Take Action to Fund LWCF and Maintenance Backlogs

This is a news release from Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, an organization, along with Conservation Federation here in Missouri, that help us protect the public land outdoor resources that we enjoy. Pleas consider supporting these organizations, and please consider contacting your Senators to solicit their support for this legislation.

In a show of bipartisan and bicameral solidarity, Sens. Manchin (D-WV) and Gardner (R-CO) and Reps. Joe Cunningham (D-SC) and Mike Simpson (R-ID) and many other senators and representatives introduced legislation, the Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA), addressing maintenance backlogs on public lands and ensuring full, dedicated funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the nation’s most popular and successful access and conservation program. 

 

GAOA would appropriate the full $900 million annually allocated to LWCF in addition to providing $1.9 billion annually through fiscal year 2025 to address the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and Bureau of Indian Education accumulating maintenance backlogs on roads, trails, facilities and aquatic structures. 

Hunters and anglers rely on access sites funded by the LWCF, which has supported projects in all counties across the United States. As hunter numbers decline nationwide – leading to a corresponding decline in license-based conservation funding – sportsmen and women cite a lack of public access as the single greatest impediment to time afield. We need LWCF to receive full funding to support hunters, anglers, and our $778-billion outdoor recreation economy.  

 

Last year, Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation that secures the future of LWCF. Now we have the opportunity to ensure that public land managers have the resources they need to responsively oversee critical lands and waters – and advance conservation and access projects that make our communities more livable, strengthen our economy and uphold our legacy of public lands, waters and wildlife.

 

GAOA is a big win for hunters, anglers, conservationists and other outdoor enthusiasts. Expanding funding allocations to other public land management agencies is essential in gaining broad stakeholder support. These agencies manage the public lands most important to hunting and fishing and face funding deficits due to crumbling infrastructure. We need to repair roads and bridges to enhance access and recreational opportunities on all public lands — not just on our National Parks Service lands.

Please join Backcountry Hunters & Anglers in supporting this critical effort. Contact your lawmakers today and urge them to support the Great American Outdoors Act!

FOLLOW THIS LINK TO CONTACT YOUR SENATORS

MDC seeks public input on towersites across central Missouri

Public can comment through Aug. 31 on draft management plan. 

COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is in the multi-year process of updating Conservation Area Management Plans and is seeking public input on how conservation areas are important to Missourians.  A draft management plan for the Department’s Central Region Towersites is available for public review through Aug. 31. To preview this draft management plan and share comments online, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans. 

Towersites provide MDC a means for detecting wildfires and allow the public limited access for hunting and wildlife viewing opportunities. Towersites covered in this management plan include Branch Towersite, Camdenton Conservation Service Center, Freeburg Towersite, Proctor Towersite, and Rocky Mount Towersite. 

Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover almost one million public acres for the purpose of restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife resources, and for providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources. Most Missourians are within a 30-minute drive of an MDC conservation area.

Conservation Area Management Plans focus on natural resource management and public use on conservation areas. The 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. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best incorporate them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional and state-wide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.

Related articles

• MDC invites youth to dove clinic and hunt at Prairie Fork Conservation Area Sept. 2-3 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Finding the right place to hunt on Missouri Conservation Areas - Adair County

SPECIES TO HUNT:

deer, turkey, squirrel, rabbit, pheasant, waterfowl, quail

Adair County in north-central Missouri

Adair County is in the northern-central region of Missouri, and has been part of the central location for Missouri's hottest region for deer hunters seeking trophy Missouri whitetails.  This status for the region has been placed in a small degree of peril by the CWD outbreak, but is still a good deer hunting location.  It is also a region where there are some other great options for hunting other species.

There are four conservation

Adair County CA's...for links click HERE

areas in Adair County, Union Ridge being the largest at almost 8,000 acres.  All four have good deer populations.  Big Creek comes in second at 1064 acres, followed by Montgomery Woods and Shoemaker at 348 and 259 acres respectively.

BIG CREEK CONSERVATION AREA

This area borders Thousand Hills State Park, ad is predominantly grasslands and savanna.

Hunting for deer and squirrel are considered good on this property, while turkey and rabbit just fair. To arrive at this location from Kirksville, take Business Highway 63 south 0.50 mile, then take Highway 11 west 1.70 miles, then take Route H north 1.70 miles, and take Rainbow Basin Trail west 1 mile.

If you get tired of hunting, there are several ponds with some decent catfish and bass fishing as well.

Here is a link to Big Creek Conservation Area on Google Maps.

MONTGOMERY WOODS

This area is a little less than 20 miles west of Kirksville.

Of the 348 acres in the area, it is nearly all forested with relatively rough terrain.  Deer, turkey, and squirrel hunting are all good at Montgomery Woods. This might be one of those areas that gets overlooked a bit because it's on the smaller size. Keep in mind that were this private lad, 348 acres is a pretty good sized chunk or real estate.

Here is a link to Montgomery Woods on Google Maps.

SHOEMAKER

Shoemaker is west of Kirksville, and a little east of Unio Ridge Conservation Area.

Of the approximately 260 acres at Shoemaker, all but about 10 are forested.  Deer, turkey, and squirrel hunting are all good here.  In terms of the size of this area, again, don't discount it as too small. Also, it might be a good alternative from Union Ridge, as it's close by and Union can get crowded during deer ad turkey seasons.

Here is a link to Shoemaker on Google Maps.

Union Ridge 

Union Ridge is the largest and best known conservation area in Adair County, and it gets crowded during certain hunting seasons. Because of its popularity, deer regs and perhaps others have been adjusted to handle the pressure it gets. We used to frequent the area ad have kind of put it on the back burner as of late. Having said that, it's a beautiful area and our tolerance level for company when hunting is very low.

There are lots of hunting options at Union Ridge. Deer, dove, rabbit, and squirrel are all good. Pheasant, quail, waterfowl, and turkey are fair.

Of the approximately 8300 acres, about 5400 are wooded while the rest is grassland, savana, old fields, etc.

We have had some great times here, ad it's probably worth a visit at some point if you like hunting northern Missouri. We would just advise advance scouting during deer season, and if willing to get away from trails and do some walking you will probably be okay.

Here is a Google Map of the area.

MDC offers private landowners payment for public use of land

Landowners can apply June 1 – July 15 for new program that pays them to allow public hunting, fishing, or wildlife viewing on enrolled private lands.

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is offering a new program to increase public access to private lands for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing. The Missouri Outdoor Recreational Access Program (MRAP) provides incentive payments to private landowners who volunteer to open their properties to the public for these types of outdoor activities. Additional incentives are also available to enhance wildlife habitat on enrolled lands. The program will focus mostly on enrolling lands in northern Missouri where public access opportunities are generally more limited.

Landowners can apply for MRAP starting June 1 until July 15. Approved landowners will be notified in August with enrolled lands becoming open for public use this fall.

Offered lands must meet eligibility requirements such as being at least 40 contiguous acres or at least a one-acre pond for fishing access. Land must also contain minimum amounts of quality wildlife habitat such as native grass fields, crop-field buffers, restored wetlands, or managed woodlands.

Thanks to grant funding through the USDA Voluntary Public Access and Habitat Incentive Program, the Department plans to enroll up to 10,000 acres statewide with emphasis on north Missouri. Tracts near major urban centers will also be targeted, as well as lands with abundant wildlife habitat.

Applying landowners may select one of six public-access options: All Access Hunting and Fishing, Small Game and Turkey Hunting, Youth Only Hunting and Fishing, Archery Hunting, Fishing Only, or Wildlife Viewing.

MRAP lands are open to foot traffic only and area users self-register at designated property entry points. Parking typically occurs along roadsides. Public access is only for types of use agreed upon by the landowner and posted at entry points. Participating landowners are offered liability protection under Missouri’s Recreational Use Immunity Law.

Annual payment rates will be determined by the access type selected by the landowner, amount of quality habitat available, committed participation length, and other factors. Most landowners will likely earn $15-$25 per acre each year they participate. Payment rates for fishing-only access will be on an adjusted scale and will be based largely on impoundment size or stream length.  

For more information and an MRAP application, visit mdc.mo.gov/mrap or contact local MDC staff. Find local MDC staff at mdc.mo.gov under LOCAL CONTACT.

Small Acres can be a big help for wildlife

Setting aside low production areas like field borders can make a big difference for wildlife such as rabbits and even deer. (MDC file photo)

The Conservation Department offers technical and financial assistance to private landowners.

DEXTER, Mo. -- It doesn’t take a lot of land to have a big impact on local wildlife populations according to the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC). Though the words “wildlife habitat” may bring to mind vast forests, tall timber and massive wetlands, MDC Private Lands Conservationist Kara McSpadden says setting aside low production areas like field borders can make a big difference for wildlife.

“Small areas like pivot corners and field borders are good places for farmers to develop habitat for quail, rabbits and even deer,” McSpadden said.

McSpadden’s been working with Steve Jackson, a row-crop producer from Cardwell. Jackson has numerous field borders and odd field corners that he’s transitioned into wildlife habitat. He’s planted native broadleaf plants, native grasses and scattered clumps of brush in these small areas.

“I have seen more pairs of quail and rabbits this spring than I have in years,” Jackson said, adding that it’s his goal to take his grandson on a successful quail hunt on the Cardwell farm someday.

“Many Bootheel landowners wish they had quality small-game hunting on their own family farm,” McSpadden said. “Steve has proven that even with a few acres, it is very possible.”

McSpadden added that the MDC has various programs to help fund wildlife habitat development on private land.

“Most of the land in Missouri is privately owned, so if wildlife habitat was only developed on public land, our wildlife wouldn’t have enough,” she said. “That’s why is so important that we work with private landowners on the ground and financially to help transition land into areas where wildlife can thrive.”

More information on financial and technical assistance for private landowners can be found online at mdc.mo.gov or by contacting a Private Lands Conservationist. McSpadden can be reached at (573)624-5939, extension 136.

Managing Missouri's Public Land for All

View towards the Saint Francois Mountains of the Missouri Ozarks from the top of Knob Lick Mountain. 

In an article in the June/July 2013 issue of "Outdoor Life," called "Silent Autumn,"

the author (Frank Miniter) details on a broad scale the issue of how public forests are being managed (or mismanaged) with regard to hunting.  He calls out Missouri as one of the states that is doing a better than average job in its management practices.  So today, I thought we would begin a series of articles exploring some of the issues facing land practices in Missouri.  Some of these issues, I am well-versed in.  Others will require extensive research and discussion with foresters from the Missouri Department of Conservation, United States Forest Service, as well as hunting groups, conservation groups, and environmental groups.

In other words, we recognize that there are diverse interests in how Missouri's

public lands can and should be managed.  The question is how are the lands being managed now?  Are there specific interests that are receiving the lion's share of consideration by management agencies?  If so, is this excessive consideration for one of the groups at the expense of the needs of the others, and specifically to the needs of the environment and wildlife populations.

It has been our experience for example that though the Missouri Ozarks region is

absolutely beautiful, perhaps the management practices are not ideal for deer, turkey, quail, and other game populations.  We engage in this process with an open mind, and will report what we find. 

We would love input from our readers.  If you have a specific thought on these matters, or an area you would like us to research, please use the comment section at the bottom of the page.  

Related articles

• Missouri landowners invited to Tree Farm Conference in Kirksville (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Five year Missouri poaching case against 46 ends in Federal Court (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Bushytails and bronzebacks are legal May 25 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Conservation Action April 2013 (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Hunting, fishing permits unavailable during computer maintenance (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)