Missouri FFA/High School Trap Championship draws 850 students

LINN CREEK, Mo.  -- More than 85,000 shots rang out from the Missouri Trapshooters Association home grounds in Linn Creek on April 27 for the 26th Annual Missouri FFA and High School Trap Championship. More than 850 students from all over the state participated.

“Despite the rainy weather, we saw several perfect scores and many 99s,” said Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Education Outreach Coordinator Eric Edwards, who helped staff the event “We even had to have a shoot-off to decide placement in some divisions

because of all the 100-out-of-100 scores these kids put up today.”

Austin Harris of St. Charles, Nate Carl of Liberty, Jess Johnson of St. Charles, Jonathon Wolf of Washburn, and Taylor Kennemer of Logan all had perfect scores for the day, forcing a shoot-off to decide the top overall shooter. After an additional three rounds of 25 clay birds, Johnson from the Gateway Claybusters of St. Charles came out on top with a 175 for 175 score.

Top honors for the Ladies Division went to Cecilia Young of House Springs with a score of 99 out of 100. The top scoring team was Gateway Claybusters Team Orange with a score of 496 out of 500.

MDC provides scorers each year for this event to help the Missouri Trap Association produce one of the most popular shoots in the state.

“The dedication of these young people amazes me,” said Edwards. “Some are here just to have a good time and socialize with other kids from around the state, while others get very serious about the competition aspect. We had several shooters who will be going to college next year on full-ride scholarships to compete on a collegiate level in the shotgun sports.”

He added, “These outstanding youth along with their dedicated coaches, show that not only is Missouri a great place to hunt and fish, but a great place to enjoy shooting sports too!”

A complete list of scores can be found at http://www.motraps.com/2013youthINFO-HS.asp.

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Doniphan receives $10,000 to develop environmental project

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JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JUNE 23, 2011 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded Doniphan a $10,000 grant to reduce pollution from stormwater runoff at the city’s Quick CreekPark.

The Quick Creek Park Environmental Education Project will involve implementing conservation practices focused on reducing pollution from stormwater runoff.  The purpose of such an initiative will not only be to preserve and restore the environment, but also to focus upon education by involving school and community groups in the project.

The project aims to restore native vegetation such as trees, shrubs and native grasses and wildflowers to the site.  It will also demonstrate the effectiveness and ease of managing stormwater runoff using rain gardens, and develop a lawn nutrient management plan based on soil testing for proper fertilization of the athletic fields.

The community will be invited to participate in the project.  The city intends to involve school groups, construct outdoor learning classrooms and implement educational activities for community events such as Earth Day and Arbor Day.

These activities will educate residents, landowners, citizens and businesses about pollutants from stormwater runoff, and promote their involvement in best management practices in the watershed. They will also learn what technical resources are available to assist them in implementing such activities.

The city of Doniphan and partners will provide a match contribution of $6,670 during the life of the project bringing the total cost of the project to $16,670.  Contributing partners in this collaborative effort include the Doniphan High School, local civic groups, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Stream Team volunteers and the University of Missouri-Extension.  Projectcompletion is expected by April 30, 2013. 

            The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7 has provided partial funding for this project under Section 319 of the Clean Water Act.  The Department of Natural Resources’ Water Protection Program will administer the grant funds.  The department is committed to working closely with communities and businesses to assist with funding efforts that improve water quality in Missourias well as provide a financial savings.  For more information, contact the Water Protection Program atP.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102 or call 800-361-4827 or 573-751-1300.