The Conservation Commission met April 14 at the Shaw Nature Reserve, Gray Summit.
Commissioners present were: Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis, Chairman Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, Vice-Chairman Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, Secretary Stephen C. Bradford, Cape Girardeau, Member
The Conservation Commission set a special, half-day budget workshop May 17 in Jefferson City and its next regular meeting for June 1 and 2 in Ridgedale.
PRESENTATION:
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 regular meeting is May 17.
The Commission heard presentations from:
- David Asmus, President, Heritage Foundation of Chesterfield concerning work on August G. Beckemeier Conservation Area and restoring the Minna Waldmann Home.
- Yvonne Homeyer, Webster Groves Nature Study Society and St. Louis Chapter of the North American Butterfly Association concerning annual nature surveys on Conservation Department properties in the St. Louis area.
- Vince Capell, St. Joseph City Manager, on the current status of the St. Joseph Nature Center project.
REGULATIONS:
The Commission approved 2006 Wildlife Code changes recommended by the Regulations Committee. These include:
- Instituting a catfish research project on parts of the Mississippi, Fabius, Lamine, Grand, Platte, Gasconade and Marmaton rivers to gauge impacts of hand fishing and existing sport fishing.
- Establishing a new list of wildlife species that may not be possessed to protect Missouri against invasive species such as the snakehead fish, mongoose, pink starling, rusty crayfish and zebra mussel.
- Reducing the statewide daily limit of blue catfish from 10 to five to allow fish to reach large size.
- Making it illegal to sell live bait taken in Missouri or transport it outside the state. This is intended to help other states keep unwanted, non-native species out of their waters.
- Adding conditions to holding facilities for potentially invasive crayfish and fish species to reduce the threat of escape into Missouri waters.
- Designating the nutria as a furbearing animal with an open trapping season.
- Reducing the size of the Stockton Lake Waterfowl Refuge.
- Opening the Maramec Spring Trout Park to winter catch-and-release fishing seven days a week from the second Friday in November through the second Sunday in February.
- Setting numerous other regulations governing hunting and fishing on specific areas and waters.
ADMINISTRATION: The Commission took the following action:
- Accepted a low bid of $1,203,230 from Kenny-Hall Construction Co., Bolivar, for construction of the Southwest Regional Office Renovation and Addition in Greene County.
- Accepted a donation of 64 acres in Laclede County to be called Coleman Memorial Conservation Area (CA).
- Approved the purchase of 103 acres in Stone County as a new CA
- Approved the purchase of 80 acres in Nodaway County as an addition to Bilby Ranch CA.
- Approved the purchase of 307 acres in Sullivan County as an addition to Locust Creek CA.
- Designated 255 acres owned by the L-A-D Foundation as an addition to the Current River Natural Area in Shannon County.
- Approved the sale of an estimated 1,947,471 board feet of timber on 778 acres of Peck Ranch CA in Shannon County.
- Suspended or revoked hunting and/or fishing privileges of 19 Missouri residents for Wildlife Code violations. Those whose privileges were suspended are:
| Thomas Ash | Lebanon | until 11/17/05 | Hunting |
| Rick D. Bledsoe | Nelson | 4 years | Class II Breeder |
| Benjamin J. Danner | Eldon | until 12/22/05 | Hunting |
| Joshua M. Hlavaty | Barnett | until 12/22/05 | Hunting |
| Duane K. Lee | Buffalo | 3 years | All Privileges |
| Elgie D. Lusher, Jr. | Worthington | 1 year | All Privileges |
| William D. Maddox | Dudley | 1 year | All Privileges |
| Joshua E. McAffee | Washington | 3 years | All Privileges |
| Matthew A. Meyer | Plato | until 1/12/06 | Hunting |
| Travis L. Miller | Garden City | until 11/16/06 | Hunting & Fishing |
| Russell R. Pace | Tipton | until 12/2/06 | All Privileges |
| Terry W. Phelps | Hannibal | 1 year | All Privileges |
| Steven R. Scherer | Columbia | 1 year | All Privileges |
| Kendall D. Sinden | Dixon | 1 year | All Privileges |
| Marcus A. Vandorn | Neosho | 3 years | All Privileges |
| Frederick J. Wallace | Jefferson City | until 12/22/05 | Hunting |
| Charles W. Wilson | St. Louis | 1 year | All Privileges |
| Steven B. Wine | Olean | until 12/22/05 | Hunting |
| Adam A. Yamry | Olean | until 12/22/05 | Hunting |
- Suspended or revoked all hunting and fishing privileges of 400 nonresidents and one Missouri resident in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact.
- Suspended or revoked all hunting and fishing privileges of 63 Missouri residents who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws.
- Suspended or revoked all hunting privileges of one Missouri residents for three years for injuring other persons in firearms-related hunting incidents.
- end -
