CONSERVATION ACTION
News of the December 14-15, 2000 Conservation Commission meeting
Contact: Carolyn Auckley, (573) 751-4115;
E-mail: Carolyn.Auckley@mdc.mo.gov

The Conservation Commission met December 14 and 15 at the Conservation Department's Headquarters, Jefferson City. Commissioners present were:

Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg
Randy Herzog, St. Joseph
Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City
Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre

The next meeting of the Conservation Commission was set for February 1-2, 2001 at Tan-Tar-A Resort, Osage Beach, Missouri.

PRESENTATIONS

Commission meetings are open to the public. Those wishing to be placed on the agenda for a presentation or other business must send a written request to Director, Department of Conservation, P. O. Box 180, Jefferson City MO 65102-0180, or FAX to (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The Commission heard the following presentations:

• Steve Mahfood, Department of Natural Resources Director, discussed potential interpretive opportunities along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers.
• James Lattimore, Mississippi Valley Retriever Club, Defiance, discussed field trial activities held on the August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area.
• At a special ceremony in conjunction with the meeting, the Commission Chairman presented service awards to the following long-term employees:
• Twenty-five Year Service Awards to: Carolyn Auckley, Russell O. Schmidt, Clyde Sprick, Nancy Hurlbut, John Meyers, Steve Young, William McGuire, Betty Torgerson, Duane "Buck" Buchanan, Calvin B. Jones, Kurt Kysar, William O. Lenhart, Ralph McNair, Don R. Martin, and Jim Loveless.
• Thirty Year Service Awards to: Bill Hale, Gordon Farabee, Ronald D. Hansen, Darrell J. York, Ronald D. McCullough, and Ollie Torgerson.
• Thirty-five Year Service Awards to: Jerry Bell, John S. Adams, Allen Breshears, and Carl Conway.
• Forty Year Service Award to: Tom Kremer.

The Commission also presented Volunteer Service Awards to Julie Lundsted, Judy Yoder and Clarence Higgins for 2,000 hours of volunteer service at the Runge Conservation Nature Center, Jefferson City.

Employees Communication Contest Awards were also presented: Television category - Claudine Lamb and Pat Whalen, Outreach and Education Division, Kansas City; Radio category - Bill Elliott, Natural History Division, Jefferson City; News Article category - Don Smith, Wildlife Division, West Plains; Newsletter category, Ginger Gray, Kim Wade and Amy Linsenbardt, Office of Environmental Education, Outreach and Education Division, Jefferson City.

REGULATIONS

Commission accepted the Report of the Regulations Committee and approved designating the demonstration pond on Lost Valley Hatchery and Honkers Pond on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area as youth-only fisheries. In an effort to stimulate interest in fishing for children 12 years of age or younger, the demonstration pond at Lost Valley Hatchery will have a daily limit of two fish for any species. Honkers Pond on James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area is already designated a youth-only fishery and is regulated by sign posting. Also approved adding the Hines Emerald Dragonfly to the list of invertebrates endangered in Missouri.

ADMINISTRATION:

The Commission also took the following action:

• Decided not to initiate an elk restoration program during the next two years, but established a process to address concerns about elk prior to reconsideration of the issue in December, 2002.
• Accepted as a gift approximately five acres in Madison County as an addition to the Amidon Memorial Conservation Area from Roger L. and Jo Ann I. Amidon, and Victor W. Driscoll and Katherine L. Driscoll.
• Accepted as a gift approximately 190 acres in Dent County from the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.
• Approved designating four Missouri Natural Areas, three owned by the Department of Conservation and one owned by the U. S. Forest Service.