MEETING OF THE MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Conservation Department Headquarters

2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, Missouri

Thursday, December 16, 2010 – 2:00 p.m. – Executive Session (Closed)

Friday, December 17, 2010 – 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 16, 2:00 p.m.

Executive Session (Vote to go into closed session – reconvene open meeting at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, December 17):

(1)        Call to order and approval of minutes of previous Executive Session. (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 recommendation relating to the hiring/firing/disciplining/promoting of personnel. (Hiring, firing, disciplining or promoting, 610.021(3) RSMo.)

(5)        Consideration of negotiated contracts. (Documents related to a negotiated contract, 610.021(12) RSMo.)

(6)        Update on potential real estate transactions/negotiations. (Leasing, purchase or sale of real estate, 610.021(2) RSMo.)

(7)        Consideration of legal actions and attorney-client privileged communications involving the Conservation Commission. (Legal actions, causes of action or litigation, 610.021(1) RSMo.)

Friday, December 17, 8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting:

Approval of minutes of previous meeting.

Consideration of the Report of the Regulations Committee, which includes recommendations for the 1) 2011 turkey hunting seasons and spring turkey hunting brochure, and 2) opening date for the 2011 Fall Firearms Deer Season.

Presentations:

9:00 a.m.         Protection Division Report.

9:15 a.m.         Update on Implementation of Key Components of Vacancy Management Plan.

9:45 a.m.         Volunteer Service Awards presented to Karen Dunkle, Anita Hammann, and Pam Jones for over 2,000 hours of service each at Runge Conservation Nature Center, Jefferson City.

Recognition of volunteer Jim Hawes from Burr Oak Woods Conservation Nature Center, Blue Springs, as recipient of the National Association for Interpretation’s 2010 Outstanding Volunteer Interpreter Award.

10:15 a.m.       Clerical Employee of the Year Award.

                        Workforce Diversity Award.

                        Employee Service Awards.

11:15 a.m.       Dr. Harry and Mrs. Lina Berrier, Show-Me Barbecue, Columbia.

Consideration of 1) Major Construction/Development Projects Status Report; and 2) October and November Monthly Financial Summaries. 

Recommendation for approval of personnel reclassifications; recommendation to to appoint a new staff representative to the Board of Trustees for the Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Trust Fund; and 3) consideration of Quarterly Update of Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Trust Fund.

Recommendations for approval 1) to accept the bequest of approximately 76 acres in Texas County as an addition to the Gist Ranch Conservation Area; 2) to convey approximately 0.18 acre of Settles’ Ford Conservation Area in Bates County to Bates County for replacement of the Grand River Lane bridge over the South Grand River; and 3) of a perpetual conservation easement on approximately 295 acres in Lawrence County.

Recommendations for authorization to advertise and sell 1) an estimated 1.6 million board feet of timber located on 659 acres of Compartment 19, Peck Ranch Conservation Area (MoFEP 7), in Carter County; 2) an estimated 1.7 million board feet of timber located on 529 acres of Compartment 4, Peck Ranch Conservation Area (MoFEP 9), in Carter County; and 3) an estimated 3.9 million board feet of timber located on 1,164 acres of Compartments 2, 8, 9 and 17, Current River Conservation Area (MoFEP sites 2-5), in Reynolds County.

Recommendation for approval to designate two new Missouri Natural Areas and one Missouri Natural Area addition. 

Recommendation for approval of the 2009-2010 Annual Report for the Department of Conservation, and authorization for publication and distribution.

Recommendations for approval to 1) suspend or revoke one or more hunting, fishing and trapping privileges of individuals for cause; 2) suspend or revoke all hunting and fishing privileges of individuals who are not in compliance with applicable child support laws; 3) suspend or revoke one or more hunting, fishing and trapping privileges of individuals in accordance with the terms of the Interstate Wildlife Violator Compact; 4) suspend or revoke hunting privileges of one individual who inflicted injury to another person while hunting; and 5) reinstate hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for one individual previously suspended for cause.

Legislative Report.

Announcement of actions taken in executive session, if any.

Other matters of interest.

Confirmation that the next regular meeting will be held January 27-28, 2011, at Jefferson City.

Firearms deer harvest continues to lag

With only the muzzleloader and late youth hunts remaining, this

year’s firearms deer harvest is likely to fall short of last year’s.

JEFFERSON CITY–Hunters checked 15,226 deer during the antlerless portion of Missouri’s firearms deer season Nov. 24 through Dec. 5, bringing the tally for the year to 217,281.

Top harvest counties for the 12-day antlerless hunt were Macon with 453 deer checked, Benton with 430 and Callaway with 401.

This year’s antlerless-deer harvest fell 31 percent short of last year’s figure. The decrease continues the trend set during the previous three portions of this year’s firearms deer season. In all, firearms deer hunters have checked 12,595 fewer deer this year than they had by this time last year, a decrease of 5.5 percent.

Two of the firearms deer season’s six portions remain. Hunters typically shoot 10,000 to 15,000 deer during the 11-day muzzleloader hunt and fewer than 2,000 during the two-day late portion of the youth hunt.

“Even with strong harvests in the muzzleloader and late youth portions, this year’s firearms deer harvest is likely to be smaller than last year’s,” said Resource Scientist Jason Sumners, a deer expert with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC).

Sumners attributes the decrease in firearms deer harvest so far this year partly to the abundance of acorns in some parts of Missouri. When acorns are abundant, deer do not have to move around as much to find food, and they are less likely to be concentrated around food sources. This makes them less vulnerable to hunters.

The muzzleloader portion of firearms deer season runs from Dec. 18 through 28. The late youth portion is Jan. 1 and 2. Archery deer and turkey season runs through Jan. 15.

For up-to-date deer and turkey harvest totals, see http://bit.ly/gkk1fG.

-Jim Low-

Elk Foundation to help fund Missouri elk restoration

Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is making good on its pledge of financial support.

JEFFERSON CITY Mo – A national elk-conservation group whose support for elk restoration in Missouri dates back more than a decade is making good on its promise to financially support the current restoration effort.

Tom Jones, Senior Regional Director for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), says the group already has raised enough money to begin paying for construction of an elk holding pen in Kentucky. The pen will hold elk during a precautionary quarantine period before they are relocated to Missouri.

“We are very grateful to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation for its long-standing support of elk restoration in Missouri,” said Department of Conservation Director Bob Ziehmer. “Now that we are ready to move forward, the RMEF has wasted no time putting resources behind the effort.”

Ziehmer said partnerships between government and citizen conservation groups make it possible to achieve things far beyond their separate means.

“It is a model that has proven successful time and again and is responsible for America’s greatest conservation success stories,” said Ziehmer.

The RMEF, headquartered in Missoula, Mont., invested $61,123.50 to provide financial support for elk restoration in 2000, when the Missouri Conservation Commission first considered the idea. The Commission shelved the original plan in 2001 over concerns about adequate elk habitat and chronic wasting disease. In October of this year, the Commission approved a revised elk-restoration plan that addresses these concerns. The RMEF immediately began fundraising efforts to help implement the plan, and those efforts continue.

“Our volunteers and membership have worked tirelessly over the last 26 years to raise money to ensure the future of elk, other wildlife and their habitat,” said Jones. “What a tremendous conservation accomplishment this will be to restore elk back to the Show-Me State after a 150-year absence. The Elk Foundation is proud to be able to step forward and actually put money ‘on the ground’ for this project. No doubt, our strong volunteer core and membership base will continue to work hard to raise additional funds to leave this important wildlife legacy.”

Missouri’s restoration plan calls for releasing up to 150 elk in a 346-square-mile area spanning parts of Shannon, Carter and Reynolds counties. The Conservation Department selected this limited restoration zone because of extensive public lands, suitable habitat, low road density, minimal agricultural activity and landowner support.

Construction of a holding pen in Kentucky will begin later this month. Trapping of elk is expected to begin in late December or early January. Trapped elk will remain in the Kentucky holding pen to meet the health testing protocol. Once in Missouri, they will be kept in a holding pen at Peck Ranch Conservation Area (CA) to allow them to acclimate to the area. Construction of the pen at Peck Ranch will take place in January. If all goes according to plan, the first elk could be released into the wild at Peck Ranch CA in late April or early May.

“It is very exciting to see these plans moving forward,” said Department of Conservation Resource Scientist Lonnie Hansen. “We are confident that we have adequately addressed all the concerns about elk restoration, and many Missourians are excited about the prospect of having this native animal back in Missouri after an absence of more than 100 years.”

The elk-restoration plan is available at http://bit.ly/i6Pxhy.

-Jim Low-

Antlerless Season Coming to a Close in Missouri

The antlerless portion of the deer season draws to a close in a couple of days and for many Show-Me -State hunters, that will end their deer hunting endeavors for the year.  Of course if you are a muzzleloader hunter or a bow hunter, your season still has quite a bit of life left in it.

The muzzleloader season runs from the 18th of December to the 28th and the archery season runs until January 15th.  I have been saying it now for a couple of years, but this will be the year I pick up archery hunting. The bow season is something that has enticed me for several years now.  With my youngest headed off to college next year, there will be more free time anyway.  Besides, with two in college, there might be a real necessity for that venison!

It has been a rewarding deer season for us and we hope it has been for you as well.  As it winds down, we start thinking about Winter trout fishing and even start thinking ahead for the next deer season.  If you will be out this weekend, be careful and we hope you get a chance to harvest a deer to fill that freezer.

If you are ready to start thinking about some Winter trout fishing, check us out over at Family-Outdoors Winter Trout.

Enhanced habitat for threatened fish, improved driving conditions for Dallas County residents: Recovery Act bridge replacement project complete in Southwest Missouri

Image via WikipediaThe U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service celebrates today the completion of a new bridge within the Osage River Basin that will enhance habitat for the Federally threatened Niangua darter and improve driving conditions for Missouri drivers. The Service's Columbia Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office (FWCO) worked cooperatively with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to replace the Benton Branch river crossing over the Niangua River in Dallas County using funding provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Fly fishing for Trout in Missouri

The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies Releases a Literature Review on the Benefits of Outdoor Skills to Health, Learning and Lifestyle

Image by familymwr via Flickr

WASHINGTON, DC — The Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies today released a white paper Benefits of Outdoor Skills to Health, Learning and Lifestyle: A Literature Review
documenting the contributions of outdoor skills and wildlife-related outdoor education to health, learning and lifestyle in general and fishing and hunting participation in particular.

Research into the benefits of outdoor skills education highlights the valuable contribution they make to personal health and wellbeing. When young people are able to connect with the outdoors regularly, the positive outcomes are profound. They are happier, healthier from the physical exercise, effects of attention-deficit disorder are reduced and they score higher on standardized tests when natural environments are integrated into school curricula.

Outdoor skills activities such as hunting and fishing provide opportunities for the connection of individuals with nature (the natural environment), direct connection with other people (interpersonal) and with themselves (personal). Specifically, the benefits of these connections lie in the strength and placement of these connections from the leisure context to everyday lives.

This comprehensive report draws on research from adult learning, education (i.e., adventure, boating, conservation, experiential, hunting, fishing, outdoor, physical and wilderness), health, leisure, recreation, sport, therapy, and at-risk-youth to highlight the evidence of the positive contributions of outdoor skills education on hunting, fishing and other outdoor activities. The white paper includes abstracts for 99 documents; highlights some best practice outdoor skills education programs delivered by state fish and wildlife agencies and other partners; and offers recommendations for consideration when developing new or updating existing outdoor skills programs.

Highlighted Research Findings – The Benefits of Taking It Outdoors:

• A growing body of studies suggests that contact with nature is as important to children as good nutrition and adequate sleep: time spent outdoors correlates with increased physical activity and fitness in children; exposure to green space reduces crime, increases general wellbeing and ability to focus; children as young as five have shown a significant reduction in the symptoms of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) when they are engaged in outdoor activities in natural settings. Research indicates that there could be reductions in crime as a result of outdoor education.
  
• Interpersonal and intrapersonal skills developed through engaging in nature-based activities in meaningful ways represent some of the main benefits of outdoor skills education.
  
• The benefits that result from participating in outdoor activities can be enhanced through appropriate facility provision and access to natural resources as well as the design of outdoor skills education programs that work towards specific objectives.
  
• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has found that children who are more active outdoors and hang out outdoors tend to engage in greater physical activity as youth and later as adults.

Overall, the literature implies the need to adopt a broader-based conception of health from a holistic ecological perspective that moves beyond human physical and mental health to one that includes familial, communal, national, international and global ecological health.  Active living is crucial to healthy lifestyles and leads to potentially greater participation in fishing and hunting.

The report was developed by the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies’ North American Conservation Education Strategy under contract with Cottrell & Associates: Environmental Consulting. Designed by experts from state fish and wildlife agencies, the North American Conservation Education (CE) Strategydelivers unified, research-based Core Concepts and messages about fish and wildlife conservation, translated into K-12 academic standards to shape students’ environmental literacy, stewardship and outdoor skills. The Core Concepts identify what every citizen should know, feel and do related to fish and wildlife conservation.

Funding for the report was provided by the Multistate Conservation Grant Program, which is supported through special excise taxes on hunting, shooting, archery and angling equipment, a tax on boating fuels and license fees paid by America’s hunters and anglers.

> Download the Benefits of Outdoor Skills white paper

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The Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies —the organization that represents North America's fish and wildlife agencies—promotes sound management and conservation, and speaks with a collective voice on important fish and wildlife issues. Found on the web at www.fishwildlife.org .

Eagle Fun!

By Liz Lyons, Conservation Education Supervisor

For those of us who love the outdoors, cold weather means opportunity—the annual chance to see bald eagles right here in the St. Louis area. In 1782, the bald eagle was formally adopted as our national emblem. At that time, experts believed there were probably as many as 20,000 nesting pairs of bald eagles in what is now the United States.

Over the next 200 years, however, those numbers dwindled. Bald eagles were victims of human encroachment, habitat destruction, environmental contamination, and poaching. The bald eagle population was so small, that in 1978 the federal government declared the bald eagle an endangered species.

From 1981 to 1990, the Missouri Department of Conservation, in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Dickerson Park Zoo, released 74 young bald eagles in Missouri to reestablish them as nesters. Efforts such as these paid off—bald eagles recovered dramatically. In 1995, the bald eagle’s status in the U.S. was changed from endangered to threatened. Today, the bald eagle is considered fully recovered.

The Missouri Department of Conservation holds several Eagle Days events to celebrate the return of the bald eagle throughout the state. These events are often co-sponsored by other agencies, offer children’s activities, and are free to the public. Take a couple of hours, bundle up the kids, and head to an Eagle Days event near you.

St. Louis Eagle Days is held at the Old Chain of Rocks Bridge, I-270 and Riverview Drive, January 15 & 16, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information on this event, visit www.confluencegreenway.org/eagledays.php
For information about other Eagle Days events in the state, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/programs/eagle-days