The Conservation Commission met Sept. 25 at the University Forest Environmental Education Center in Wappapello and Sept. 26 at the Tinnin Fine Arts Center at Three Rivers Community College in Poplar Bluff.
Commissioners present were
- William F. “Chip” McGeehan, Marshfield, Chairman
- Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, Vice-chairman
- Don R. Johnson, Festus, Secretary
- Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, Member
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 573/751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is Oct. 16.
The Commission heard presentations from
- Conservation Department Safety Coordinator Glenda Verslues regarding safety programs.
- Protection Division Chief Larry Yamnitz regarding Protection Division activities.
- Private Land Field Programs Supervisor Rex Martensen regarding feral-hog eradication efforts.
- Wildlife Management Chief Mike Schroer regarding renovation work and partnerships at Duck Creek Conservation Area (CA).
REGULATIONS
The Commission accepted the report of the Regulations Committee and approved recommendations for changes to make Missouri’s system of hunting, fishing and trapping permits simpler and more consistent. Details of the changes will be published at www.mdc.mo.gov/news/out. Changes include:
- Increasing the minimum contiguous acreage to qualify for landowner deer and turkey hunting permits from 5 to 80 acres, effective July 1, 2009.
- Creating a Landowner Registry for those who qualify for no-cost deer and turkey permits.
- Retaining the 5-acre threshold for resident no-cost, no-permit fishing, small-game hunting and trapping privileges.
- Excluding lessees from the definition of a landowner for the purposes of landowner hunting and fishing privileges and permits, effective July 1, 2009.
- Eliminating discount permit pricing for nonresident landowners for deer and turkey permits.
- Eliminating youth deer and turkey hunting permits and setting a resident and nonresident youth discount of 50 percent for resident deer and turkey hunting permits for hunters age 15 and under, effective July 1, 2009.
- Add trapping to the list of activities not requiring a permit for Missouri residents 15 and younger, effective March 1, 2009, and retain current resident youth privileges (no permit required) for fishing, small game and waterfowl hunting.
- Allowing nonresident students living in Missouri and attending any public or private Missouri college, technical school or university to purchase hunting and fishing permits at resident prices, effective March 1, 2009.
- Creating new resident senior “forever” permits required for people born on or after March 1, 1944, effective March 1, 2009. Missouri residents born before March 1, 1944, are exempt and can continue to hunt and fish without a permit, just as they do now. Resident hunters and anglers age 60 or older may purchase “forever” permits at a discount compared to annual permit costs. Privileges under these permits will be for the life of the purchaser.
- Continuing to offer the current "lifetime” permits, but eliminating the discount for persons age 60 and older, effective March 1, 2009.
- Establishing discounted youth pricing of 50 percent off the regular cost of the annual trout permit, effective March 1, 2009.
- Establishing a minimum age of 6 for obtaining landowner deer and turkey hunting permits.
- Adopting consistent requirements of 18 years of age and hunter education certification (unless born before Jan. 1, 1967) for all hunting mentors, regardless of season, effective July 1, 2009.
Increasing permit prices. Permit fee increases, effective March 1, 2009, are
- Resident Hunting and Fishing, from $19 to $22
- Resident Fishing, from $12 to $14
- Daily Fishing, from $7 to $7.50
- Nonresident Fishing, from $40 to $42
- Trout fishing, from $7 to $10
- Resident Small-Game Hunting, from $10 to $12
- Resident Fur Handler, from $10 to $11
- Resident Trapping, from $10 to $14
- Cable Restraint, from $10 to $10.50
- Nonresident Furbearer Hunting/Trapping, from $120 to $130
- Nonresident Small-Game Hunting, from $75 to $80
- Daily Small-Game Hunting, from $11 to $20
- Migratory Bird, from $6 to $8
- Replacement Permit, from $2 to $3
- Resident Spring Turkey, from $17 to $20
- Resident Fall Turkey, from $13 to $15
- Nonresident Spring Turkey, from $175 to $190
- Nonresident Fall Turkey, from $105 to $110
- Resident Archer’s Deer/Turkey, from $19 to $23
- Resident Firearms Antlerless, from $7 to $10
- Resident Firearms Deer Hunting, from $17 to $20
- Resident Managed Deer Hunt, from $17 to $20
- Nonresident Firearms Deer Hunting, from $175 to $225
- Nonresident Firearms Antlerless Deer Hunting, from $7 to $25
- Nonresident Archer’s Hunting, from $150 to $225
- Nonresident Managed Deer Hunting, from $175 to $225
- Resident Archery Antlerless Deer Hunting, from $7 to $10
- Nonresident Archery Antlerless Deer Hunting, from $7 to $25
- Creating Resident ($5) and Nonresident ($40) Conservation Order permits for hunting light geese during the light goose conservation action, effective July 1, 2009.
- Removing the western fox snake, the barn owl and the bald eagle from Missouri’s list of endangered species. Population levels of barn owls and bald eagles are stable and remain protected under federal regulations. Population levels of the western fox snake have increased due to successful wetland restoration and management.
- Adding the dusty hog-nosed snake, Kirtland’s snake and western fox snake to the list of native species prohibited for personal collection. Both the Dusty hog-nosed snake and Kirtland’s snake were considered extirpated from Missouri but have been rediscovered here. Adding the three species to the list will afford protection to assure sustainable populations.
ADMINISTRATION
The Commission also
- Approved entering into a contract with Brookfield Box & Bridge,
LLC of Brookfield, for the construction of the Fountain Grove Conservation
Area Water Control Structures Replacement Project in Livingston County
for $396,405.
Authorized the Conservation Department to seek: - Executive operating lump sum spending authority of $145,534,841 for Fiscal Year 2010.
- Capital Improvement biennial spending authority of $46,000,000 for Fiscal Years 2010 and 2011.
- Appropriations to other state agencies from the Conservation Commission Fund for Fiscal Year 2010 for related operational expenditures.
- Authorized the sale of .07 acre and granting a temporary construction
easement on .25 acre of Roubidoux CA in Pulaski County to the Missouri
Highways and Transportation Commission for improvements to Route 17.
Approved the exchange of two 40-acre tracts of Graves Mountain CA for 80 acres of land as an addition to Riverside Conservation Area in Wayne County. - Suspended hunting and/or fishing privileges of 11 people for Wildlife
Code violations. Those whose privileges were suspended are:
Jerry A. Cornelius Rich Hill until 6/25/10 hunting & fishing privileges Donald Goodman Green Ridge 1 year all sport privileges Darrin Hostetler LaMonte 1 year all sport privileges Ransell Hutchinson Norwood 1 year all sport privileges Bobby J. Maxwell Doniphan 1 year all sport privileges David S. McCracken Tina 5 years all sport privileges Justin E. Mogan El Dorado 1 additional year all sport privileges Larry J. Morris Mansfiel 4 years all sport privileges Nathan E. Neal El Dorado 1 year all sport privileges Jason R. Renfro Imperia 1 year all sport privilege Nathan K. Roth Mountain Grove 2 years all sport privilege all sport privileges. - Suspended or revoked all hunting and fishing privileges of 248 people who are not in compliance with applicable child-support laws.
- Suspended the hunting privileges of three Missouri residents for periods of one to two years for injuring other persons in hunting accidents in 2008.
- Suspended hunting and fishing privileges of 240 people under the provisions of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
- Confirmed the next regular Conservation Commission meeting on Oct. 30 and 31 at Marshall.
