The Conservation Commission met July 25 in closed session and July 26 in open session at Conservation Department Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd., Jefferson City, Missouri. Commissioners present were:

Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, Chairman
Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, Vice-Chairman
Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, Secretary
Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, Member

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 (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is Aug. 7, 2002.

In closed session, the Commission approved the revocation of all hunting and fishing privileges of 42 people for periods ranging from one to four years. The Commission revoked the hunting and trapping privileges of two people for one to two years. All revocations resulted from Missouri Wildlife Code violations. Thirty-nine of the revocations were related to convictions following a two-year undercover investigation of the use of dogs to hunt deer. People whose privileges the Commission revoked are:

Name residence No of years Privileges revoked
Robert J. Baker Centerville, Mo. 1 All
Larry D. Barnes Ellington, Mo. 1 All
Gary D. Barton Black, Mo. 1 All
Nicholas B. Barton Lesterville, Mo. 1 All
George Becker Black, Mo. 1 All
James F. Bonney Black, Mo. 1 All
Marvin R. Brawley Redford, Mo. 1 All
James Buckner Ellington, Mo. 1 All
Michael W. BucknerEllington, Mo. 1 All
Timothy D. Buckner Republic,Mo. 2 Hunting/Trapping
William B. Buckner Ellington, Mo. 2 All
Charles R. Campbell Redford, Mo. 1 All
Rexel D. Conway Bunker, Mo. 1 All
John K. Cook Centerville, Mo. 1 All
Timothy W. Deason Festus, Mo. 1 All
Eric Dunn Lesterville, Mo. 1 All
Rexall V. Dunn Desloge 1 All
Gabriel S. Gray Black, Mo. 1 All
Michael D. Harper Centerville, Mo. 1 All
Charles L. Hasty Boss, Mo. 1 All
Douglas C. HawkinsDeSoto, Mo. 1 All
Stanley R. Hawkins Black, Mo. 1 All
Terry N. Hawkins Boss, Mo. 2 All
Roger Hickman Lesterville, Mo. 1 All
Alan R. Hunter Kennett, Mo. 1 All
David P. Jackson Centerville, Mo. 1 All
William P. Lindsay Black, Mo. 1 All
Johnny A. McNail Centerville, Mo. 4 All
Gary Mangler Davenport, Ia. 1 All
Denny E. Mathes Black, Mo. 1 All
Jay B. Mathes Black, Mo. 1 All
Dallas E. Middleton Alton, Mo. 1 All
Johnnie Miller Black, Mo. 1 All
Russ A. Pilkington Ellington, Mo. 1 All
Randy S. Preslar Rogersville, Mo. 1 Hunting/Trapping
Gurney O. Radford Ellington, Mo. 1 All
Austin L. Schoue Centerville, Mo. 1 All
William A. Schoue Centerville, Mo. 1 All
Ova N. Scott Centerville, Mo. 1 All
Clayton Shoults Hartshorn, Mo. 2 All
James Shy Black, Mo. 1 All
Nova D. Smith Black, Mo. 1 All
Timothy A. Welch Ellington, Mo. 1 All
Dennis D. Wagner Ellington, Mo. 4 All

In open session, the Conservation Commission:

• Ratified the election of Fiscal Year 2003 Commission officers listed above;
• Set its next meeting for Aug. 21 and 22 in Rolla, Missouri.
• Inducted the late James F. Keefe into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame. Keefe served as managing editor of the Missouri Conservationist Magazine from 1955 to 1985 and headed the Conservation Department's Information Section for 27 years.
• Ratified a resolution recognizing Conservation Federation of Missouri Executive Assistant Director Charles Davidson's 31 years of productive service to conservation on the occasion of his retirement. Davidson played important roles in the passage of Missouri's sales taxes for conservation and in setting up Operation Game Thief and Missouri Stream Teams.
• Presented a 40-year service award to Forestry Resource Technician Edgar Ponder, Perryville
• Presented 35-year service award to Senior Conservation Agent Charles Marrs, Cassville.
• Presented 30-year service awards to and Forestry Resource Technician Ronnie Keith, Piedmont, and Wildlife Management Biologist Jay Bowmaster, Milo.
• Presented 25-year service awards to Wildlife Research Biologist Richard Clawson, New Bloomfield; Division Administrator David Erickson, Columbia; Division Administrator Bill Lueckenhoff, St. Thomas; Policy Coordinator Gary Christoff, Russellville; Prairie Wildlife Biologist Stephen Clubine, Windsor; District Wildlife Biologist James Gebhart, Smithton; Fisheries Regional Supervisor George Kromrey, Sullivan; Fisheries Resource Assistant Marvin Farwell, Eagle Rock; Heavy Equipment Operator Frank Hawkins, Louisiana; Private Land Field Programs Supervisor Tom Hutton, Jefferson City; and Forestry Resource Assistant Lawrence Sanderson, Potosi.
• Presented media awards to: Regional Outreach and Education Supervisor Phil Helfrich, Sullivan, for news articles; Fisheries Streams Unit, Jefferson City for newsletters; Wildlife Management Biologist Don Smith, West Plains for overall media efforts; and Senior Conservation Agent Edward J. Higdon, Maryville, for radio.
• Approved a change in the Conservation Department's inventory policy. The change establishes that items with a useful life of more than one year that are not required by state law to be itemized on inventory must be safeguarded by marking with property tags.
• Approved a policy for public use of Conservation Department areas. The policy states that the Conservation Department manages public lands to conserve fish, forests and wildlife and to promote wise public use and understanding of natural resources. The policy aims to make conservation areas accessible, safe and convenient for their primary uses. These include hunting, fishing, nature observation and conservation education. Other public uses may be appropriate and are to be evaluated locally. Commercial use of conservation areas is discouraged except when it is essential to public use. Inappropriate uses of conservation areas include, but are not limited to paint balling, hot air ballooning, hang gliding, radio-controlled boats, airplanes or vehicles, car shows, music festivals, nongovernmental military training, commercial audio, video and movie making, modeling and catalog shoots, off-road use of motorized vehicles, rock climbing, rappelling and mineral prospecting and extraction.

REGULATIONS:

The Commission accepted the report of the Regulation Committee, approving regulation changes that:

• clarify the daily limit for black bass on the Meramec, Big and Bourbeuse rivers and their tributaries, effective March 1, 2003;
• add white-winged doves to species approved for hunting during the dove hunting season Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, 2002. This action is contingent on federal approval of migratory bird hunting framework, which is expected in late August. White-winged doves will be included in the daily and possession limit of 12 doves.
• clarify age restrictions on fall turkey hunting and remove the restriction of taking only one turkey during the first week of fall turkey hunting season, effective in 2003;
• add the river carpsucker and quillback to the Approved Aquatic Species List, effective March 1, 2003;
• remove the hunting prohibition and allow archery hunting only at Hinkson Woods Conservation Area (CA), effective March 1, 2003;
• return Pawnee Prairie CA to statewide hunting regulations, effective Nov. 30, 2002;
• establishing firearms provisions on Gerhild and Graham Brown Memorial CA, effective Nov. 30, 2002;
• increase rabbit hunting opportunities at August A. Busch Memorial CA, effective Nov. 30, 2002;
• open Blind Pony Lake CA to waterfowl hunting during regular waterfowl hunting seasons, effective Nov. 30, 2002;
• restrict shooting hours on King Lake and Pony Express CAs, effective Nov. 30, 2002;
• change the fishing methods allowed and establish special trout fishing regulations on certain lakes at August A. Busch Memorial CA, effective March 1, 2003;
• change the fishing methods allowed and establishing trout fishing regulations on certain St. Louis City and St. Louis County lakes, effective March 1, 2003;
• increase the daily limit to 12 and remove the length limit on black bass at Lincoln Lake in Cuivre River State Park, effective In 2003

PRESENTATIONS:

The Commission heard the following presentations:

• Monthly status report of major construction and development projects
• Monthly financial summary
• Update on the chronic wasting disease issue

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