June 2001
Roundups solve goose problems, benefit food banks
Friday, June 29, 2001
Subdivisions and golf courses get relief from messy, destructive and aggressive birds. Food banks get nearly a ton of meat for the needy.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Rounding up and removing more than 200 geese at four locations in Missouri meant different things to different people. For golfers at the Country Club of Missouri, it meant the end of damage to greens and fairways. For the residents of Bristol Manner subdivision, it meant a cleaner, safer neighborhood. For needy families, it will mean food on the table.
On June 21, workers with the Missouri Department of Conservation herded 258 Canada geese into net enclosures at residential neighborhoods in St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia and at the golf course. The roundups were indistinguishable from similar events the agency has conducted for years to keep track of the state's growing population of resident Canada geese. The purpose of the roundup was different, though.
At each location, property owners had asked the Conservation Department for relief from problems associated with large numbers of geese. At the golf course, the big, grass-eating birds were causing tens of thousands of dollars worth of damage to greens and fairways. Their feces fouled the grass, sidewalks and golf cart paths. That was unpleasant for golfers. It was a serious sanitation concern for the facility's restaurant, where patrons tracked the green, gooey, bacteria-laden stuff in on their shoes.
The subdivisions had some of the same problems. Parents couldn't let small children play in yards on account of goose poop. Lake frontage one of the reasons people moved there became unpleasant to visit. A few people were even attacked by male geese, which become aggressively protective of their territories during nesting season. Weighing in at up to 15 pounds, the birds are a credible threat to people who trespass on their turf.
In each case, the landowners approached the Conservation Department about removing geese. Relocating young birds to new areas is practical, since they will "imprint" on their new home area. But moving adult geese to new locations isn't a solution. They simply fly back to where they were trapped.
Euthanizing the geese and disposing of their carcasses would have solved the landowners' problems, but the waste involved was unacceptable. Giving the meat to food banks turned a liability into an asset.
Before approving trapping and removal of geese, the Conservation Department required each applicant to try other, nonlethal measures to deal with the problem. Trained dogs, pyrotechnic scare tactics, sterilizing goose eggs and fencing were among the measures tried. Approval for trapping and removal was granted only after these measures failed.
"We haven't gone looking for goose problems to solve," said Tom Hutton, private land field programs supervisor for the Conservation Department. "When people come to us for help, we try to meet their needs. Doing so has to be consistent with good stewardship of the state's wildlife. But in cases where people have made a good-faith effort to deal with goose problems, it's our job to provide the most effective, economical solutions possible."
The roundups netted 194 adult birds, a small fraction of the state's estimated 50,000-plus population. When processed, they yielded about 1,700 pounds of whole geese. Laboratory testing prior to the roundup showed the birds were safe for human consumption.
In addition to the adult birds, the roundups captured 64 goslings, which were relocated to Truman Lake, which has suitable habitat and enough room to accommodate the new birds.
The property owners paid a fee to offset the cost of trapping the geese and transporting them to the processing plant. The food banks receiving the processed meat paid for transportation from the processor.
Hutton said the Conservation Department doesn't intend to provide nuisance goose roundups for every community or business that needs the service in the future. "Our strategy is to teach commercial nuisance wildlife services how to conduct roundups. Eventually, we will turn the job over to commercial services working under permit from the Conservation Department."
- Jim Low -
Relocating urban deer shows mixed results
Friday, June 29, 2001
Town and Country has fewer deer now than it would have had without trapping, but the number of deer hasn't decreased.
TOWN AND CONTRY Mo. -- The city of Town and Country will be able to continue trapping and relocating deer. The option won't be available in other areas however. The Conservation Commission has removed this method from statewide urban deer management guidelines due to concerns about its effectiveness and humaneness.
The St. Louis suburb began its trap-and-relocate program in December 1998 after a survey showed that a majority of the town's residents wanted fewer deer. The Conservation Department approved the experiment to determine whether the technique could reduce deer populations in residential areas when their numbers exceeded people's tolerance for deer-vehicle accidents and property damage.
Town and Country hired a commercial nuisance wildlife service to perform the work. Conservation Department biologists estimated they would have to remove 120 does per year for three years in a row to reduce the population from 68 deer per square mile to a more tolerable 30 to 40 per square mile. They estimated that removing 75 does in a season would stabilize the population for a year. Any bucks removed might provide temporary relief, but female deer are the key to population control.
In the first year of trapping, Town and Country removed 59 does and 21 bucks. Seven out of ten radio-collared deer died within a year after relocation.
The second year produced 44 does and 13 bucks. Town and Country expanded its trapping efforts the third year, hiring a second contractor and using additional trapping methods. The result 48 does and 48 bucks removed.
Recent population surveys show that Town and Country's efforts have stopped the growth of the deer population in the city and nearby Queeny Park. However, they have not reduced the number of deer.
In light of these results, the Conservation Commission directed the Conservation Department to remove trapping and relocation from the urban deer management guidelines, while allowing Town and Country to continue its efforts.
In a letter to Town and Country Mayor Richard "Skip" Mange, Conservation Department Director Jerry Conley recommended that the city expand trapping to November and December. Trapping has been done primarily from January through March.
Conley also recommended that Town and Country relocate only does, which are less susceptible to hunting in their new home areas. He suggested that the city try additional trapping techniques and set a goal for deer population density. In other parts of the country, said Conley, a population density of 15 to 20 deer per square mile has resulted in a reasonable balance between deer viewing opportunities and property damage.
Besides being relatively ineffective and failing to spare the lives of many deer, trapping and relocation is expensive. The cost of removing each deer from Town and Country is more than $350.
Group works to save wild places in Kansas City
Friday, June 29, 2001
Historic landscapes defined how the area once looked and influenced those who settled there.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Amid the web of roadways and modern buildings that make metropolitan Kansas City an urban showplace are several natural areas that paint a picture of the city's past. Remnants of the prairies, savannas, glades and forests that occupied the land in pre-settlement days are scattered throughout the area. Assuring that natural communities located on public lands remain part of the Kansas City landscape is the goal of the Kansas City WildLands organization.
Kansas City WildLands is spearheaded by the Missouri Department of Conservation in partnership with The Nature Conservancy. The coalition is composed of federal, sate and local government agencies, private conservation groups and college, university and corporate partners from Missouri and Kansas. The coalition works to protect the biological diversity of relatively undisturbed natural areas in metropolitan Kansas City. The group also seeks to involve citizens in the care of wild lands.
"We have historic landscapes that define what this land once looked like and influenced those who chose to call this place home," says Missouri Department of Conservation Biologist Larry Rizzo. "If we let those areas vanish, we lose many great opportunities to see and enjoy nature right at our back doors."
Much of the conservation organization's work is hands-on. Each month coalition members conduct work days at one or more natural areas. The projects range from collecting seeds from native plants to cutting brush and eliminating invasive, exotic plants.
Summer work days include a prairie restoration at Shawnee Mission Park July 28 and a glade and oak savanna restoration at Swope Park Aug. 18. The public is invited to participate. To register for work days or to be placed on the mailing list for information about other coalition activities, call 816/655-6250, ext. 246, or visit the Kansas City WildLands web site, http://www.kcwildlands.org/.
- Arleasha Mays -
Stream Teams make a million-dollar effort
Friday, June 22, 2001
Volunteers devote more than $1 million a year to protecting streams.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri Stream Teams continue to make a big splash in efforts to improve the state's waterways. The Stream Team annual report for 2000 shows participants in the program spent nearly 70,500 hours working to clean and monitor the state's rivers and streams.
Multiply that figure by the national average non-agricultural wage rate of $14.85 per hour, and you will find that volunteers devoted more than $1 million worth of effort to the cause of stream conservation last year. It should come as no surprise, then, that Stream Teamers had a major impact on stream cleanliness.
Stream Teams removed more than 300 tons of litter from waterways last year. They also established a fund that will help with future stream cleanups. The Revolving Tire Fund was created to cover the fees for disposal of tires collected during litter pickups.
Stream water quality monitoring was a popular activity in 2000. Volunteers made 1,349 trips to monitor state waters for pollutants at 264 sites. Sampling on the Grand River provided data for a study on the impact of ammonia levels on catfish. Participants in the program also began watching for zebra mussels.
Other Stream Team accomplishments in 2000 include:
--Implementation of the first long-term sediment monitoring program.
--Stenciling 998 storm drains. The activity involves painting notices on concrete storm drain inlets warning people, "Dump no Waste - Drains to Stream!"
--Planting more than 18,000 trees for stream bank stabilization and greenway projects.
--Conducting workshops on water quality monitoring, stream and fish identification and understanding streams.
Participation in the Missouri Stream Teams continues to grow. The stewardship program grew by 244 teams in 2000, bringing the total to 1,671. Approximately 33,400 Missourians participate in the program.
Missouri Stream Teams got their start in 1989. The Conservation Department, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the Conservation Federation of Missouri launched the cooperative effort to promote citizen awareness and involvement in river and stream conservation.
To learn more about Stream Team activities or how to become a member of a Stream Team call 800/781-1989.
- Arleasha Mays -
Conservation areas are increasingly accessible
Friday, June 22, 2001
The Conservation Department is working to make its facilities more accessible to persons with differing physical abilities.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Hunters, anglers, boaters and nature enthusiasts of all descriptions find it easier to enjoy facilities and activities supported by the Missouri Department of Conservation, according to a recent report.
The Conservation Department's Report on Disabled Accessibility Accomplishments for Fiscal Year 2000 spells out in detail what the agency did last year to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The report lists dozens of new fishing and boating accesses, fishing docks and other facilities the Conservation Department built during Fiscal Year 2000.
Among these was the historic fire tower display installed at Runge Conservation Nature Center last year. The project involved bringing a fire tower no longer needed in the Ozarks to the nature center in Jefferson City so visitors could experience the history of fire control in Missouri first-hand. To make the experience available to people with mobility impairments, the Conservation Department installed a fire tower cabin at ground level and equipped it with a video monitor showing the view from the elevated cabin.
The Conservation Department's new Ozark regional office in West Plains is fully accessible to people with disabilities, and so will be the Discovery Center, now under construction in downtown Kansas City.
Other disabled-accessible facilities built, retrofitted or improved in the past fiscal year include:
--Fishing platforms at Roaring River and Montauk state parks.
--A boat-loading platform at the new Carl Noren Access on the Missouri River at Jefferson City.
--A fishing dock, privy, boat-loading platform and fishing dock near Branson in Taney County.
--A boat-loading platform, privy and parking at Ralph Cox Access near Galena in Stone County.
--Walking trails at Carondelet, O'Fallon and Wilmore parks in St. Louis County.
--A campground at Lead Mine Conservation Area (CA) in Dallas County.
--A pavilion and fishing dock at Lake Girardeau in Cape Girardeau.
--A shooting range at Mark Twain Lake in northeastern Missouri.
The Conservation Department's ADA compliance work isn't limited to facilities. The agency provides its monthly magazine, Missouri Conservationist, in audiotape form to libraries statewide and produces video tapes in closed-captioned form for hearing-impaired Missourians. Special segments on the Conservation Department's weekly television show, Missouri Outdoors, deal with accessibility issues and how some disabled hunters deal with their special needs.
The Conservation Department follows disabled-user guidelines for content on its website and conducts some programs at its nature centers in American sign language to accommodate the needs of visitors with hearing impairments. Runge Conservation Nature Center has a special "Friday Night Recreation Night program for developmentally disabled visitors.
"Missouri's Accessible Outdoors," a popular 13-part series of booklets describing the Conservation Department's accessible facilities and programs statewide, has been widely distributed, and an update is underway. The information used for these booklets is available in a searchable database at http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/atlas/.
The Conservation Department also makes special allowances in the Missouri Wildlife Code to accommodate the needs of people with disabilities. It issues special use permits on a case-by-case basis, allowing mobility-impaired hunters to hunt from all-terrain vehicles or use equipment, such as crossbows, that are not permitted otherwise. The Conservation Department cooperates in sponsoring special hunts for disabled hunters and maintains accessible duck hunting blinds for people with mobility impairments.
To raise the Conservation Department employee's awareness of access issues, new employees get an introduction to the topic in the form of a presentation titled "Access for Everyone."
The price tag for these and other projects aimed at ADA compliance topped $1.5 million.
"ADA compliance is a big job," says Debra Thompson, the Conservation Department's ADA coordinator. "But it's an important job that has the unqualified support of the agency's leadership and staff. All of us experience different levels of ability and disability throughout our lives. Ultimately, everyone in Missouri is enriched by efforts to ensure universal access to the natural treasures we share."
To better serve people with special needs, the Conservation Department sponsors a Disabled Accessibility Advisory Council. The council consists of eight volunteers who share an interest in nature and insights into disabled accessibility issues. It advises the agency about how to meet the needs of the disabled public.
For more information about the Conservation Department's accessibility efforts, contact Debra Thompson, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. Phone 573/751-4115, ext. 3228.
- Jim Low -
Conservation Department seeks Treescape Award nominations
Friday, June 22, 2001
Does your community deserve recognition for tree planting?
JEFFERSON CITY -- Your green thumb could quality you for an award from the Missouri Department of Conservation. The agency is accepting applications for its Missouri Treescape Award program.
The annual award competition recognizes tree planting projects that enhance Missouri's urban forests. The Conservation Department issues treescape awards and citations of merit in 12 categories, based on the type and size of institution, business or organization competing. Entrants may compete in the commercial and industrial, institutional, state and county government, residential, elementary school, secondary school, volunteer group or municipality categories.
All planting projects must be completed before the award application is submitted. Only projects involving trees that have been planted two growing seasons or less are eligible. Conservation Department officials inspect each project and select winners based on projects' overall contribution to the community, planning and conception, number of trees planted, size of trees used and quality of planting and aftercare.
All entrants must complete application forms available from Conservation Department regional offices or downloaded from the Conservation Department web site. Use the keyword "treescape" to access information at www.missouriconservation.org.
Applications must include drawings or sketches of the planting project, a list of tree species used and a city, highway or county map marking the project location. Applications should be submitted to: Missouri Treescape Award Coordinator, c/o Forestry Division Administrator, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. The application deadline is Aug. 1.
- Arleasha Mays -
Program aims at nationwide quail recovery
Friday, June 15, 2001
Restoring habitat is key of quail recovery plan.
JEFFERSON CITY -- The first-ever range-wide effort to restore bobwhite quail is underway. A national coalition of wildlife managers is developing a habitat improvement plan aimed at restoring quail populations to their 1980 levels.
The study is intended to identify land where improvements could benefit quail and encourage landowners to manage those lands for quail. Don McKenzie of the Wildlife Management Institute (WMI), a national, nonprofit conservation organization, says landowner participation will be key to the success of the restoration program.
"We believe that activities on private lands will far outweigh the importance of what we can do on public land, says McKenzie, because there's much more private land. We've focused most restoration efforts on small tracts of public land, and they haven't worked. Our plan will focus on the need and opportunity to manage hundreds of thousands of improvable land for quail habitat."
Although many factors affect bobwhite populations, widespread habitat degradation is generally believed to be the underlying cause of population declines. The bobwhite quail is one of the most imperiled game species on the continent, according to WMI, which reports that quail have declined by 70 to 90 percent since 1966.
The quail study will concentrate on developing practices that could be used to improve crop land, pasture and pine and hardwood forests for quail habitat. The quail restoration plan also will seek to connect landowners to incentive programs that will assist them in managing their land for quail. The habitat draft proposal is scheduled for completion this fall.
- Arleasha Mays -
Managed deer hunt applications open July 1
Friday, June 15, 2001
Applying for managed deer hunts is as easy as making a toll-free call.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri deer hunters will find the application process for managed deer hunts simple again this year.
Paper forms and stamps disappeared from the managed deer hunt application process last year. Now, applications are processed through the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system or the Conservation Department's web page.
From July 1 through Aug. 15, hunters can apply for one of Missouri's 65 managed deer hunts by calling 800/829-2956 between 4 a.m. and midnight seven days a week or online at www.conservation.state.mo.us/hunt/deer/deertuk/manage1.htm.
To apply by phone you need the information contained in the 2001 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information booklet. The booklet will be available from hunting permit vendors statewide in mid-July. The information is available online now at www.missouriconservation.org under key words "seasons and regulations." If you don't have access to a computer, don't worry. There's no hurry. Applications received by the Aug. 15 deadline will receive the same consideration as those filed July 1.
To apply using the IVR system, you need a touch-tone telephone and your conservation identification number. Successful applicants will receive notices of their selection by mail. After Sept. 10, all applicants can check the status of their applications on the IVR system or the Conservation Department Web page using their Conservation I.D. numbers.
Only a Resident ($15) or Nonresident ($125) Managed Deer Hunting Permit is valid at a managed deer hunt. The number of deer that may be taken with a single permit depends on the hunt for which they are issued. In some hunts, up to three deer may be taken. Youth-only managed hunt applications will be handled on paper, as in the past. You can't apply for a youth deer hunt via the Internet or the IVR system. See the 2001 Fall Deer & Turkey Hunting Information booklet for details.
- Jim Low -
State's forests increasing
Friday, June 15, 2001
Nearly 1 million acres of forest land added in Missouri in 1990s
JEFFERSON CITY -- Missouri gained nearly a million acres of forest land from 1989 to 1999. A forest inventory being conducted by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) shows the state's forest lands have increased from 13.9 million acres to 14.6 million acres, or 5 percent, during the ten-year period.
The forest inventory tracks the status of forest lands at 3,500 locations across the state. The inventory operates on a five-year cycle, with information gathered annually on the number, size, quality and variety of trees at 600 sampling sites. The current inventory began in 1999 and will conclude in 2004. A new five-year cycle will begin in 2005.
In the past, inventories were conducted every 10 to 15 years. Conservation Department Forest Resource Economist Tom Treiman says a change was made in the sampling techniques to give more timely information regarding Missouri's forest resources.
"The new sampling technique gives us a way to consistently track forest trends," says Treiman. "Having accurate information on the health and size of our forest lands can help us manage them better. By knowing what's out there we can make informed decisions about harvesting trees."
Sampling plots are located on both private and public lands. That has caused some alarm among private land owners whose wood lots have been inventoried.
"Often people want to change the way they manage their wood lots because they see us inventorying them," Treiman says. "Some think we're looking at their trees because there is a problem, while others think we're looking at the trees because they are of extraordinary value. We prefer you don't react to the inventory. We're simply trying to track the status of the trees on your land."
Treiman says as encouraging as the increase in forest land appears, the preliminary figures reflect only a year's field work. As additional sampling plots are measured and analyzed, the acreage estimates will be more reliable and additional data about Missouri's forests will become available.
- Arleasha Mays -
Teal season Sept. 8-23; dove season to be continuous
Friday, June 08, 2001
Dove hunters again will have a 70-day continuous season starting Sept. 1.
JEFFERSON CITY --Missouri hunters will have a 16-day teal season and a 70-day continuous mourning dove season this year.
The Missouri Conservation Commission set early migratory bird hunting seasons at its meeting May 30, subject to final approval by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The early season for blue-winged, green-winged and cinnamon teal will run from Sept. 8 through 23, with daily and possession limits of four and eight, respectively. Teal shooting hours will be from sunrise to sunset. Dove season will run from Sept. 1 through Nov. 9, with daily and possession limits of 12 and 24. Shooting hours for dove will be one half-hour before sunrise to sunset.
Teal migrate earlier in the autumn than most other species of ducks and geese. The early teal season provides an opportunity to hunt these small, fast-flying ducks, most of which leave the state long before the regular waterfowl hunting season opens. State and federal officials try to schedule teal season so it closes before large numbers of other ducks and geese arrive at wetland areas. The opening day of teal season has been as early as Sept. 5 and as late as Sept. 13 in recent years.
Dove season also is scheduled with an eye toward maximizing hunting opportunity. In 1999, the Conservation Commission broke a long-standing tradition by splitting the 60-day dove season into Sept. and November segments. The idea was to make it possible for hunters to shoot doves opportunistically during the hunting seasons for quail and pheasant. Quail and pheasant seasons open November 1.
The split dove season received mixed reviews from hunters. The MDC return to a continuous season is a compromise to accommodate both those who want a longer dove season and those who want to hunt in November. Missouri's 70-day season makes it possible to hunt doves continuously throughout September and October and still have nine days of November dove hunting.
"The Department has received numerous concerns about the split-season format from hunters wanting to hunt doves in October," said Conservation Department Wildlife Research Biologist John Schultz. "This year's change will maximize opportunity for those who prefer to hunt doves during October and early November. This was the season format prior to 1989 and 1991 when bag limits were raised from 10 to 12 and from 12 to 15, with season lengths reduced from 70 to 60 days."
Other 2001 early migratory bird hunting seasons are:
Sora and Virginia rails: Sept. 1 through Nov. 9 (70 days); daily and possession limits 25.
Common snipe: Sept. 1 through Dec. 16 (107 days); limits--8 daily, 16 in possession.
American woodcock: Oct. 15 through Nov. 28 (45 days); limits--3 daily, 6 in possession.
- Jim Low -
RAM provides information about your stream
Friday, June 08, 2001
MDC and DNR to survey health of state streams
COLUMBIA -- Some Missouri streams are in for a checkup. In 2002 the Missouri departments of Conservation (MDC) and Natural Resources will begin the Resource Assessment and Monitoring, or RAM program to evaluate the health of the state's wadeable streams.
"RAM is a stream study program designed to determine the health of Missouri's wadeable streams and enable us to track trends in those streams," says Conservation Department Fisheries Research Biologist Steve Fischer. "It uses a standardized sampling protocol that will generate comparable data for evaluating stream health on a statewide basis. We haven't been able to do that in the past because sampling methods differed greatly from agency to agency and region to region."
The RAM program is designed to operate on a five-year cycle. The first phase of the project consists of data collection. Information will be gathered to learn the fish, aquatic insects, water quality, physical condition of the in-stream habitat and land use of each stream. The initial sampling will provide a baseline for determining short and long-term trends on the bodies of water. Evaluation of the data and publication of the study findings will be conducted in the second year of the program. Intensive watershed assessments will be conducted in the final three years of the project cycle. A new five-year cycle will begin in 2007.
Fischer says public involvement is critical to the success of RAM.
"There are two ways the public can get involved with this program," Fischer says. "We need public cooperation to access streams that are privately owned. It is in the landowners best interest to let us survey his or her segment of stream. The information we gather will not only help landowners better manage the streams along their property, it also will help us pinpoint problems occurring within the watershed. The second way the public can get involved is by helping us implement the programs we develop to address potential problems."
Phase one of RAM is scheduled for June through mid-September 2002. Three crews of biologists will gather data at more than 100 locations throughout the state.
- Arleasha Mays -
Commission to meet June 29 in St. Joseph
Friday, June 08, 2001
ST . JOSEPH, Mo. -- The Missouri Conservation Commission's next meeting will be June 29 at the Conservation Department's Northwest Regional Office, 701 NE College Drive in St. Joseph.
The Commission meeting will begin with a closed executive session at 8:15 a.m., with an open meeting immediately following.
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. Requests must be received by June 14. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements at the same address, or by phone at 573/751-4115.
Commissioners are: Randy Herzog, St. Joseph, chairman; Ronald J. Stites, Plattsburg, vice chairman; Anita B. Gorman, Kansas City, secretary; and Howard L. Wood, Bonne Terre, member.
- Arleasha Mays -
Zebra mussel shells found at Kansas power plant
Friday, June 01, 2001
State officials don't know yet whether live mussels are present.
KANSAS CITY, Mo.-- State officials in Missouri and Kansas are working to find out whether the discovery of zebra mussel shells at a municipal power plant means the exotic clam has established a new western beachhead in its ongoing invasion of United States waterways.
Workers at the Board of Public Utilities' Quindaro power plant found the shells May 16. They were lodged in a filter screen on a water intake pipe in the Missouri River. Because the facility is on the Kansas side of the river, they notified officials with the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. Kansas officials contacted the Missouri Department of Conservation with the news.
Conservation Department Fisheries Research Biologist Sue Bruenderman said the discovery of the shells in the Kansas City area isn't conclusive proof that the zebra mussel is established, but the possibility can't be ruled out. She said the development is alarming, but not surprising. According to Bruenderman, commercial barge traffic throughout the Missouri and Mississippi river watersheds provides a ready means of spreading the mussel, whose larvae are microscopic and can attach to any solid object.
A live zebra mussel turned up on a water intake in the Missouri River near Sioux City, Iowa, two years ago. Bruenderman said that thinking the exotic invader might skip over Missouri is just wishful thinking.
The Conservation Department is checking bridge pilings in the Kansas City area for signs of a developing zebra mussel infestation, and citizen Stream Teams throughout the state conduct monitoring for the exotic pest. However, should the zebra mussel become established in Missouri waters, Bruenderman said control options are very limited. "Prevention is the best hope, but it's probably only a delaying action," she said.
In rivers where zebra mussels have been established for several years, they cause ecological havoc, smothering native mussels and competing for food with other naturally occurring wildlife. Millions of dollars have gone into researching control measures, but so far nothing has been found to eliminate zebra mussels without harming other, desirable animals.
The Conservation Department, working at its hatcheries and with the Kansas City Zoo, is trying to establish refuges where native mussels can survive if and when their habitat is swamped by zebra mussels. The idea is to preserve these species until zebra mussel control methods are available.
Zebra mussels can cause enormous problems when they clog water intake pipes of power generating plants, municipal water plants and other utilities. They also damage boats, docks, buoys and other property on lakes and rivers. Removal is possible, but expensive. Industries around the Great Lakes spend an estimated $3 million per year to remove the mussels from their operating systems.
The invading mussels feed on plankton, the microscopic plants and animals that form the basis of the aquatic food chain. This puts them in direct competition with native mussels and young fish, including bass, bluegill and other popular sportfishes. Zebra mussels can attach to power boats' drive units and clog water intakes, causing damage to engines.
Zebra mussels arrived in the U.S. from Europe in the mid-1980s. They apparently first escaped into the St. Lawrence Seaway by hitching a ride in ballast water carried by oceangoing ships. After spreading across the Great Lakes in five years, they jumped from southern Lake Michigan into the Illinois River. Their spread downstream from there was easy. Biologists first documented zebra mussels in the Mississippi River in 1991.
Anglers can unknowingly transfer microscopic zebra mussel larvae to uninfested waters by filling bait buckets or live wells with water at an infested lake or stream and dumping it in another location. The greater the number of successful rides upstream, the greater the likelihood of these "hitchhikers" establishing themselves.
Missourians can slow the spread of the zebra mussel by draining all bilge water, live wells, bait buckets and any other water from their boats and equipment before moving from one body of water to another.
Boaters should dispose of leftover live bait and should inspect boat hulls, drive units, trolling plates, prop guards, transducers, anchors and trailers. Scrape off and trash any suspected mussels, however small. Remove all water weeds from boats and trailers. Flush boat hulls, drive units, live wells, bilges and their pumping systems, trailers, bait buckets, engine cooling water systems and anything that got wet with a hard spray from a garden hose.
If your boat and trailer were in infested waters for more than a day, take them through a
carwash and clean them with hot, high-pressure water. Dry boat and trailer for two to four days in the sun before launching it in a new area.
Running boats frequently helps reduce zebra mussel infestation. Small juvenile mussels are soft and are scoured off the hull at high speeds. If possible, avoid leaving outboard motors or the drive units of inboard motors in the water when not in use. Hulls and drive units should be inspected periodically and scraped free of mussels. Pumping hot water through engine intakes prevents zebra mussel growth in the cooling system.
Zebra mussel sightings should be reported to the nearest Conservation Department office. You can find information about what to look for in the "Summary of Missouri Fishing Regulations," available wherever fishing permits are sold. You can also get a copy of "Zebra Mussels Come to Missouri," a brochure available from Conservation Department offices statewide. Or visit the Sea Grant National Aquatic Nuisance Species Clearinghouse, www.entryway.com/seagrant/.
- Jim Low -
Free Fishing Days set for June 9 and 10
Friday, June 01, 2001
What could be better than fishing? FREE fishing.
JEFFERSON CITY -- Gear is all you need to enjoy fishing June 9 and 10. On those two days anyone in the state can fish at Missouri Department of Conservation areas and most other places without having to buy fishing permits.
The Conservation Department has designated the second weekend in June as Free Fishing Days. The idea is to encourage people to sample the Show-Me State's fishing resources. Requirements for special permits still may apply at some county, city or private fishing areas. Although Missouri residents and nonresident alike can fish without state permits on Free Fishing Days, all other fishing regulations remain in effect.
The Conservation Department and other organizations will sponsor fishing clinics and other events throughout June to help Missourians learn about fish and how to fish.
Saturdays in June are Family Fishing Days at Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center in Blue Springs. From 9 until 11 a.m., kids of all ages can cast lines at the nature center fishing pond. The nature center staff will provide fishing equipment and instruction. To register, call 816/228-3766.
Peer into the underwater world of Missouri's native fish species at Conservation Department Mobile Aquarium shows. The 3200-gallon aquarium will be at the Big River Festival at Washington State Park June 2 and 3, the Showboat in Branson June 8 through 13 and Fair St. Louis June 28-July 4.
Kids can gear up for free fishing days at the Kids Fishing Fun Day June 2 in Springfield. The event at Sportsman's Park Center Lake provides opportunities for youngsters ages 3 through 13 to receive professional instruction in fishing from 8 a.m. until noon. Participants must bring their own gear and register for the event. Youngsters may register at the Springfield Conservation Nature Center, Springfield/Greene County Park Board office or Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World.
Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery Conservation Center in Branson will host a Family Fishing
Fair from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. June 9. The event is designed to introduce beginners to fishing. Informational sessions on tackle, where to fish, catch-and-release fishing and cleaning and cooking fish are among the activities available. Members of the Branson Trout Unlimited chapter will give casting and fly tying demonstrations. The Fishin' Magicians comedy act will perform shows at 11 a.m and 1 p.m. Door prizes will be provided for kids.
The Eleventh Annual Leroy Rottmann Memorial Kids Fishing Clinic is set for 8 a.m. June 9 at Columbia's Twin Lakes Pavilion. Fishing equipment, bait and volunteers will be available to help parents teach youngsters to fish. Kids also can enjoy finger painting, exhibits and nature booths at the event. For additional information, contact Lorinda Cooper at 573/884-6861, extension 223. Cosponsors of the event include the Conservation Department, Columbia Parks and Recreation, Columbia Environmental Research Center and the Rottmann Family.
Learn fly fishing basics at Montauk State Park. Free fly fishing clinics will be held at 1 p.m. June 9 and at 10 a.m. June 10 at the Conservation Department hatchery.
This year, Free Fishing Days are being held in conjunction with the National Fishing and Boating Week Celebration. Check with your local Conservation Department office for details about programs in your area. Or visit the fishing section of the Conservation Department web page, www.missouriconservation.org.
Information on fishing opportunities, regulations and fishing techniques can be found at the Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation web site, www.nationalfishingandboatingweek.org.
- Arleasha Mays -
Conservation Department seeks reports of sick deer
Friday, June 01, 2001
Missourians are asked to help monitor the health of the state deer herd
COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation asks state residents to report sightings of listless, sickly-looking deer. Biologists are watching the deer herd for signs of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD).
CWD, mad cow disease and Cruetzfeldt-Jakob disease, which affects . humans, are known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs). TSEs result from mutated proteins called prions and cause a fatal degeneration, or wasting, of the brain. The disease is always fatal to animals that contract it.
There is no known link between CWD and the brain-wasting diseases which affect cattle
and humans. Furthermore, there is no evidence of CWD in Missouri. However, its presence in wild deer and elk in some nearby states has conservation officials taking precautions.
"CWD has been identified in wild deer and elk in Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, and it appears to be spreading slowly," said Wildlife Research Biologist Jeff Beringer. "We are monitoring the deer herd to enable us to quickly detect and address CWD, should it spread to Missouri."
Sightings of deer that are thin, appear weak, salivate excessively, have drooping ears and are unafraid of humans should be reported to the nearest conservation agent. Because CWD and several diseases affecting deer have similar symptoms, testing is necessary to determine the cause of illness.
Although there is no evidence that CWD can be passed to pets or humans, Beringer advises against handling sick deer. He also encourages hunters who harvest and process deer to take common-sense precautions, such as wearing rubber gloves. Since TSEs appear to affect the central nervous system of the afflicted animal, hunters also might want to avoid handling or eating deer brain or spinal tissue.
Efforts to monitor the state deer herd for CWD will include random testing of deer harvested during the 2001 deer hunting season.
- Arleasha Mays -
