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| Watering and mulching during the two years following planting are critical to young trees’ survival. For more information about seedling and sapling care, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/forest/helpcare.htm. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
This group in the heart of the Ozarks has a history of making history.
WEST PLAINS, Mo.-Efforts to secure reliable funding for conserving all wildlife got a boost recently when the Missouri Department of Conservation recruited the 200th member of Teaming with Wildlife (TWW). Making history is nothing new for this group of dedicated conservationists.
The Ozark Chapter of the Missouri Master Naturalists was the first in the state to complete a rigorous training course laid out by the Conservation Department in 2004. With 60 members and 23 more signed up for training, the chapter is a leader in the Master Naturalist movement.
Ozark Chapter members come from diverse backgrounds. Members include nurses, an administrator from a national corporation, a circuit judge, a bee keeper, an artist, teachers, retirees and a commercial ginger root producer.
Like the members themselves, the training Missouri Master Naturalists (MMNs) receive is diverse. They gain a broad knowledge of plants, animals and the natural communities they make up. They represent a new aspect of conservation activism.
Hunters and anglers were the first wave of American conservation. They founded the movement in response to depletion of the birds, mammals and fish on which their sports depended. Their success is evident in today’s thriving populations of deer, turkeys, bass, crappie and other game fish and animals.
The current wave of conservation aims to conserve all wildlife. It places special emphasis on keeping habitat and living communities healthy to support endangered species and prevent other species from becoming endangered.
To pay for all-species conservation, proponents formed Teaming with Wildlife, a coalition that now comprises more than 5,000 conservation and wildlife-related recreation groups and businesses nationwide. Coalition members work to get funding for state conservation programs.
The MMN Ozark Chapter isn’t exactly at a loss for things to do. Since completing their initial training, the group or its individual members have formed a Stream Team, cleaned up a stretch of the North Fork River, participated in the Cornel Lab of Ornithology’s Great Backyard Bird County, taken part in the Missouri Department of Conservation’s amphibian monitoring program and “gobbleteer” study of wild turkey behavior, stabilized an eroding creek bank, eradicated invasive plants, planted a butterfly garden, created a small native plant prairie, conducted water quality testing and worked with children through Project Head Start. All this is in addition to taking eight additional hours of advanced training annually.
New projects for the Ozark Chapter include taking prescribed burn training and conducting prescribed burns, building a natural playground at Galloway Creek Nature Park in West Plains and developing an after-school program for special needs children in the West Plains R-7 School District.
“We stay busy, said Ozark Chapter President Sue Roberts, demonstrating a gift for understatement.
With so much on its plate, why did the group take on another project?
“Keeping healthy and diverse wildlife populations and healthy and diverse environments for them is very important to us,” said Roberts. “For that to happen for our generation and generations to come is going to take more than just one organization. It’s going to take the Master Naturalists and Teaming with Wildlife supporting each other.”
She sees her group’s role as spreading the word about TWW and all-species conservation.
“We brought it up at one of our chapter meetings and voted on it. One person thought it might be too political, but the members voted to do it. What we are doing to help is getting their information out. We hand out information at public events.”
Other organizations that have joined the Missouri TWW coalition recently include the Missouri Forest Products Association, the Central Missouri Chapter of the Safari Club International, the Missouri Farmland Preservation Trust, the Eleven Point River Conservancy and the Midland Empire Audubon Society. A full list of members is available at teaming.com/states/missouri.html.
TWW was born in the early 1990s to address the challenge of nongame wildlife conservation. Since then the coalition has led efforts to fund wildlife conservation aimed at preventing wildlife from becoming endangered. TWW’s main way of achieving this goal is through State Wildlife Grants (SWGs).
In 2000, the TWW coalition convinced Congress to fund state conservation programs. To qualify for the money, each state had to develop a comprehensive wildlife strategy. The focus of these state strategies was on preventing wild species from becoming endangered, instead of the more expensive and less effective approach of trying to rescue species already teetering on the brink of extinction.
SWG funding began reaching states in Fiscal Year 2001. State wildlife agencies use partnerships with local communities, businesses and conservation groups to leverage SWG funds.
To date, Missouri has received $9.7 million in SWG funds. This includes $1.2 million for the 2008 fiscal year.
SWGs have become a mainstay of many states’ conservation programs. Missouri alone has received more than $7.3 million in SWG money since the program’s inception. Examples of how this money is being used include: --Helping build a sewage system for the Mark Twain R-VIII Schools in Taney County. This helped the school keep its doors open and protected water that sustains the Tumbling Creek cave snail, an endangered species. Other federal, state and local partners joined in to make the deal work. --Boosting prairie conservation and tourism around Cole Camp, Mo. Historically, this area was home to the now state-endangered prairie chicken. SWG money is helping area landowners and tourism businesses restore a more natural balance that benefits wildlife and boosts the local economy through more profitable agriculture and eco-tourism. --Working with the Kansas City Wildlands Diversity Initiative to enhance the wildlife value of limited green space. Thousands of volunteers clear brush, eradicate exotic plants and restore native plants to refuge areas.
For more information about State Wildlife Grants and Teaming with Wildlife, visit www.teaming.com/, or contact the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies, 444 N. Capitol Street, NW Suite 725, Washington, DC 20001, (202) 624-7890, teaming@fishwildlife.org.
For more information about Missouri’s Teaming with Wildlife coalition, contact Amy Buechler, Teaming with Wildlife Coordinator, Conservation Federation of Missouri, 728 West Main St., Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559, (573) 634-2322 or (800) 575-2322, abuechler@confedmo.org.
-Jim Low-
Helping landowners blend the needs of wildlife and agriculture won this native of El Salvador Missouri’s highest conservation honor.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri’s newest Master Conservationist has spent her career helping landowners blend the needs of farming with their love of wildlife.
Nadia Navarrete-Tindall, of Columbia, was inducted into the Conservation Hall of Fame during the Missouri Natural Resources Conference at Tan-Tar-A Resort Jan. 31 She is the senior academic research scientist for the University of Missouri’s Division of Plant Sciences and a former fellow in the MU Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Her efforts on behalf of environmental education began in her native country of El Salvador, where she worked for governmental and nongovernmental agencies developing national environmental strategies. Her diverse roles there included botanist, focus group facilitator, language trainer and environmental educator.
She currently is developing the Native Plant Research and Conservation Program at MU’s Bradford Research and Extension Center. This multi-disciplinary program will serve as a model for integrating traditional agricultural and other land uses with conservation.
Navarrete-Tindall founded and coordinates Columbia Verde, a grassroots group that educates Hispanic Missourians and other minorities about environmental protection. Columbia Verde’s bilingual workshops and field days promote acceptance of native plants on small farms, reducing dependency on chemicals and cutting the cost of farming.
She also serves as director of the MU Department of Rural Sociology’s Women and Minority Farmers Program. This program offers workshops on sustainable farming for small farmers, with an emphasis on nurturing the land, building communities, generating wealth and providing opportunities for future generations.
Missouri Department of Conservation Director John Hoskins said Navarrete-Tindall’s “passion for native plants and working with people is exemplified by the number of attendees at her workshops. Her interpersonal skills bring people together and a create launch a pad for new and creative ideas in promoting environmental diversity in agriculture.”
Addressing Navarrete-Tindall at her induction, Conservation Commission Chairman Chip McGeehan said, “The scientific study of fish, forests, wildlife and the habitats that support them is a core part of what we do. But it is the ability to influence the actions of the public that most dramatically impacts the future health of our resources. Thank you for contributing so capably to our knowledge on both fronts.”
Navarrete-Tindall is the 55th person to receive the Master Conservationist title in the award’s 68-year history. The honor is reserved for people who make substantial and lasting contributions to conservation.
-Jim Low-
JEFFERSON CITY- The Missouri Conservation Commission will hold its next meeting March 18 and 19 at the Anita B. Gorman Conservation Discovery Center, 4750 Troost Ave., Kansas City.
The Commission will meet in closed session at 3 p.m. March 18 and in open session at 8:30 a.m. March 19. Commission meetings are open to the public. Items to be placed on the agenda for presentations or other business should be sent in writing to Director, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180, fax (573) 751-4467, at least 10 working days before the meeting date. The deadline for the next meeting is March 4.
People requiring special services or accommodations to attend Conservation Commission meetings can make arrangements by writing to the same address, or by phone at (573) 751-4115.
Commissioners are: William F. “Chip” McGeehan, Marshfield, chairman; Lowell Mohler, Jefferson City, vice-chairman; Don R. Johnson, Festus, member, and Becky L. Plattner, Grand Pass, member.
-Jim Low-
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| Residents and nonresidents who want to try hunting in Missouri before investing time in hunter education now have a two-year window of opportunity - the Apprentice Hunter Authorization. The authorization costs $10 a year and entitles the holder to buy any firearms hunting permit during two consecutive permit years. They must hunt under the supervision of licensed, hunter-education certified hunters 21 or older. For more information, visit mdc.mo.gov/hunt/turkey/sprturk/. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Removing barriers benefits Missouri’s resources, people and economy.
JEFFERSON CITY-Hunters say their favorite pastime is good for their spirits. Health advocates say it is good for their bodies. Economists say it is good for business, and the Missouri Department of Conservation says it is an indispensable tool for managing wildlife. No wonder, then, that the agency is taking steps to keep hunting one of Missouri’s top recreational pursuits.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation showed that approximately 560,000 Missourians - 12 percent of the state’s population - hunted. While the number of Americans who hunt has declined slowly in recent decades, the number of hunters in Missouri has increased during the past 10 years.
Part of the reason for the continued popularity of hunting in Missouri is a wide range of programs sponsored by the Conservation Department to perpetuate skills and attitudes necessary for safe, ethical hunting. Besides hunter education classes staffed by a huge network of volunteers, the agency offers indoor and outdoor events to introduce women and children to hunting and shooting sports and make it possible for people with mobility impairments to hunt doves, ducks, deer and turkeys.
Most recently, the Missouri Conservation Commission created an Apprentice Hunter Authorization. For a $10 annual fee, the authorization enables nonhunters 16 and older to purchase any firearms hunting permit without showing hunter-education certification. Without the authorization, hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have completed an approved hunter education course in order to buy firearms hunting permits.
The authorization is available only for two consecutive permit years. Hunting under the authorization and appropriate permits must be under the direct supervision of a licensed and hunter-education certified hunter at least 21 years old.
The Apprentice Hunter Authorization and Conservation Department hunter skills programs are intended to counter the national trend of declining hunter numbers.
Why go to all this trouble? Conservation Department Public Involvement Coordinator David Thorne says reasons abound. Some of the least tangible benefits are most important to hunters.
“It’s hard to put a dollar value on time spent hunting with family and friends,” said Thorne. “The experience of connecting with nature and our pioneer past are hard to quantify, too.
Other benefits for Missourians include the increasing number of studies and surveys that show outdoor and nature-related activities, such as hunting and fishing, enhance physical and emotional well-being. “Some hunters say life would not be worth living if they could not hunt,” said Thorne.
For those more interested in tangible benefits, Thorne cites the value of food generated by hunting. Deer hunters alone bring home more than 18 million pounds of venison annually. Multiply that by the cost of lean, organically-grown meat, and you have a tidy sum.
Similarly, Missouri hunters take home approximately 60,000 turkeys each year, plus millions of rabbits, squirrels, quail, pheasant, doves, ducks, geese and frogs. This is all meat that Missourians otherwise would have to buy. Missouri hunters donated more than 160 tons of venison to the needy through the Share the Harvest program last year, cutting the cost of state and federal social welfare programs.
Hunting’s economic impact extends beyond food on the table. Thorne says all types of hunting combined create more than $2 billion in economic activity in Missouri, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service survey noted earlier. This economic stimulus takes the form of jobs making outdoor equipment or providing guide and other services, plus spending on everything from firearms and ammunition to food and lodging.
Deer and turkey hunting are Missouri’s two biggest wildlife-related economic engines, attracting out-of-state hunters who bring tens of millions of dollars into Missouri annually.
Another benefit of hunting is what doesn’t happen. Carefully regulated hunting can reduce numbers of some wild animals, reducing human-wildlife interaction.
“Effective management keeps wildlife populations in check,” said Thorne. “I can’t tell you how many deer-vehicle accidents never happen because the deer harvest keeps whitetail population at a reasonable density. I don’t know how many roads or fields were never flooded because trappers kept beaver numbers in check, but these are real economic benefits all the same.”
Thorne also noted that Missouri’s conservation community would be significantly diminished by a decline in hunter participation. Hunters and anglers are some of the strongest supporters of America’s conservation movement, and they were some of the most outspoken individuals who proposed the constitutional amendment establishing Missouri’s nonpartisan conservation program in 1936.
Hunters also are the most generous financial supporters of conservation. As early as the 1930s, hunters lobbied Congress to establish special excise taxes on their recreational equipment and supplies with funds earmarked for wildlife conservation. Those taxes remain in effect today and are among the most important and dependable revenues of state wildlife agencies, other than hunting permit fees.
In Missouri, hunters played a key role in the establishment of Missouri’s one-eighth of one percent sales tax for conservation. This model of conservation funding has been repeated in Arkansas in recent years and other states are working to establish similar support.
“We need hunters,” said Thorne, “Our success at reaching out to the next generation of hunters is an excellent example of why people across the nation look to Missouri for conservation leadership.”
-Jim Low-
Removing barriers benefits Missouri’s resources, people and economy.
JEFFERSON CITY-Hunters say their favorite pastime is good for their spirits. Health advocates say it is good for their bodies. Economists say it is good for business, and the Missouri Department of Conservation says it is an indispensable tool for managing wildlife. No wonder, then, that the agency is taking steps to keep hunting one of Missouri’s top recreational pursuits.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s 2006 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation showed that approximately 560,000 Missourians - 12 percent of the state’s population - hunted. While the number of Americans who hunt has declined slowly in recent decades, the number of hunters in Missouri has increased during the past 10 years.
Part of the reason for the continued popularity of hunting in Missouri is a wide range of programs sponsored by the Conservation Department to perpetuate skills and attitudes necessary for safe, ethical hunting. Besides hunter education classes staffed by a huge network of volunteers, the agency offers indoor and outdoor events to introduce women and children to hunting and shooting sports and make it possible for people with mobility impairments to hunt doves, ducks, deer and turkeys.
Most recently, the Missouri Conservation Commission created an Apprentice Hunter Authorization. For a $10 annual fee, the authorization enables nonhunters 16 and older to purchase any firearms hunting permit without showing hunter-education certification. Without the authorization, hunters born on or after Jan. 1, 1967, must have completed an approved hunter education course in order to buy firearms hunting permits.
The authorization is available only for two consecutive permit years. Hunting under the authorization and appropriate permits must be under the direct supervision of a licensed and hunter-education certified hunter at least 21 years old.
The Apprentice Hunter Authorization and Conservation Department hunter skills programs are intended to counter the national trend of declining hunter numbers.
Why go to all this trouble? Conservation Department Public Involvement Coordinator David Thorne says reasons abound. Some of the least tangible benefits are most important to hunters.
“It’s hard to put a dollar value on time spent hunting with family and friends,” said Thorne. “The experience of connecting with nature and our pioneer past are hard to quantify, too.
Other benefits for Missourians include the increasing number of studies and surveys that show outdoor and nature-related activities, such as hunting and fishing, enhance physical and emotional well-being. “Some hunters say life would not be worth living if they could not hunt,” said Thorne.
For those more interested in tangible benefits, Thorne cites the value of food generated by hunting. Deer hunters alone bring home more than 18 million pounds of venison annually. Multiply that by the cost of lean, organically-grown meat, and you have a tidy sum.
Similarly, Missouri hunters take home approximately 60,000 turkeys each year, plus millions of rabbits, squirrels, quail, pheasant, doves, ducks, geese and frogs. This is all meat that Missourians otherwise would have to buy. Missouri hunters donated more than 160 tons of venison to the needy through the Share the Harvest program last year, cutting the cost of state and federal social welfare programs.
Hunting’s economic impact extends beyond food on the table. Thorne says all types of hunting combined create more than $2 billion in economic activity in Missouri, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service survey noted earlier. This economic stimulus takes the form of jobs making outdoor equipment or providing guide and other services, plus spending on everything from firearms and ammunition to food and lodging.
Deer and turkey hunting are Missouri’s two biggest wildlife-related economic engines, attracting out-of-state hunters who bring tens of millions of dollars into Missouri annually.
Another benefit of hunting is what doesn’t happen. Carefully regulated hunting can reduce numbers of some wild animals, reducing human-wildlife interaction.
“Effective management keeps wildlife populations in check,” said Thorne. “I can’t tell you how many deer-vehicle accidents never happen because the deer harvest keeps whitetail population at a reasonable density. I don’t know how many roads or fields were never flooded because trappers kept beaver numbers in check, but these are real economic benefits all the same.”
Thorne also noted that Missouri’s conservation community would be significantly diminished by a decline in hunter participation. Hunters and anglers are some of the strongest supporters of America’s conservation movement, and they were some of the most outspoken individuals who proposed the constitutional amendment establishing Missouri’s nonpartisan conservation program in 1936.
Hunters also are the most generous financial supporters of conservation. As early as the 1930s, hunters lobbied Congress to establish special excise taxes on their recreational equipment and supplies with funds earmarked for wildlife conservation. Those taxes remain in effect today and are among the most important and dependable revenues of state wildlife agencies, other than hunting permit fees.
In Missouri, hunters played a key role in the establishment of Missouri’s one-eighth of one percent sales tax for conservation. This model of conservation funding has been repeated in Arkansas in recent years and other states are working to establish similar support.
“We need hunters,” said Thorne, “Our success at reaching out to the next generation of hunters is an excellent example of why people across the nation look to Missouri for conservation leadership.”
-Jim Low-
Separate events April 5 will cover turkey hunting basics and give some participants a chance to use their new-found knowledge on guided hunts.
JEFFERSON CITY-Women and aspiring hunters age 8 through 15 can learn the basics of turkey hunting at two events.
The Missouri Department of Conservation will sponsor a women’s turkey hunting clinic starting at 9 a.m. April 5 at Schell-Osage Conservation Area near Schell City. Participants will get an introduction to turkey hunting with multiple stations to educate beginning hunters.
Topics discussed during the women’s clinic will include rules and regulations, calling techniques, call making, hunting techniques, decoy use and shotgun patterning. Participants must be at least 14. Those under age 16 must be accompanied by an adult sponsor. Participants are encouraged to bring their own shotguns. A limited number of shotguns will be available for those who do not bring their own.
The women’s event is free but is limited to 40 participants. Participants must pre-register by 5 p.m. March 28. For more information or to register, contact Missouri Department of Conservation, 2010 S. Second St., Clinton, Mo., phone (660) 885-6981.
Also on April 5, Everhart’s Wilderness Lodge, northwest of Clinton, will sponsor a youth turkey hunting clinic with help from the Conservation Department and other organizations. The event, which runs from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., is open to youths age 8 through 15. It will cover turkey hunting rules and regulations, firearms safety, shotgun choke and shot selection, calling, tracking, decoy use and equipment.
The Wilderness Lodge youth clinic, including lunch, also is free. Registration is limited to 40 youths. Each youth must be accompanied by an adult sponsor. Adult participants may sponsor up to two youths. Youths are encouraged to bring their shotguns.
For more information or to register for the youth clinic, call (660) 885-5049.
-Jim Low-
The Missouri Department of Conservation is celebrating “The Year of the Frog”
JEFFERSON CITY-In China, 2008 is The Year of the Rat. In Missouri, it is The Year of the Frog. The Missouri Department of Conservation plans to launch the celebration on Feb. 29 - “leap day.”
The year of the rat is part of a Chinese astrological system designed to provide insight about coming events. The Year of the Frog is part of a nation-wide effort to call attention to the decline of frog, toad and salamander populations worldwide.
The agency plans to kick off The Year of the Frog with special programs and events at nature centers around the state. For more information about conservation nature centers and their programs, visit mdc.mo.gov/areas/cnc/, or call the nearest Conservation Department office.
You also can join the celebration by viewing the Conservation Department’s frog and toad video at youtube.com/user/moconservation and by wearing the colors of your favorite amphibian.
Conservation Department Herpetologist Jeff Briggler says nearly one-third of the approximately 6,200 known species of amphibians in the world are in decline. Some are threatened by loss of habitat or other well-known problems. However, these problems do not account for the world-wide decline of amphibians.
“Something else is going on,” said Briggler. “It might be the combined effect of several things, including climate change, habitat fragmentation, pollution, increased ultraviolet radiation and the spread of diseases as a result of people importing animals from all over the globe. Whatever it is, we stand to lose a lot of the world’s frogs, toads and salamander species if we can’t act quickly.”
For more information about factors contributing to amphibian decline, visit amphibiaweb.org/declines/declines.html#why.
-Jim Low-
Finding the right tree for each site and giving it a good start pays dividends in years to come.
JEFFERSON CITY-Late winter is the best time to plant trees. The Missouri Department of Conservation has advice for people heading to nurseries to replace trees lost in last year’s ice storms.
Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Justine Gartner has two critical pieces of advice for tree buyers. First, choose a tree that can thrive where it will be planted. Second, follow good planting procedures to give seedlings and saplings the best chance of thriving.
“Choosing a new tree is wonderfully exciting,” said Gartner, “but it is important not to let emotion and imagination trump practical considerations. If you plant your dream tree in the wrong location, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.”
For example, planting a water-loving tree, such as a bald cypress, in a dry, rocky location is likely to lead to failure. Similarly, planting a flowering dogwood in heavy clay soil creates a high probability of failure.
To avoid these kinds of problems, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/13940, where you will find a description of the characteristics of many different trees, along with their water, soil, sun and space requirements. Also listed are tips for picking the best specimen, based on such factors as straightness, a firm root ball and vigorous growth.
The same Web site also has practical information for meeting Gartner’s second requirement - proper planting. Advice includes placing young trees in holes large enough for their roots, not planting them too deep, mulching to avoid drying and watering throughout the growing season.
You also can ask a nursery operator or an arborist for advice about trees suitable for your intended location. To find a certified arborist near you, visit www.treesaregood.com.
“Tree planting isn’t difficult, but there are some things novice tree planters often don’t expect,” said Gartner. “For instance, people commonly make a big hole and fill it with what they think is great soil to give their trees a good start. In most cases, it is actually better to plant trees directly in the soil where they will be growing. If you have to change the soil to help a young tree survive, you might not have the right tree for your site.”
For planting tips, visit mdc.mo.gov/forest/helpcare.htm. You also can request the following publications from Missouri Department of Conservation, (name of publication), P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, 65102-0180.
--Homeowner’s Guide for Safe, Healthy Trees
--Urban Basic Planting Guidelines
--Mulch: Your Tree’s Best Friend
--Standard Tree Planting Detail
--Tree Maintenance Timetable
--Tree Pruning
--Watering Trees
--Forestry for Private Landowners
Trees that are native to Missouri survive better and with less care, so consider using native species. Species recommended for Missouri planting include prairie crabapple, eastern redbud, black gum, northern red oak, sugar maple, American holly and eastern white pine. Not recommended are ash trees, silver maples, poplars, Bradford pear, willows and Scotch pine.
You can learn more about native tree varieties at grownative.com.
-Jim Low-
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| The spring peeper (Hyla crucifer) is one of the first frogs to emerge from winter dormancy in Missouri. They begin calling as early as February in southern counties and may be heard as late as May in the north. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
More than 10,000 anglers are expected to attend the March 1 event at Missouri’s four trout parks.
JEFFERSON CITY-Missouri’s version of March Madness happens on the first day of that month, when thousands of anglers make the annual pilgrimage to four trout parks. This year’s crowd promises to be bigger than most.
The event marks the start of catch-and-keep season at Bennett Spring State Park (SP) near Lebanon, Montauk SP near Licking, Roaring River SP near Cassville and Maramec Spring Park near St. James. Attendance is a tradition for Missourians and out-of-state anglers alike. They rise before dawn, sometimes in beastly weather, and line the banks of spring-fed streams. Catching rainbow and brown trout is the immediate objective, but equally important are shaking off cabin fever and enjoying the camaraderie of a seasonal ritual.
In the past, attendance at the trout opener has varied from approximately 8,000 to more than 14,000. The number of anglers soars in years when March 1 falls on a weekend. This year’s event is expected to draw at least 10,000. The actual number could be much more with fair weather.
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources owns Bennett Spring, Montauk and Roaring River state parks. Maramec Spring Park is owned and operated by the James Foundation. The Missouri Department of Conservation operates hatcheries at all four parks and provides trout to stock their waters.
To ensure a good season start, the Conservation Department stocks three fish for each angler expected to visit each trout park on opening day. Each park also stocks 50 to a few hundred “lunker” fish weighing three pounds or more.
Missouri’s trout park tradition includes asking dignitaries or long-time supporters to sound the siren or fire the pistol that signals the start of fishing at each park. This year’s starters include: --Ralph and Mary Mudd at Montauk SP. The Mudds stumbled into their first season opener in 1975 when returning from Branson to their home in Illinois and still return each year. Call (573) 548-2585 for more information. --Roger Pickard, of Lees Summit, at Bennett Spring SP. Pickard has been fishing there since the early 1960s. For more information about fishing there, call (417) 532-4418. --Former Assistant Park Superintendent Bill Ash, of Cassville, at Roaring River SP. For more information about fishing there call (417) 847-2430. The Cassville Chamber of Commerce will serve coffee on the banks of the stream before the starting signal and will sponsor a big-fish contest with women’s, men’s and youth divisions. --The St. James Chamber of Commerce will serve coffee and doughnuts to anglers and sponsor fishing contests at Maramec Spring Park. For more information about opening day there, call (573) 265-7801.
Fishing at trout parks requires a daily tag, which can be purchased at park concession stores. Anglers age 16 and older also need a valid Missouri fishing permit. Anglers age 65 and older are exempt from the fishing permit requirement.
2007 fishing permits expire Feb. 29. Lines to buy 2008 permits at trout parks are always long on opening morning. Savvy anglers buy their permits before arriving.
The daily limit is four trout. There is a 15-inch minimum length limit on brown trout. Rainbows of any length or size may be kept. Trout regulations have not changed this year, but it is wise to review area regulations in pamphlets available at each park.
New this year is the replacement of old log dams in Zone 1 of Roaring River SP with V-shaped low-water dams. These are designed so the current will create scour holes below the dams, enhancing trout habitat. Another low-water dam has been installed between the catch-and-release and artificial-bait areas.
The Conservation Department encourages anglers to participate in the improved “I Released a Lunker Program.” Anglers who catch and release big trout can get recognition patches to commemorate their achievement and the fact that they let the fish go for another angler to catch.
To qualify, you must catch an 18-inch or larger trout at one of the four trout parks between March 1 and Oct. 31 and immediately release the fish in good condition. One witness is required to verify the catch and release. Applications are available at park hatchery offices. To qualify, you must catch an 18-inch or larger trout at one of the four trout parks between March 1 and Oct. 31 and immediately release the fish in good condition. One witness is required to verify the catch and release. Applications are available at park hatchery offices.
To recognize anglers who catch and release lunkers at all four trout parks, the Conservation Department has a Grand Slam Patch around which the other four patches can be sewn.
-Jim Low-
This free publication explains simple measures anyone can take to protect their property.
JEFFERSON CITY-Homes, businesses and other property are at increased risk from wildfire in Missouri, due to ice storms early and late in 2007. A free publication from the Missouri Department of Conservation tells how to protect yourself.
Woody debris created by fallen trees and tree limbs has dramatically increased the risk of wildfire across most of Missouri. In some areas, the amount of woody fuel lying in woodlands is 10 times greater than normal. This will increase the intensity of natural-cover fires and facilitate their spread.
Living with Wildfire is an 8-page booklet designed to help Missourians minimize the chances of losing homes, outbuildings, businesses, automobiles and other equipment to fires.
The booklet has sections explaining where the risk is greatest, how to create a buffer of “defensible space” around property, landscaping to minimize fire danger, fire-resistant building and remodeling materials and more. The back page has a checklist property owners can use to make sure they have covered all the bases.
To receive a copy write to MDC, Living with Wildfire, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov. A digital version is available at www.mdc.mo.gov/documents/forest/fire/wildfire.pdf.
-Jim Low-
The Conservation Department helps communities and homeowner associations plant and maintain trees.
JEFFERSON CITY-What is a tree worth? Ask one of the thousands of Missourians who have lost trees in the past year. They miss the shade their trees used to provide from the blazing summer sun. They miss the birds that used to perch and nest there. They miss the windbreaks their trees used to create, and they miss the energy savings they once realized, summer and winter, due to trees’ moderating influence.
The Missouri Department of Conservation has help for established communities that have lost trees and for new ones that want the practical and aesthetic benefits only trees provide. The key is the Tree Resource Improvement and Management (TRIM) program.
TRIM is a partnership of the Conservation Department and the Missouri Community Forestry Council. It provides reimbursements of up to $10,000 to public schools, government agencies and non-profit groups for tree planting and management on public land.
Projects eligible for TRIM funding include tree inventory, removal or pruning of hazardous trees, tree planting and training of volunteers and city or county employees in tree care.
Each applicant submits information about project cost and funding sources, project site maps and drawings, management plans and a letter of approval from the governmental body that owns the proposed project site. The application deadline is June 1.
Grants are awarded competitively. A panel of judges assesses each proposal for its value to the community, thoroughness of the tree management program, economic feasibility and the applicant's ability to promote, improve and develop a community urban forest.
Grant recipients receive up to 60 percent of total project funding. Communities with the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA designation are eligible for an additional 15 percent cost-share.
Grant application writing workshops will be offered at locations around the state in early April. For workshop information or to get a TRIM grant application and workbook, write to Community Forestry Coordinator, Forestry Division, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180.
-Jim Low-
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| Bill McGuire (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
Act now, while trees are dormant. Damage is easy to see, and you may even be able to head off future problems.
JEFFERSON CITY-Winter is the perfect time to evaluate and repair storm-damaged trees. Possibly more important, action taken now can prevent future tree damage.
Ice storms in January and December last year left many trees with hanging limbs and gaping wounds. Missouri Department of Conservation Forestry Field Programs Supervisor Justine Gartner says now is the time for tree triage to determine whether trees are salvageable.
“Right now you can see broken limbs and torn spots,” said Gartner. “Because trees are dormant now, this is also the best time for repair work. And if you discover that a tree is too badly damaged to save, taking it out is much simpler before leaf-out.”
Gartner said the first thing to do is to evaluate a tree’s health apart from any storm damage. Healthy trees are more likely to recover from storm damage than those with pre-existing rot, insect infestation or root damage.
Even trees in good health may have trouble recovering if they lose half or more of their limb structure. Large, vigorous trees usually can survive the loss of one major limb. The loss of a few major limbs is more damaging than extensive loss of small branches.
Smaller trees can recover quickly from the loss of several branches if the main leader is intact. Try to determine if remaining branches are in a position to fill in the gap left by damaged ones. If not, the wise choice might be replacing the tree.
A tree’s ability to recover also is affected by placement. Those in locations subject to soil compaction, root disturbance or chronic drought probably are not good risks. This is also a good time to ask whether the tree’s location is desirable. If it overhangs a house or power line, if it is competing with more desirable trees for light and water, if its seed pods create a mess in your yard, you might want to consider whether you want to save it.
Sometimes it makes sense to wait and see if a tree can recover. Large, valuable trees take decades to grow. Delaying one or two years to see if an existing tree can survive will not increase replacement time significantly. If you are uncertain about a tree’s survivability or desirability, ask advice from a certified arborist. To find a certified arborist near you, visit www.treesaregood.com.
Wounds left by broken branches open a tree to diseases and parasites. Relatively small wounds - two- or three-inch openings on 12-inch trunks or limbs - will seal over in a few years. Anything larger is a serious defect that is likely to cause stunted or deformed growth.
If ice damage reveals interior rot or pulls a tree over far enough to break part of the its roots, it is a lost cause. A split trunk is another reason to replace a tree.
Pruning of damaged limbs near ground level may be within landowners’ ability. The Conservation Department has publications with detailed information about tree pruning and other after-storm tree care. To tap these resources, visit mdc.mo.gov/forest/features/tree_storm.htm or write to Missouri Department of Conservation, Tree Care After Storms, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180 or e-mail pubstaff@mdc.mo.gov.
Be careful not to over-prune. Trees that have lost limbs need all the remaining foliage you can save to provide nourishment.
Safely removing large limbs or ones much above ground level requires professional equipment and experience.
-Jim Low-
Proactive measures helped this St. Louis suburb minimize ice damage.
ST. PETERS, Mo.-Tree damage wrought by ice storms overwhelmed maintenance crews in many St. Louis area municipalities last year. For days, it was all they could do to clear downed limbs and trunks on city property. In contrast, city workers in the St. Charles County suburb of St. Peters went straight to residential neighborhoods to lend a hand. What made the difference? Years of preventive maintenance.
St. Peters might be unique in having six certified arborists - half its tree maintenance staff. Each year, these highly trained workers spend thousands of hours examining trees on city streets, in city parks and other municipal property. They judiciously remove limbs that will become hazards and diminish the trees’ vigor. In doing so, they headed off downed power lines, damaged buildings and blocked roadways.
One of those arborists is Parks Horticulture Foreman Vicki Phillips.
“St. Peters definitely was hit hard by the ice storms,” said Phillips, “but damage was minimal to city trees that had been vigorously maintained. Thank goodness, because everybody in the city had to work on storm cleanup in residential areas. If we had been devastated on city property, we would really have been in trouble.”
Phillips said most of the tree casualties were in out-of-the way areas, far from power lines and city streets. That is because the city’s arborists give first priority to trees in areas where damage would cause the most trouble.
“We have limited resources, just like every city,” she said. “We have added more than 4,000 trees since 1998, so we can’t get to every tree as often as we would like, but we try to keep up with those in critical areas.”
Young trees get the most attention as arborists work to correct structural defects and give developing trees strong basic forms. Removing crossed limbs and branches that are competing for the same space prevents problems later on.
“We visit some of our younger trees every single year and do structural pruning,” said Phillips. “Older trees may be on a three- to five-year schedule. It’s just maintenance pruning at that point. We are removing the lower branches so mowers can get underneath them.”
That isn’t the only thing St. Peters has done to maximize trees’ value and minimize problems. The city also has taken action to head off tree problems outside city property.
“The biggest thing that we have done that prevented storm damage was in 1998 when we passed an ordinance that makes it illegal to top trees for hire,” said Phillips. “If we catch you tree topping for pay, you can be issued a citation. That has dramatically reduced tree topping, and we feel like that has dramatically curbed the amount of storm damage, because we have fewer trees that are compromised.”
Topping trees - cutting back all the main limbs below their growing tips - forces the trees to grow new branches that are structurally weak. These branches are much more vulnerable to damage from ice accumulation, wind, or even the weight of normal foliage. Phillips says St. Peters still has topped trees - some from before the ban on commercial topping and some done by tree owners. But the frequency of tree topping is far less than in cities without such ordinances and professionally supervised municipal tree maintenance programs.
Phillips said she noticed that even in the residential areas, little of the tree damage resulted from tree topping.
“Mostly it was inherently weak trees and trees with twiggy structure that got hurt. River birches are a good example. They are not strong trees to begin with, and their twiggy structure makes them accumulate a lot of ice. It wasn’t because they were poorly maintained.”
Phillips said the value of St. Peters’ conscientious tree care goes far beyond minimizing damage during storms. Trees reduce energy bills by shading homes and businesses. They even extend the life of expensive city infrastructure. Asphalt paving lasts significantly longer on tree-lined streets than it does in full sunlight, and property values are higher in areas with well-maintained trees.
For more information on tree maintenance, visit www.nationalarborday.com or contact the nearest office of the Missouri Department of Conservation
-Jim Low-
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| The Department of Conservation urges Missourians to take measures to protect themselves from wildfire. (Missouri Dept. of Conservation photo) |
New and returning volunteers will find everything they need online in March.
JEFFERSON CITY–The Missouri Department of Conservation and the National Wild Turkey Federation once again are looking for early-rising volunteers to continue a five-year study of turkey gobbling habits. Besides the pleasure of hearing lusty mating calls of male wild turkeys twice a week, participants can hope to win a shotgun or a lifetime hunting permit in return for their contributions to science.
The work is part of a study aimed at discovering when the peak periods of gobbling activity occur. With this information, the Conservation Department will be better equipped to set the dates of spring turkey hunting season to coincide with the period when gobblers are most receptive to calling.
Volunteers count the number of gobbles and the number of gobbling birds they hear during a 20-minute period before sunrise at least twice weekly between March 15 and May 15. “Gobbleteers” choose their listening locations. The study runs through 2011.
To join the gobbleteer study, send an e-mail with a subject line of “Gobbleteer” to Jamey.Decoske@mdc.mo.gov. You will receive a reply with information about setting up a gobbleteer account. Last year’s gobbleteers don’t need to do anything. They automatically will receive information about this years’ reporting procedures via e-mail.
Tom turkeys are most vocal just before hens become receptive to mating and just after hens begin incubating their eggs. This creates two peaks in gobbling. Volunteer reports will help biologists determine whether the current timing of spring turkey season meets the goal of putting hunters in the woods during the second peak in gobbling.
The study also seeks to discover any relationships between gobbling and other factors, such as weather and spring leaf-out. Each year’s study results are published on the Turkey Federation’s Missouri Chapter website.
Gobbleteers automatically are entered in a drawing for a prize each year. Last year’s winner was Jeff Gebhardt, of Salisbury. He had his choice of a commemorative shotgun or a lifetime hunting permit. He chose the permit, which is a $700 value.
-Jim Low-
Conservation Department experts can teach you how to make every shot count.
JEFFERSON CITY–Knowledgeable hunters know steel shot performs differently than lead shot. What many don’t know is how it is different, how different it is and exactly how to adjust their shooting to compensate for the differences. Those who attend free steel-shot clinics around the state will learn these things and become more effective hunters in the process.
The Missouri Department of Conservation is offering clinics at the following locations.
--Jay Henges Shooting Range at Forest 44 Conservation Area (CA) in St. Louis County, May 16-18. Call (636) 300-1953, ext. 302, for more registration and information.
--Conservation Department Ozark Regional Headquarters, 551 Joe Jones Blvd., West Plains, Aug. 8-10. Call (417) 256-7161.
--Southeast Missouri, location to be announced, Aug. 15-17. Call (573) 290-5730.
--Charles W. Green CA in Boone County, Aug. 22-24. Call (573) 884-6861.
--Andy Dalton Shooting Range on Bois D’Arc CA in Greene County, Aug. 29-31. Call (417) 742-4361.
--August A. Busch Memorial CA in St. Charles County, Sept. 5-7. Call (636) 300-1953, ext. 302.
--Locust Creek CA in Sullivan County, Sept. 26-28. Call (660) 785-2420.
--Central Missouri State University Shooting Complex, Warrensburg, Oct. 3-5. Call (816) 655-6250.
--Fountain Grove CA in Linn County, Oct. 10-12. Call (660) 646-6122.
Each event includes an afternoon or evening classroom session open to everyone. Registration for these events is limited only to the capacity of the hosting facility. A limited number ofparticipants who are in positions to pass their knowledge on to other hunters will take part in one-day hands-on shooting training sessions following the classroom portion of the clinics. Separate events with shooting training will be offered to hunter education instructors.
Lead is the most common material used in shotgun ammunition. Because lead shot has been found to poison waterfowl and eagles that feed on waterfowl, federal law requires duck and goose hunters to use nontoxic alternatives to lead shot. Missouri has expanded that prohibition to all hunting on some conservation areas.
Last year the Missouri Conservation Commission approved regulation changes requiring nontoxic shot for all shotgun hunting – including dove hunting – on 21 additional CAs. Areas affected by the regulation change are B. K. Leach Memorial, Black Island, Bob Brown, Columbia Bottom, Cooley Lake, Coon Island, Duck Creek, Eagle Bluffs, Fountain Grove, Four Rivers, Grand Pass, Little Bean Marsh, Little River, Marais Temps Clair, Montrose, Nodaway Valley, Otter Slough, Schell-Osage, Settle’s Ford, Ted Shanks and Ten Mile Pond CAs.
All these areas attract large numbers of migratory waterfowl and shorebirds. The requirement to use steel or other federally approved nontoxic shot on these areas applies to all hunting with shotguns. Possession of lead shot is prohibited on these areas.
Hunter Skills Coordinator Tony Legg said most hunters choose steel shot because it is the least expensive nontoxic shot available. He said extensive field work has shown that steel shot can be an effective alternative to lead or denser, more expensive lead-shot alternatives.
“Every type of shot has advantages and disadvantages,” said Legg. “The key to success is learning the characteristics and limitations of the ammunition you use and developing skills – like judging distance – needed to make the most of it. These workshops are designed to help hunters learn those things and use steel shot effectively.”
-Jim Low-
This community rolls out the red carpet for hunters who use wheelchairs.
MONROE CITY, Mo.—Mobility-impaired hunters can get help realizing their turkey-hunting dreams through the annual Mark Twain Lake Turkey Hunt for the Physically Challenged.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which owns and manages Mark Twain Lake, works with local community groups to make the hunt May 3 and 4 at Indian Creek Recreation Area a memorable experience. Twenty physically challenged hunters get VIP service normally associated with expensive guided hunts.
Participants supply their own guns and ammunition, 20 gauge or larger. A limited number of guides are available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own helpers. Participants can hunt either or both of the event's two days.
To qualify, applicants must be permanently disabled (non-ambulatory or semi-ambulatory), have valid hunter safety certification cards and valid spring turkey hunting permits.
For application materials, contact the Corps of Engineers, Mark Twain Lake, 20642 Highway J, Monroe City, MO 63456, (573) 735-4097. Applications must be received by April 1. Reservations will be awarded by random drawing April 7.
-Jim Low-
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