Put in your thoughts with MDC on SE Missouri Conservation Areas

Tywappity Community Lake is located in Scott County near Chaffee. The area plan for Tywappity Community Lake and Towersite is open for comment until Dec. 31. (Photo by Candice Davis)

CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. -- The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wants to know what Missourians think about its nearly 1,000 conservation areas around the state. MDC is in the multi-year process of updating management plans for conservation areas and invites public comments.

Draft plans for Tywappity Community Lake and Towersite in Scott County and Horton Farm Conservation Area and St. Mary’s Access in Ste. Genevieve County are available for public comment until Dec. 31. To preview draft management plans and share comments online, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.

Tywappity Community Lake is located in Scott County near Chaffee. The area consists of 147 acres of woodland and 37 acres of surface water. Management of the area is directed toward protecting the watershed and providing recreational facilities. A large grassy area near the lake has a pavilion, grills, and picnic tables. A boat ramp and privies are also provided.

Horton Farm CA is located in Ste. Genevieve County and provides opportunities for bird watching and hunting for deer, dove, rabbit, squirrel, and turkey. The area has over 500 acres of forest and woodland and over 100 acres of grassland.

St. Mary Access provides access to Old River, south of the junction of Highway 61 and Route U in St. Mary. The access provides a concrete boat ramp and fishing opportunities for bass, catfish, crappie and other river fish.

MDC invites comments from recreational users, neighboring landowners, conservation groups, elected officials, government agencies, and other interested persons or groups. To make a comment on this area plan, go online to www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.

MDC manages nearly 1,000 conservation areas covering almost one million public acres throughout the state for the purpose of restoring and conserving fish, forest and wildlife resources, and for providing appropriate public use, research and demonstration areas.

Conservation Area Management Plans document strategies for natural resource management and public use on specific conservation areas. Area plans also help communicate an area’s purpose and management direction to staff and interested citizens.

“It’s important that citizens have a chance to provide their input to their conservation areas,” said Rocky Hayes, MDC’s forestry regional supervisor for the southeast region. “We provide a service by managing these areas and we strive to develop quality habitat to promote wildlife health as well as outdoor opportunities for Missourians.”

Conservation Area Management Plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing and other area uses, which are set by the Conservation Commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri.

Area plans are currently posted on the MDC website and available at MDC offices for public comment for a limited time.

The enjoyments of activities on MDC conservation areas such as Pickle Springs CA help enrich Missourian’s quality of life. For more information on area plan comment periods go online to www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.