CONSERVATION ACTION
News of the May 29-30, 2001 Conservation Commission meetings
Contact: Carolyn Auckley, (573) 751-4115;
E-mail: Carolyn.Auckley@mdc.mo.gov

The Conservation Commission met May 29 and 30 at Sand Spring Resort, Lebanon, Missouri.

Commissioners present were:

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

The next meeting of the Conservation Commission was set for June 29, 2001 at the Department of Conservation Northwest Regional Office, St. Joseph.

• During the May 29 meeting, the Commission considered and approved the Department's internal budget for Fiscal Year 2002.
• During the May 30 meeting, the Commission took the following action:

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:

• Partnership Award presented to Quail Unlimited for its outstanding work toward quail habitat enhancement.
• Gregg Pearre, Field Representative, National Rifle Association presented a grant from the NRA Foundation to the Missouri Conservation Heritage
• Foundation and the Missouri Department of Conservation, for a Youth Hunter Education Camp.
• Eugene Maggard, President, Missouri Canoe and Floaters Association, Inc., discussed enforcement of laws on Missouri's riverways.

REGULATIONS

• The Commission accepted the report of the Regulations Committee and approved the 2001 early migratory game bird hunting seasons, based on proposed federal frameworks. For rails, snipe and woodcock, hunting seasons are unchanged and shooting hours reaming one-half hour before sunrise to sunset.
  • Sora and Virginia rails: September 1 to November 9 (70 days); limits-25 daily or in possession.
  • Common snipe: September 1 through December 16 (107 days); limits-8 daily, 16 in possession.
  • American Woodcock: October 15 through November 28 (45 days); limits-3 daily, 6 in possession
• A mourning dove season was established-September 1 through November 9; shooting hours remain one-half hour before sunrise to sunset; limits 12 daily, 24 in possession.
• The blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal season will be September 8 through September 23 (16 days); shooting hours sunrise to sunset; limits-4 daily, 8 in possession.

• The following seasons were established for the 2001-2002 deer hunting seasons:

  Firearms Deer Season

  Dates:	October 27-28 (resident youths 15 years of age or less)
  	November 10-20
  	December 1-9 (Muzzleloader Firearms Portion)
  	January 5-8, 2002 (units 1-17, 20, 22-24, 58 and 59)
  Hunting Hours:	One-half (*) hour before sunrise to One-half (*) hour after sunset

  Archery Deer Season

  Dates:	October 1 - November 9
  	November 21 - January 15
  Hunting Hours:	One-half (*) hour before sunrise to one-half (*) hour after sunset.
  Limit:	Two deer of either sex, except that only one antlered deer may be taken before the November portion of the firearms season. Additional deer may be taken on antlerless-only archery permits in specified deer management units.
  Area:	Statewide

  Archery Turkey Season

  Dates:	October 1 - November 9
  	November 21 - January 15
  Hunting Hours:	One-half (*) hour before sunrise to one-half (*) hour after sunset.
  Limit:	Two turkeys of either sex.
  Area:	Statewide

• Managed Hunts

  Burr Oak Woods	- one archery hunt and two muzzleloading firearms hunts.
  James A. Reed Wildlife Area	- managed hunt bag limits have been reduced from 3 deer to 2 deer.
  Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge	- reduces number of antlered deer to be taken from 85 to 50 and requires participants to take and check an antlerless deer before taking an antlered deer.
  Squaw Creek National Wildlife Refuge	- adds a second managed hunt and increases the bag limit to three antlerless deer.
  Mingo National Wildlife Refuge	- reduces muzzleloading firearms hunt to one with a slightly increased quota.
  Shaw Nature Reserve	- adds a second managed hunt.
  Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge	- adds a January managed hunt with quota of 40 hunters and a bag limit of 3 antlerless deer.
  State Parks	- establishes 17 managed hunts on 11 state parks.

  
  

• Amended 3 CSR 10-9.110 General Prohibition: Applications, to allow Asiatic clams taken from privately-owned impoundments (not waters of the state) to be bought, sold, possessed, transported and exhibited without permit.
  
• Established a rule, 3 CSR 10-12.109 Closed Hours, to regulate closed hours for uses other than fishing and other conservation-related recreation at several areas managed in cooperation with other public entities.

LAND AQUISITION: The Commission acquires land only from willing sellers and makes annual payments to compensate local governments and schools for lost tax revenues at assessment levels current when acquired. Public access to acquisitions is appropriate only after closing of real estate transactions, at which time boundaries have been marked and further information is available.

The Commission approved proceeding with:

• selling approximately 0.68 acres of the Lebanon Tower Site, Laclede County, to the City of Lebanon for the purpose of erecting a water storage facility.
• purchasing approximately 40 acres in Shelby County as an addition to the Hunnewell Conservation Area.
• accepting as a donation a conservation easement over approximately 1,375 acres of land in Lincoln County.

ADMINISTRATION: The Commission also took the following action:

• Presented a Special Achievement Award to Fisheries Staff Biologist Jeff Finley for his actions in responding to an emergency, life-threatening car accident.
• Received a Three-Year Summary of the Deer Relocation Project in Town and Country, Missouri by Urban Wildlife Specialist John George.
• Received an update on the relicensing of the Bagnell Dam/Osage Project, presented by Fisheries Field Operations Chief Kevin Richards and Fisheries Program Coordinator Bill Turner.
• Increased estimated receipts and land acquisition budget.
• Approved creation of the Missouri Corporate Wetland Restoration Partnership.
• Approved name change of Boone Cave Conservation Area to the Rocheport Cave Conservation Area.

-end -