Sunday, December 16, 2012

Missouri State Parks hosts informational meeting Dec. 20 at Big Oak Tree State Park

The public is invited to bring their ideas to an informational meeting Thursday, Dec. 20 at Big Oak Tree State Park near East Prairie. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. in the park’s shop building.

In addition to the park, the meeting will address services and operations for Towosahgy State Historic Site near East Prairie. Recent accomplishments at the park and site and future plans will be highlighted during the informational meeting. Topics will include continuing flood recovery, management plans, research projects, State Parks Youth Corps projects, programming and other issues that might affect the park and its management. Visitors are invited to share comments on services and operations for both Big Oak Tree State Park and Towosahgy State Historic Site.

This informational meeting is part of an ongoing effort by Missouri State Parks to ensure citizens have input on facilities and services offered in state parks and historic sites. People requiring special services or accommodations to attend the meeting can make arrangements by calling Hunter-Dawson State Historic Site at 573-748-5340 or Big Oak Tree State Park at 573-649-3149.

For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Missouri State Parks hosts winter hike and Christmas event Dec. 21 at Crowder State Park

Celebrate the first day of winter and the Christmas holidays at an event Friday, Dec. 21 at Crowder State Park near Trenton. Sponsored by Missouri State Parks, the event begins at 10 a.m. at the park office and is free and open to the public.

Bundle up and join park staff on a Winter Wonderland Hike on the first day of winter. After the hike, enjoy Christmas and nature stories and make a craft to take home with you. Reservations are requested and can be made by calling 660-359-6473.

Crowder State Park is located west of Trenton off Highway 6. For more information about the event, call 660-359-6473. For information about state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

MEETING OF THE MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Conservation Department Headquarters
2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, Missouri
Thursday, December 13, 2012 – 2:00 p.m. – Executive Session (Closed)
Friday, December 14, 2012 – 8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting
TENTATIVE AGENDA
(Background documents related to each agenda item are available for public viewing at Conservation Department Headquarters, Jefferson City, for eight calendar days prior to the meeting. Any person who would like to comment to the Commission about a specific agenda item must make a written request to the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting. Speakers will be limited to five minutes each and number of speakers may be limited. Recording the open meeting is permissible, pursuant to any guidelines established by the Commission to minimize disruption to the meeting. Individuals wishing to record the open meeting by audiotape, videotape or other electronic means should notify the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting so accommodations for such recording can be made.)
Thursday, December 13, 2:00 p.m.
Executive Session (Vote to go into closed session – reconvene open meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, December 14):
(1) Call to order and approval of minutes of previous Executive Session(s). (610.021 RSMo.)
(2) Consideration of supporting documentation for recommendation to suspend or revoke all hunting and fishing privileges of individuals who are juveniles or who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws. Action to be taken in open meeting. (Disclosure protected by law, 610.021(14), 454.440.9, 211.321, RSMo.)
(3) Consideration of confidential or privileged communications between the Commission and its Internal Auditor regarding work product. (Communications between public governmental body and its auditor, 610.021(17) RSMo.)
(4) Consideration of negotiated contracts. (Documents related to a negotiated contract, 610.021(12) RSMo.)
(5) Update on potential real estate transactions/negotiations. (Leasing, purchase or sale of real estate, 610.021(2) RSMo.)
(6) Consideration of legal actions and attorney-client privileged communications involving the Conservation Commission. (Legal actions, causes of action or litigation, 610.021(1) RSMo.)
(7) Consideration of recommendation relating to the hiring/firing/disciplining/promoting of personnel. (Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting, 610.021(3) RSMo.)
Friday, December 14, 8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting:
Opening Comments – Director Robert Ziehmer.
Approval of minutes of previous meeting.
Report of the Regulations Committee, which includes recommendations for the 1) 2013 turkey hunting seasons and spring turkey hunting brochure (with presentation by Resource Scientist Jason Isabelle), and 2) 2013 firearms deer hunting season dates.
Staff Presentations:
9:15 a.m. Fisheries Division Stretch Goals – Fisheries Division Chief Chris Vitello.
9:30 a.m. Comprehensive Conservation Strategy – Deputy Director Tom Draper and Wildlife Programs Supervisor Dennis Figg.
October and November Monthly Financial Summaries.
Major Construction Projects Completed and Status of Major CI-IT Projects Funded in FY13 Budget.
Consideration of bids received for the construction of the Hunnewell Lake Conservation Area Kettle Replacement Project located in Shelby County, and authorization to enter into a contract with the low bidder.
Staff Presentation:
10:45 a.m. August A. Busch Memorial Conservation Area Shooting Range and Outdoor Education Center Renovation – Outreach and Education Division Chief Mike Huffman and Design and Development Division Chief Jacob Careaga.
Awards Presentations:
11:00 a.m. Presentation of Awards:
· Clerical Employee of the Year Award – Tisha Holden.
· Workforce Diversity Award – Mary Scott.
Recommendations for approval to 1) accept the bequest of approximately 48 acres in Andrew County as an addition to the Nodaway Valley Conservation Area, 2) accept the bequest of approximately 241 acres in Bollinger County as an addition to the Amidon Memorial Conservation Area, 3) exchange 10 acres of the Castor River Conservation Area in Bollinger County for a 10-acre tract in Bollinger County as an addition to the Castor River Conservation Area, 4) purchase approximately 10 acres in Schuyler County as an addition to the Rebel’s Cove Conservation Area, 5) purchase approximately 36.48 acres in Dallas County as an addition to the Barclay Conservation Area, 6) purchase approximately 77.6 acres in Caldwell County as an addition to the Bonanza Conservation Area, 7) purchase approximately 157.53 acres in Bollinger County as an addition to the Castor River Conservation Area, and 8) purchase approximately 713 acres in Carter County as an addition to the Peck Ranch Conservation Area.
Recommendation for approval of personnel reclassifications.
Recommendation for approval to suspend or revoke 1) one or more hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of individuals for cause, 2) all hunting and fishing privileges of individuals who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws, and 3) one or more hunting, fishing and trapping privileges of individuals in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact.
Legislative Report.
Recommendation for approval of nomination(s) for induction into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame.
Recommendation for approval of the 2011-2012 Annual Report for the Department of Conservation.
Announcement of actions taken in executive session, if any.
Other matters of interest.
Confirmation that the next regular meeting will be held February 7-8, 2013.

Saturday, December 8, 2012

Santa Claus is coming to Dillard Mill State Historic Site Dec. 15

Missouri State Parks invites you and your family to meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus at Dillard Mill State Historic Site near Davisville on Dec. 15. This event will be held from noon to 2 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
Santa Claus is gearing up for his Christmas deliveries and has contacted Dillard Mill to grind up his special oats for the reindeer. During this time, Santa Claus will be handing out ornaments and candy canes to each child. Staff will be serving hot cocoa and home-baked cookies. Photo opportunities will be available so remember to bring your camera. Also remember to dress in warm clothing.
During this special event, formal tours will not be held. However, visitors will be able to walk through the mill with staff available to answer questions.
Dillard Mill State Historic Site is located five miles west of Viburnum and one mile south of Dillard off of Highway 49 in Crawford County. It is one of Missouri’s best-preserved examples of a water-powered gristmill. The mill, which has been restored to operational order, was built around 1900 and continued to grind grain until the 1960s.
For more information, contact Dillard Mill State Historic Site at 573-244-3120. For more information about Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Hunters check 15,000 deer during antlerless season

Two segments of Missouri’s firearms deer season remain.
JEFFERSON CITY–Hunters checked 15,136 deer during Missouri’s antlerless deer season Nov. 21 through Dec. 2.
This year’s antlerless harvest increased by 697 deer, a gain of approximately 5 percent over last year. Top harvest counties for the 12-day antlerless season were Camden with 553 deer checked, Benton with 518, and Callaway with 491.
Two portions of Missouri’s firearms deer season remain. The alternative-methods portion runs from Dec. 15 through 25, and the late youth portion is Dec. 29 and 30.
Besides increasing hunting opportunities, the antlerless season gives hunters and landowners a way of regulating local deer numbers. Those who want more deer can choose not to participate in the antlerless season, while those who want fewer deer can use the season to remove female deer from the population.
Missouri’s annual harvest of approximately 300,000 deer by firearms and archery hunters yields more than 10 million pounds of venison. Hunters consume most of this meat. However, hunters donate more than 300,000 pounds of venison annually to local food banks and other charities through the Share the Harvest program. Information about Share the Harvest is available at mdc.mo.gov/node/2544.
Missouri’s deer resource also supports 11,000-plus jobs and generates more than $1 billion in business activity annually.
Economic value aside, deer hunting is a cherished tradition that draws thousands of Missouri natives back home to share healthful outdoor recreation with family and friends.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

NASP world student-archery championship to be held in St. Louis

Courtesy Missouri Department of Conservation
More Missouri student archers expected to participate through MoNASP, which is funded and coordinated by MDC and CFM in partnership with Missouri schools and organizations.
ST. LOUIS, Mo – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) expects a spike in participation by Missouri student archers with the recent announcement by the National Archery in the Schools Program (NASP) that it will hold its 2013 NASP World Championship in St. Louis. The event will be held June 28-30 at the America Center and Edward Jones Dome, home of the St. Louis Rams.
Since NASP's beginnings in 2002, more than 10 million students have participated in the student-archery program through more than 10,000 schools in 47 states and five countries.
For the past four years, the NASP world tournament has been held in Orlando, Florida, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Walt Disney World. The world tournament has drawn student archers from 25 states, Canada, Africa and New Zealand.
According to NASP, the 2013 World Championship is being relocated to St. Louis because the location is more centralized and remains equally accessible for attendees from other countries. St. Louis also provides numerous off-site attractions and is more financially friendly to attendees. The new location also allows for more favorable scheduling for coaches, teams, and schools.
NASP expects approximately 2,000 student archers to participate in the 2013 NASP World Championship, including many from Missouri’s National Archery in the Schools Program (MoNASP).
MoNASP is coordinated and funded by MDC and the Conservation Federation of Missouri in partnership with hundreds of schools and supporting organizations throughout the state. MoNASP is an affiliate of NASP and promotes education, self-esteem, and physical activity for students in grades 4 through 12 through participation in the sport of archery. More than 56,000 Missouri students from 262 schools participate in MoNASP.
“We are incredibly excited for our MoNASP student archers about having the NASP World Championship in St. Louis,” says MDC MoNASP Coordinator Eric Edwards. “The new location will be much more affordable and convenient.”
Edwards adds that nearly all kids, regardless of age, size or physical ability, can succeed at archery.
“Kids love archery, and archery helps kids excel,” Edwards says. “School archery programs improve school attendance, increase participants’ self-esteem and physical activity, relate to learning subject matter, appeal to a great variety of students, get kids out-of-doors to discover nature, and can become a popular after-school activity.”
MoNASP will hold its 2013 state tournament at the University of Central Missouri in Warrensburg March 23.
For more information on NASP, visit archeryintheschools.org. For more information on MoNASP, visit mdc.mo.gov.

Saturday, December 1, 2012

Three state parks will close temporarily Dec. 8-9 for deer hunts


JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Deer hunters will have a rare opportunity to harvest a whitetail deer in three Missouri state parks during managed deer hunts to alleviate deer overpopulations on Dec. 8-9, Missouri State Parks announced today. During the hunts, the parks will be closed to everyone except the deer hunters.
By law, state parks are established as wildlife refuges and hunting is not permitted except under special circumstances. However, these special hunts are being used as a resource management tool because the deer population is too large for the environment of the park and resources in the park are being damaged.
Special hunts will be conducted Dec. 8-9 at the following parks:
  • Dr. Edmund A. Babler Memorial State Park in Wildwood.
  • Cuivre River State Park near Troy.
  • Watkins Woolen Mill State Park near Lawson.
The hunts will be conducted following guidelines established by the Missouri Department of Conservation, which regulates hunting of wildlife in the state. Hunters who will be participating submitted special applications this summer for the Department of Conservation's special managed hunts, which are held annually. Hunters were selected through a random computer drawing. Only those hunters who already have a special permit will be allowed to participate in the hunts.
“These hunts provide benefits for the hunters and for state parks. They provide hunters with a unique opportunity to help us manage the deer herd and provide protein for the family table, or for another family through the Share the Harvest program,” said Bill Bryan, director of Missouri State Parks, a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
Missouri State Parks administers state parks and historic sites throughout Missouri. All other state parks and historic sites, other than the three mentioned, will not be affected by the hunts and will remain open to the public.
For more information on Missouri state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com. Missouri State Parks is a division of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

10 Tips to Keep Your Outdoor Gear in Working Order and Well Organized

Camping Gear - It's expensive to buy, make it last. Maintaining and organizing your outdoor gear is crucial for ensuring it remains func...