural Resources Encourages Participation In International Event

Yard waste, as well as food and vegetablescraps, makes excellent compost.

HUNTING FISHING CAMPING BOATING

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C O N S E R V A T I O N F E D E R A T I O N O F M I S S O U R I A F F I L I A T E S

Anglers of MissouriArchery Big Bucks of MissouriBig Game HuntersBridlespur Hunt ClubCapital City Fly FishersCentral Missouri Chapter Safari ClubColdwater Outing & Game PreserveEastern MO Chapter Pheasants ForeverFestus/Crystal City Conservation ClubForest Releaf of MissouriFranklin County Wildlife ClubFriends of Rockbridge Memorial State ParkGreenway NetworkHeaven’s AnglersJefferson County CoonhuntersKansas City Chapter Safari ClubKansas City WoodcarversLambert Field Rod & Gun Club

Mark Twain Area Quail UnlimitedMid Missouri Trout UnlimitedMidwest Diving CouncilMississippi County Conservation SocietyMississippi Valley Duck HuntersMississippi Valley Gun ClubMissouri Association of Meat ProcessorsMissouri Bass FederationMissouri Bow HuntersMissouri Conservation Agents AssociationMissouri Consulting Foresters AssociationMissouri Department of AgricultureMissouri Ducks Unlimited State CouncilMissouri Forest Products AssociationMissouri Parks & Recreation AssociationMissouri Parks AssociationMissouri Prairie FoundationMissouri Smallmouth Alliance

Missouri Sport Shooting AssociationMissouri State Campers AssociationMissouri State Council Quail UnlimitedMissouri Taxidermist AssociationMissouri Trappers AssociationMissouri Trout Fisherman’s AssociationMissouri Waterfowl AssociationMissouri Whitetails UnlimitedMissouri Wild Turkey FederationMissourians OutdoorsMO Chapter American Fisheries SocietyMO Chapter Soil & Water ConservationMO Hunter Education Instructor’s AssociationMO State University Student Chapter of the

Wildlife SocietyMonett Sportsman LeagueNortheast Missouri CoonhuntersNorthside Conservation Federation

Open Space CouncilOwensville HS Hunting & Fishing ClubOzark Fly FishersOzark Mountain PaddlersOzark Wilderness WaterwaysPerry County Sportsman ClubPomme De Terre Chapter MuskiesRiver Relief, Inc.Saint James Civic ClubShow-Me Clean StreamsShow-Me Missouri Back Country HorsemenSouth Side DivisionSouthwest Missouri Fly FishersTipton Farmers & Sportsman ClubUnited Bow Hunters of MissouriWecomo Sportsman ClubWild Elk Institute of MissouriWindsor Lake Rod & Gun Club

AFFILIATE EVENTSCAPITAL CITY FLY FISHERSMAY 3: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospi-tal – Conference Room C201, Columbia(3:00pm)MAY 4-5: 6th Annual Smallmouth Ren-dezvous and Fly Tying Extravaganza, Talle-quah, OKMAY 5: 3rd Annual Mammoth Spring TroutFestival, Mammoth Spring State ParkMAY 12: Hooked on Fly Fishing Not DrugsMAY 17: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospi-tal – Conference Room C201, Columbia(3:00pm)MAY 19: Kid’s Fishing Day, Roaring RiverState Park and Meramec Spring ParkMAY 24: Ozark Fly Fishers’ Meeting, Pow-der Valley Nature Center, KirkwoodJUN 5: Free Fishing Day, Binder Lake, Jef-ferson CityJUN 5: FFF Club President’s MeetingJUN 7: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospital– Conference Room C201, Columbia(3:00pm)JUN 9: Family Fishing Fair, Shepherd of theHills Fish Hatchery, BransonJUN 12: Club Meeting, Lakeview Subdivi-sion Lake (6:00pm)JUN 16: Stream Team 760 Outing, SalineValley Wildlife AreaJUN 19: Conservation Kid’s Club, RungeNature Center, Jefferson City (6:30pm –8:30pm)JUN 21: Teach a Vet to Tie, Veterans Hospi-tal – Conference Room C201, Columbia(3:00pm)

GREENWAY NETWORKMAY 5: Walk in the Woods, Hawn State

Park (9:00am); Gerry Boehm (636) 300-1420MAY 9-11: Meeting of the Waters – ANational Symposium, University of Mis-souri Saint Louis

MISSOURI BASS FEDERATIONMAY 1: Summer Newsletter DeadlineJUN 9: Federation Directors Meeting,Shrine Club, WarsawJUN 10: Summer Sizzler, Truman Lake –Long ShoalJUN 10-15: Central Divisional, Ross BarnettLake

MISSOURI DUCKS UNLIMITEDMAY 4: Owensville Dinner, Catholic ChurchParish Center, Owensville (6:00pm); DougHendrix (573) 437-4995MAY 19: Mid-County Saint Louis Event,American Legion Post 111, Saint Louis(6:00pm); John Weddle (314) 773-0559

MISSOURI FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATIONMAY 11-12: Midwest Forest Industry Show,The Family Arena, Saint Charles (8:00am –4:00pm); MFPA (573) 634-3252

MISSOURI NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION

FUNDRAISING BANQUETSMAY 10: Upper Meramec Longspurs, Wild-wood Resort, Steelville; Shane Staples(573) 885-4141MAY 12: Lake Country Longbeards, Knightsof Columbus Hall, Monroe City; BobKendrick (573) 735-2607JUN 8: Putnam County Chapter, Lions Club,Unionville; Ed Anders (417) 343-5853JUN 15: Lafayette County Longbeards,Odessa Community Center, Odessa; Sean

Croucher (816) 517-1235JUN 16: Branson Tri-Lakes, Lions Club,Branson; Randy Webb (417) 294-5114JUN 23: All Womens Event, Stone Hill Win-ery, Hermann; Tracy Case (573) 486-2283JUN 23: Bollinger County Double Beards,First Baptist Church, Marble Hill; RandyPogue (573) 238-3234

JAKES EVENTSMAY 16: Summit City Longbeards,Lawrence County; Virgil Denayer (417)678-1020JUN 2: Little Platte Gobblers, Clinton Coun-ty; Eric Dennis (816) 539-3558JUN 2: Green Hills, Grundy CountyJUN 2: Grindstone Gobblers, Dekalb Coun-ty; John Hahn (816) 449-5613

WHEELIN SPORTSMEN EVENTSMAY 5: W.O.O.D.S. Event, Wappapello;Andrew Jefferson (573) 222-8562MAY 5: Grindstone Gobblers, Plattsburg;John Hahn (816) 449-5613MAY 24: Wheelin Sportsmen Cast andBlast, Lees Summit; Clayton Porter (816)309-9771JUN 16: A Day at the Range, Bois D’Arc;Mike Brooks

WHEELIN SPORTSMEN BENEFITSJUN 2: Bootheel Boss Gobblers Clay BirdShoot, Marble Hill; Rob Stover (573) 243-7238JUN 2: Bootheel Boss Gobblers, Jackson;Rob Stover (573) 243-7238

WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS EVENTSMAY 5: Harrison County Women’s Event,Miracle Hills 4H Camp, Bethany; TheresaUpdegraff (660) 425-7655MAY 19: Benton County Boss HensWomen’s Event, American Legion Hall,Warsaw; Sandi Schmitt (660) 438-5922JUN 2: Fly Fishing Workshop, Sand SpringsResort, Lebanon; Angela Shoultz (660)534-7412JUN 9: Grindstone Boss Hens Women’sEvent, Pony Express RV Park, Maysville;

Helen Webber (816) 632-0050JUN 9: 4Bs Hunting Resort Women’s Event,4Bs Hunting Resort, Stark City; KathiStipp (417) 652-7538JUN 15: Camp Woodland Women’s Event,Camp Woodland, Albany; Kim Costen (816)724-0035JUN 23: Dutch Oven Cooking RetreatWomen’s Event, Heartland Center,Parkville; Sherry Hill (816) 992-3650

MISSOURI PARKS ASSOCIATIONJUN 2: National Trails Day

MISSOURI SMALLMOUTH ALLIANCEMAY 16: Regular Membership Meeting;Norman Leppo (314) 647-1616 or MattWier (314) 647-1679

OPEN SPACE COUNCILJUN 2: Greenrock Challenge Hike, NationalTrails Day, Greenfelder Park (8:00am);Kathy Arnett (636) 458-0440

OZARK FLY FISHERSMAY 11: Club Outing, Port Hudson Lake,GeraldMAY 12: Women’s OutingMAY 24: Monthly Meeting, Powder ValleyNature Center, Kirkwood (7:00pm)

OZARK MOUNTAIN PADDLERSMAY 5: Cinco De Mayo PartyMAY 10: Boat Rigging PartyJUN 8-9: James River Basin RescueJUN 14: Monthly Meeting

POMME DE TERRE CHAPTER MUSKIESMAY 5: Musky Mayhem, State Park Marina(7:00am – 4:00pm)MAY 5: Lake MeetingMAY 12: Saint Louis Outing, Busch WildlifeAreaMAY 19: Trolling PartyJUN 9: Prime Time Fishing Outing

CFM EVENTSSEP 14-16: CFM Fall Conference, CampClover Point – Lake Ozark State Park,Osage Beach

If there are any errors in your name andaddress, if you’ve moved from this address, or if you plan to move, please notify us at Missouri Wildlife, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or call (800) 575-2322. Visit our website: www.confedmo.org

M I S S O U R I F E S T I V A L S A N D A F F I L I A T E E V E N T SCALENDAR

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