Missouri State Parks attendance tops more than 18 million in 2012

Elephant Rock State Park 

Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that attendance at Missouri’s State Parksincreased in 2012, another sign of Missouri’s economic recovery. More that 18 million guests visited Missouri’s State Parks in 2012, the fourth consecutive increase in attendance since Gov. Nixon took office, reversing a 10-year decline in parks attendance.

“Whether you want to explore the great outdoors, or learn more about our rich history – Missouri State Parks have something for everyone,” Gov. Nixon said. “I encourage all Missouri families to come experience the beauty of the Show-Me State this year by visiting our state parks.”

Increased attendance at Missouri State Parks also strengthens our state’s economy. An economic impact studyfor the Missouri state park system released in 2012 reported that the total annual expenditure of state parks visitors in 2011 was approximately $778 million. The overall economic impact of these expenditures is estimated at $1.02 billion in sales, $307 million in payroll and related income, and $123 million in federal, state, and local taxes. Also, visitors’ expenditures support 14,535 jobs in Missouri.   

For information about state parks and historic sites, visit MO.gov.

Related articles

• White-Nose Syndrome confirmed in bat at Onondaga Cave (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Young male mountain lion trapped, released in Reynolds County

Image via Wikipedia

The 122-pound cougar turned up in a live-trap on national-forest land.

CENTERVILLE–The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) has examined and released a male mountain lion trapped by a private citizen in Reynolds County.

Reynolds County Commissioner Wayne Henson called Conservation Agent Eric Long this morning and reported catching the 122-pound mountain lion on Wednesday. Henson said the cat entered a large, cage-type live trap that he set on Mark Twain National Forest land to catch bobcats, coyotes, raccoons and other mammals.

Henson brought the mountain lion, still alive and in the cage trap, to Centerville this morning. Agent Long and MDC Resource Scientist Jeff Beringer took possession of the animal and transported it to Current River Conservation Area, where Beringer could examine the animal without disturbance. After weighing and measuring the cat and collecting DNA, Beringer released it to the wild, in keeping with MDC’s established policy for such cases.

Beringer estimated the cat’s age at 2 years. He said it was in excellent physical condition and showed no signs of having been held in captivity.

All wildlife is protected under the provisions of the Wildlife Code of Missouri. However, the Code provides for the taking of wildlife during prescribed hunting and trapping seasons and under other circumstances, such as when mountain lions are attacking or killing livestock or domestic animals or threatening human safety. MDC has not stocked mountain lions in Missouri and has no plans to do so.

MDC wants to learn more about mountain lions in the Show-Me State and encourages Missourians to report sightings to the Mountain Lion Response Team at mountain.lion@mdc.mo.gov. 

Related articles

• Mountain lion shot by landowner in Texas County (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• Wildlife restoration, unusual animal sightings top 2011 conservation news (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)

Schools invited to fight litter through “No MOre Trash!” contest

MDC and MoDOT sponsor “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter Free” trash-can contest.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – Missouri elementary, middle and home school students K-8 are invited to help in the fight against litter in the Show-Me State -- and to have creative and educational fun -- by participating in the 2012 “Yes You CAN Make Missouri Litter Free” trash-can-decorating contest. The annual contest is sponsored by the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) as part of the state’s “No MOre Trash!” campaign to raise awareness about Missouri's litter problem and to discourage littering.

Courtesy MDC

The contest encourages school classes and groups to join in the fight against litter by decorating and displaying a large trash can with the “No MOre Trash!” logo and a litter-prevention message using a variety of creative media. Schools may submit one entry in each competition category: K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Entries are judged based on creativity, adherence to contest rules and effective use of theme and logo.

“In addition to teaching kids about how litter hurts them, their families, community and the environment, first-place winners from each competition category receive $200 awarded to the sponsoring schools,” said MDC No MOre Trash! Coordinator Joe Jerek. “All first-place winners are then eligible for a grand prize of $600 awarded to the sponsoring school, and a trophy.”

Jerek added that there is no entry fee for the contest. Participating school groups must simply email a completed entry form and up to three photos of the completed trash can (with and without participating students) to nomoretrash@mdc.mo.gov. Email submissions are required. Deadline for entries is March 5.

“Littering isn’t just ugly, it hurts wildlife and the environment, it costs Missourians millions of tax dollars each year and it’s illegal,” Jerek said.  He added that MDC spends almost $1 million a year to clean litter from conservation areas and other department locations and MoDOT spends more than $5 million each year cleaning litter from Missouri’s roadsides.

Contest rules, entry forms, the “No MOre Trash!” logo, past contest winners, facts on litter and educational information are available at www.nomoretrash.org. For more information emailnomoretrash@mdc.mo.gov.

Related articles

• Whooping cranes pay rare visit to southwest Missouri (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• MDC needs hunter help with CWD sampling of harvested deer (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• MDC presents Master Conservationist award to Bill Crawford (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• MDC bans porous-soled waders to help protect trout waters from invasive algae (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)
• MDC to seek elusive answers about ruffed grouse (missourioutdoors.blogspot.com)