Vol69 no6 2008

MISSOURI

Wildlife

NOVEMBER 2008 VOL. 69, NO. 6

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NEWS & ISSUES

Conservation License Plates WILDLIFE CONSERVATION

Missouri Endangered Species REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

Go Green For The Holidays CFM HOLIDAY WREATHS Place Your Order

VIEW FROM THE STONE HOUSE

MISSOURI

Wildlife

The Rut

November 2008 Vol. 69, No. 6

ne of my favorite outdoor activities this time of year is to sit alone in a tree and watch whitetail bucks as they search for does. Anyone who does this in the right place and at the right time will certainly come to appreciate that the rut is a very big deal for a buck. All the thoughtfully provided mineral supplements, green browse, food plots and carefully managed forest the landowner can provide, the fruits of which have been miserly accumulated by every buck in the neighborhood, get spent in a matter of days. They run and they run and they run. Every square inch of their territory is patrolled and protected constantly and vigorously. The bucks seem to not eat or sleep for days and days. It is their way.

Spring seems to always catch me unaware. One minute it is winter with bitter cold, dreary landscapes and virtually non-stop darkness. Suddenly, it is pleasant to be outside, colors brighten everything with early green up and showy blossoms. Day light comes early and stays late. There is an obviously furious tempo to the outdoors. Everything happens so fast, it seems impossible to keep up with it all.

This year fall seems exactly that way to me. So much going on in our world and at such a feverish pace! Harvest has already progressed across much of the Missouri landscape. Baseball is over.

Football now has its day. Basketball is already underway. This being a big election year, news and advertising are chock full of things for each of us to consider and try to understand. Even in our magnificent land, with the greatest economy in the history of our planet, too many of us face serious financial challenges. The axiom to “think globally and act locally” has an ominous ring to it these days.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to share a couple of hours with our Grand-

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niece, a spritely 16 month old. She brightened the house with giggles and sprinted from room to room in our old house in the pure delight of new discovery. By the way, she blazed along a few hundred yards of the KATY Trail, as well. For her as for the buck aforementioned, these are the best of times. These are, in fact, the only times they know.

One day may our Grandniece fondly remember fleeting bits of good feeling from times she has had with us. I guarantee you the buck recognizes that right now is what counts and his every decision and action may be life or death.

A wise old mentor once taught me that “during the best of times there are folks going broke and during the worst of times there are folks getting rich.” His point being that our every decision has importance. And we must use our wits and abilities to deal with things as they are. I encourage you to use your best judgment in the upcoming elections. I have every confidence that the innovative, solution oriented approach we outdoors folks employ in our pursuits of outdoor passions will steer us right. Be aware that no matter who wins an election, we will have to find ways to work with them to secure the future of the outdoors. The future of forests, fish and wildlife, hunting, fishing, trapping and wildlife watching has always been clearly in our hands. It always will.

I cannot know what the future holds, exactly, but I take great confidence in facing that future with you! Thanks for your generosity and support in good times and in challenging ones. Our world is a better place and has many, many strengths that did not exist during the Great Depression. We now have an abundance of game species in Missouri.

Our forests cover more acreage now that most anytime in history. Our agriculture vastly outperforms the “good old days.” Infrastructure of roads is well developed and already in place. Com-

OFFICERS Glenn Chambers President Mike Schallon First Vice President Duane Addleman Second Vice President Dan Zerr Secretary Randy Washburn Treasurer STAFF Dave Murphy Executive Director/Editor Lynne Jensen Lampe Design & Production Laurie Coleman Membership Associate/ Managing Editor Micaela Haymaker Office Manager Amy Buechler Teaming With Wildlife Coordinator

pared to the 1930’s we now have cleaner air, cleaner water, and much, much better soil conservation. There are literally hundreds of citizen conservation organizations in Missouri, which did not exist in the 1930’s. Ours is now a land of plenty with natural resources occurring in high quality and great abundance.

The solutions to most of our problems will have their origins in the land and how we care for and nurture it. The best of times are yet to come! Thanks for always being part of the solution as we have met many challenges at CFM. For more than 73 years we have sought and found those solutions together and brought them to life. Thanks for always keeping Missouri outdoors and CFM as priorities for your investments of time and money. Missouri is a much better place for your generosity, your efforts and vigilance. May the holidays bring joy to you and yours. May 2009 bring untold opportunities and good fortune for each of us and for CFM. Enjoy the rut!

Dave Murphy Executive Director, CFM

Missouri Wildlife is the official publication of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, Affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation.

ISSN 1082-8591

728 W. Main Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 Phone • 573-634-2322 Fax • 573-634-8205 Email • dmurphy@confedmo.org Online • http://www.confedmo.org

MISSOURI WILDLIFE (USPS 012868) is published bimonthly in January, March, May, July, September and November for subscribers and members of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559. Of each member’s dues ($25 minimum) $5.00 shall be for a year’s subscription to Missouri Wildlife. Periodical postage paid at Jefferson City, MO. and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to MISSOURI WILDLIFE, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559.

COVER: Passing on the tradition. Photo © Glenn D. Chambers, 2008.

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PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Resources Of All Kinds: How Do We Use Them? ccording to Webster’s College Edition, New World Dictionary of the American Language, the word RESOURCE applies to any thing, person, action, and so on to which one turns for aid in time of need or emergency.

One need not look very far these days to see that RESOURCES are extremely important in today’s critical world situation!!! From FINANCIAL RESOURCES to NATURAL RESOURCES to HUMAN RESOURCES, we are well aware of the importance of these RESOURCES to our very survival. The most prudent among us are very concerned about our own RESOURCES and how best to protect and make the best use of them.

Even the common critters we encounter every day have concerns about the RESOURCES that are at their disposal and the importance of those RESOURCES to their survival.

An Example: It was a cold, gray, windy, winter afternoon. Darkness was approaching with temperatures hovering in the lower 20s and a chilling rain that had just changed to pelting sleet. Jeannie and I were sitting at the kitchen table awaiting dinner (dove casserole) that was simmering in the oven.

From the sliding glass door that leads to our deck in the back yard, we watched a gray squirrel laboring intensely in an effort to build a nest in a giant hickory tree in

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the nearby woods. Nothing was going right for the squirrel—high wind, dismal atmospheric conditions, slippery tree trunk and wet nesting material.

The squirrel had chosen an open crotch about 40 feet above ground as a location for the nest. The bowl where it had hoped to lodge the nest was about a foot in diameter. The squirrel, through trial and error, had figured out that leaves were not enough to support the future home. After several tries with leaves, which instantly blew away, it decided to try using sticks to anchor a platform.

Ice-covered branches meshing with icecovered tree trunk was definitely not the solution.

We watched as darkness approached and the squirrel made absolutely no progress. But the little fellow was incredibly tenacious, never giving up. It would haul a limb—that was all that it could possible pack—up to the fork of the trunk, try to situate it in the bowl, and watch hopelessly as it released it and the wind immediately blew it away back to the ground. The squirrel would crawl all the way back down to the ground, retrieve the same branch, crawl all the way back up the icy trunk to the chosen location, try to deposit the branch in the bowl and the second it released the branch—ZOOM, away it went, tumbling back to the forest floor below!!! This sad scenario continued into the dusk.

As Jeannie and I prepared to enjoy our dinner, I went to the kitchen sink to wash my hands. From our kitchen window, we have a view of a squirrel nest box made of cypress lumber that has hung there in a white oak tree for years. Through the years, it has been the nursery for a number of litters of baby squirrels (two litters, spring/fall 2008). It has occupants almost continually, both summer and winter.

As I peered through the window into the gloomy darkness, I could see a gray squirrel situated inside the nest box, looking out and protesting. And clinging to the overhang of the roof of the box I could see another gray squirrel desperately begging to gain entrance to the warmth inside. I can only assume that it was my little friend that had tried desperately to build its nest in the fork of the big hickory.

I do not know the outcome of the

encounter at the nest box, but knowing gray squirrel behavior, I doubt that the “beggar” was successful in gaining entrance to warmth and safety inside the box that night.

LESSON LEARNED—BOTTOM LINE!!! SHAME ON ME!!!

Under the deck, below the dog kennel, believe it or not, was not ONE but TWO squirrel nest boxes. I had the RESOURCES to provide winter refuge for that squirrel AND another one. All I had to do was to have taken the time and have gone to the effort to have mounted those two boxes in the backyard trees. And on my fall “TO DO” list, you guessed it, HANG TWO SQUIRREL NEST BOXES BEFORE WINTER!!!!

We all have RESOURCES. Some more than others. But we all need to GUARD OUR RESOURCES carefully—especially in times like we are experiencing now.

One of our greatest and most precious RESOURCES is our YOUTH. Take some time and invest in our YOUTH. You will be happier for it and they will benefit.

SO—-make it a point to go outside at this most beautiful time of the year. Be careful and courteous. Enjoy all the great opportunities that are available out there, and YES, take a YOUTH hunting or fishing, or just go for a hike in the woods.

Glenn D. Chambers President, CFM

Conservation Achievement Awards Deadline Approaches The Conservation Federation of Missouri is pleased to announce that nominations are being accepted for the prestigious Missouri Conservation Achievement Awards. Each year the CFM recognizes individuals and organizations in Missouri for their outstanding achievements in conservation.

We wish to acknowledge personal efforts and award each recipient for actions that have lead to a significant conservation success during the calendar year. CFM Conservation Awards are presented in the following categories: Conservationist of the Year Conservation Communicator of the Year Forest Conservationist of the Year Air Conservationist of the Year Professional Conservationist of the Year Conservation Educator of the Year Water Conservationist of the Year Business Conservationist of the Year Affiliate of the Year

Youth Conservationist of the Year Hunter Education Instructor of the Year Wildlife Conservationist of the Year Soil Conservationist of the Year Conservation Organization of the Year Any resident of Missouri may be nominated for a Conservation Award. All clubs, including but not limited to CFM affiliates, are eligible for consideration. Anyone may submit an application.

CFM, 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101. The deadline is December 31, 2008.

For detailed information on the CFM award categories, check out our website at www.confedmo.org. Winners will be the special guests of the CFM at the Annual Meeting of Delegates, February 27 at the Lodge of Four Seasons.

2007 Conservationist of the Year Vincent Travnichek receiving his award from CFM President Glenn Chambers.

To nominate someone for an award simply write their name, address and occupation on a nomination form along with your name, address and the specific category in which you are nominating the individual or club. You must include a statement, no longer than three pages typewritten, detailing the nominee’s contributions to conservation during the calendar year. Send the application to

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FOREST FROM THE TREES

Get Your Property Certified In The Tree Farm Program! n October, 2007, our farm became certified in the Missouri Tree Farm Program. This year, in Missouri Wildlife, we have run a series of articles recounting why and how this came about. This is the sixth and final installment in our story.

We have earlier reported on the many benefits to our forest, to our resident wildlife and to our family resulting directly and indirectly from our active management efforts. We are well on the way to meeting our overall objective from the start, of creating and maintaining a productive, healthy and sustainable forest. In fact, our forest continues to improve in all three of these aspects with each additional management action we put into practice.

So why is certification in the Tree Farm Program important? Why is it important to our family? Why is it important to wildlife? Why is it important to our forest? I hope to wrap up this discussion with compelling arguments, which we consider absolutely irrefutable, for earning Tree Farm certification.

First, what sorts of properties are eligible for certification? Your property must have at least 10 acres of forest, and no more than 20,000 contiguous acres.

You must have a qualified written management plan. Your management practices must comply with federal, state and local laws. You must give consideration for air, water, and soil quality, for conservation of fish, wildlife and biodiversity.

You must give consideration to visual impacts of your forestry practices. You must recognize historical, biological, archeological, cultural, and geological sites. Your timber harvests, forest operations and reforestation efforts must all be responsible. These all fit OK for us, and I expect, could work for most well managed forest properties. It is amazing to me that fewer than 1,000 forest properties are certified in Missouri.

Second, why is certification important to our forest? In a nutshell, because meeting all the requirements for certification is the most direct path there is to ensuring a productive, healthy and sustainable forest! You must have a written plan. You must actively and responsibly manage. Meeting these essential requirements translates directly into improvements in your forest.

Third, why is certification important

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to wildlife? Because a forest under management for productivity, health and sustainability will provide more and better food, cover and water for wildlife.

Acorn and fruit production in the stands of timber making up our forest is now many, many times what it was before we began. Overstocking, crowding and stifling of growth and productivity of our best acorn, nut and fruit producing trees has been virtually eliminated. Food abounds. There is much, much more cover for all kinds of wildlife now. The biodiversity referred to in the Tree Farm certification requirements has been enhanced by our management efforts, not diminished.

Finally, why is certification important to our family? Certainly it is a point of pride for us to have achieved this level of stewardship. We are proud that our efforts and investments have produced a forest which exceeds the requirements for certification. But there are plenty of direct benefits of certification, as well.

Certification meets international standards of sustainable forest management.

Today this means access to markets for timber, forest products and, perhaps in the near future, carbon credits. Certification by the American Tree Farm System is now the most universally available and least expensive way to become eligible for participation in marketing carbon credits. A really important immediate benefit to us is all the information.

Training, technical tools, in some cases forestry equipment and chemicals, professional advice all may be accessed via certification. Check out the accompanying advertisement! Call them up! Go to there website! Get moving on this, and I promise you one thing‌your property will be worth more for your efforts.

After all, the more you invest in anything, the more you can expect to get out.

Dave Murphy Executive Director, CFM

CFM Notecards make a great gift!

Order on page 13

The health of America’s private forests depends on you

American Tree Farm System ÂŽ promotes the sustainable management of forests through education and outreach to family forest landowners. For information about how you can become a part of the Tree Farm program contact the Missouri State Tree Farm Committee @ 573-634-3252 or visit www.treefarmsystem.org

NEWS AND ISSUES A COLLECTION OF STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE

New Bald Eagle License Plate Available Missourians have a new way to display their support for conservation: a bald eagle conservation license plate, offered by the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation.

Missouri wildlife artist Al Agnew donated the eagle artwork from his painting “Spirit of Freedom.” The dramatic image helps demonstrate Missouri’s role in national conservation efforts.

“Bringing our national symbol back as a year-round resident to states where it had disappeared is something Americans can celebrate,” said Foundation Executive Director Rick Thom, “And bald eagle conservation efforts in Missouri are a significant part of this success story.” In 2007, bald eagles were removed from the federal endangered species list, with more than 10,000 pairs of the birds nesting in the U.S., and about 150 nests in Missouri.

Conservation Heritage license plates let you become a driving force for conservation. Now you can pay for them at any Missouri state hunting or fishing permit vendor, including Conservation Nature Centers and most Missouri Department of Conservation offices. For a $25 tax-deductible donation to the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation, the vendor will give you a “Conservation License Plate Emblem Use Authorization Form.” The form serves as a voucher that is needed to order an eagle, bluebird or white-tailed deer conservation specialty plate from a Department of Motor Vehicle office. Stock and per-

sonalized plates are available.

The Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation directs license plate sale donations to conservation efforts statewide. Conservation License Plate Emblem Use Authorization Forms can also be ordered online at www.mochf.org or by calling 1-800-227-1488.

2008 Operation Clean Stream Event Partners Operation Clean Stream extends a special thanks to its sponsors, donors, and cooperators who provided the funding, resources, and energy necessary to make the 41st Annual Operation Clean Stream in the Meramec River Watershed a success. This partial list excludes a number of Big River, Bourbeuse River, upper Meramec River, and St. Charles County partners and donors.

SPONSORS

The Open Space Council The Monsanto Fund Great Rivers Greenway District PARTNERS

Anheuser-Busch Companies The Home Depot Ozark Outdoors Missouri American Water Boeing Employee Community Fund Veolia Environmental Services ANNUAL COOPERATORS & DONORS

Alpine Shop Ameren U.E. Beaufort Lions Club Big River Clean Stream Members Boeing Employee Community Fund Bourbeuse River Clean Stream Members Boy Scouts of America

City of Arnold City of Bourbon City of Brynesmill City of Fenton City of Kirkwood City of Pacific City of Union City of Valley Park City of Wildwood Coleman Chiropractic Coleman Group Doerr Family Earth’s Classroom Fire Districts of: Eureka, Metro-West, Pacific Springdale, St. Clair & Valley Park Gateway Long Spurs Grey Eagle Distributing Co. High Ridge Rotary Club Home Depot House Springs Lions Club Jefferson County Government Joe Brinkman & Friends Krispy Kreme Lambert Field Rod & Gun Club Larry Cain, Twin Rivers Stream Team Larry McDaniels & Friends Lions District 26-A1 Med-Tech Group Inc. Marvin Behnke & Friends McDonalds Stores Meramec River Recreation Association Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District Mid Missouri Canoe Association Missouri American Water Company Missouri Department of Conservation Missouri Department of Natural Resources Missouri Division of State Parks Missouri National Guard 220th – Engineer Battalion (Festus) Missouri Sportsmen for A Clean Outdoors Missouri River Relief Missouri Stream Teams Missouri Whitewater Association Nan Corcoran & Friends Northern Ozark River Partnership (NORP) Ozark Area Council American Youth Hostels Ozark Chapter Sierra Club Pepsi Cola Company Ponceroli Cuisine Purcell Tire Company Radeackar’s Market Roger Taylor & Friends Sam’s Club Schnucks Shaw Nature Reserve St. St. St. St. St.

Clair Chamber Commerce Louis Audubon Society Louis County Canoe Club Louis Co. Parks & Recreation Dept.

Charles Co. Greenway Network

St. Louis-Jefferson Solid Waste Mgt. Dist.

Starbucks Upper Meramec Clean Stream Members Huzzah & Courtois Valley Park Lions Club Wal-Mart

WGNSS Wyman Center GE Employees Many Other Unlisted Cooperators

Welcome CFM New Members Butch Anderson, Hannibal Barbara Baird, Rolla Rick & Suzanne Baker, Saint Louis David Bolinger, Warsaw Charles Bracken, Wentzville Donald Bray, Springfield Timothy Brooks, Louisiana Kevin Buerge, Garden City Kyle Christensen, High Ridge Scott Darrough, Hillsboro Mike & Linda DeChristina, Dittmer Quinten Denney, Parkville Chris Ebeling, Wyaconda James Elliott, Columbia Scott English, Saint Charles Matthew Enk, Saint Louis Scott Faiman, Columbia John Ferguson, Auxvasse David Fisher, Shawnee Mission, KS Lloyd Ford, De Soto Eddie & Rita Glatzel, Saint Clair Bob Haltenhof, Ballwin Rada Hardin, Sierra Vista, AZ Joe Hardy, Fayette Flossie Harles, Saint Louis Charles H’Doubler, Springfield C. Stephen Heying, Ashland Chuck Hillemann, Bonne Terre Dolores Houska, Pacific Patrick Irwin, Ballwin Michael Jablonowski, Villa Ridge JC Car Care Inc., Saint Charles Bruce Kelly, Saint Ann Joel Klonowski, Warrensburg Mary Knickmeyer, Saint Louis Greg Landrum, Saint Louis C. Clark Leonard, Salem Bill Lovelace, Saint Louis Daniel May, Saint Louis Jeffrey Maynard, Springfield Vincent Mazzola, Arnold Edith Murray, Columbia John Napoli, Villa Ridge Roger Obrecht, Wright City Mark Phillips, Saint Louis William Piper, Saint Louis Jim Platner, Anderson Scott Plegge, Maryland Heights Jerome Richards, Aurora Rob Ryba, O’Fallon Fern Schwede, Saint Charles Ryan Spence, Saint Louis Harold Stinson, Eureka Steven Tillman, Kansas City Lee Usina, Bonne Terre Kelly Werner, Sturgeon Paul White, Rolla Brent Wood, Joplin Keven Wormington, Saint Charles Dan Zerr, APO, AE

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TEAMING WITH WILDLIFE

Conservation Opportunity Areas A Good Place To Start Get Involved With A Team Near You! pportunity knocks! As part of Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy, Conservation Opportunity Areas (COAs) designate some of the best places in the state to conserve all wildlife. COAs include places you are familiar with (the Current and Eleven Point Rivers, Prairie State Park, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge) and also places that are just as important to wildlife, but less familiar statewide (LaBarque Creek Watershed, Mystic Plains, Missouri River Hills).

A broad partnership of conservation organizations and agencies used scientific data to select these COAs. Now, locally led partnerships are driving activities in many COAs across the state. I recently had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with the Niangua Basin COA team in Lebanon.

The Niangua Basin COA includes lands surrounding the Niangua and Little Niangua Rivers, including Bennett Springs State Park, Ha Ha Tonka State Park and Lead Mine Conservation Area. The area is known for its spring-fed streams and potential for healthy, open woodlands.

The COA team is currently made up of representatives from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), Missouri Department of Natural Resources, The Nature Conservancy, Audubon Missouri, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, County SWCD/NRCS, Ozark Regional Land Trust and the American Bird Conservancy.

Recent work in the Niangua Basin COA includes the replacement of three low water stream crossings with clear span bridges. This project was made possible with a variety of funding partners, including USFWS, Missouri Conservation Her-

MDC

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Niangua stream crossing before the bridge.

Niangua stream crossing after the bridge.

itage Foundation, FEMA, County Commissions and MDC. The replacement of these three bridges means that 30 miles of additional stream habitat are now available for fish like the federally threatened Niangua Darter.

The Niangua Basin COA team is currently working to increase woodland management within the COA to benefit woodland wildlife including Ozark Swallowtail butterflies, Whip-poor-wills, Summer Tanagers, Orchard Orioles, Wild Turkey and Plains Spotted Skunk.

If you live near the Niangua Basin COA, one of the best ways to get involved is to join the new Master Naturalist Chapter that will be starting in Camdenton in Spring 2009. This program is an adult community-based natural resource education and volunteer service program sponsored jointly by the Missouri Department of Conservation and the University of Missouri Extension. For more information on the Master Naturalist program, contact Syd Hime, Missouri Department of Conservation (573-751-4115) or visit www.monaturalist.org.

Conservation of Missouri’s natural

resources is too big a job for any one agency or organization. Businesses, organizations, hunters, anglers, birdwatchers, and outdoor enthusiasts all have a role to play. Watch future issues of Missouri Wildlife for more opportunities to

get involved in a COA near you!

For more information on Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy (including COAs), visit: www.wildlifeactionplans.org/missouri.html.

Teaming With Wildlife is a national coalition of organizations and businesses in support of additional dedicated funding for fish, forest and wildlife conservation and related education and recreation.

Teaming With Wildlife supports implementation of Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy. To add your organization or business to the Teaming With Wildlife Coalition, please visit www.teaming.com/action.

Amy Buechler Teaming With Wildlife Coordinator, CFM

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AGENCY NEWS

DNR Ombudsman Program Celebrates 3rd Anniversary Staff Has Visited More Than 6,000 Communities he Missouri Department of Natural Resources established the Ombudsman Program in August 2005 to help strengthen the department’s relationships with Missouri’s communities, businesses and individuals; to facilitate communication between staff and Missourians; and to make technical and financial assistance readily available to those who need it. Through the program, an ombudsman is located at each of the department’s five regional offices and the department’s Division of Geology and Land Survey Office in Rolla and operates independently from these

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offices and the department’s other divisions.

In the three years since inception of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Ombudsman Program, the department’s ombudsmen have completed more than 6,000 site visits. Many of these visits have focused on assisting communities. Kansas City Regional Ombudsman Judy Bowman is working with Missouri City in Clay County, for

Conservationists For Life ($1,000 Contribution) Charles Abele, Saint Louis R. Philip Acuff, Saint Joseph Duane and Nancy Addleman, Springfield Richard Ash, Saint Charles Carolyn Auckley, Jefferson City Dane Balsman, Perryville Jim Tom Blair, Saint Louis Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau Glenn Chambers, Columbia Ron Coleman, Saint Albans Mark Corio, Columbia John Enderle, Kelso Mr. & Mrs. Andrew Fleming, Columbia Howard & Sara Fleming, Moberly Mr. & Mrs. Matt Fleming, Moberly Dave Kolb Grading, Saint Charles Gray Manufacturing Company, Saint Joseph Gery Gremmelsbacher, Saint Louis Herman Hanley, Grain Valley Allan Hoover, Pleasant Hill Larry & Joan Hummel, Glencoe Don Johnson, Festus Roger & Debbie Johnson, Humansville Duane & Cosette Kelly, Independence Sara Knight, Charlotte, NC Carl Kurz, Leawood, KS Ann Kutscher, Jefferson City

Jay Law, Saint James Gerald Lee, Kansas City Joel LeMaster, Fulton Norman Leppo, Saint Louis John Lewis, Columbia Leroy Logan, Arnold Chip McGeehan, Marshfield Cynthia Metcalfe, Saint Louis David Murphy, Columbia Dean Murphy, Jefferson City Abe Phillips, Saint Louis Gerald Ross, Jefferson City Mike Schallon, Ballwin Timothy Schwent, Jackson M.W. Sorenson, Columbia Charles & Winnie Stribling, Mexico Mary Stuppy, Joplin Mark Sullivan, Jefferson City Tim Thompson, Saint Charles Barbara VanBenschoten, Kansas City Lee Vogel, Kansas City Al Vogt, Columbia Randy Washburn, Jefferson City Stephen Wilson, Hartsburg Dick Wood, Saint Louis Howard Wood, Bonne Terre Robert Ziehmer, California

When will you add your name to the list?

CFM Life Membership Application Name: _____________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________ Phone: _______________________Email:_____________________________ Payment Method (circle one):

Cash

Check

Credit Card _______________________________ Exp. Date:__________

example, to identify ways the department can assist the city with efforts to preserve its historic main street and to secure low-interest loans that would enable the school to make energy- and cost-saving upgrades. Northeast Regional Ombudsman Don Summers recently provided information to Otterville city officials regarding training and technical assistance for the city’s new drinking water system operator.

Southeast Regional Ombudsman Jackson Bostic worked closely with staff in our agency and the Missouri Department of Economic Development to secure financial assistance that enabled a community to repair failing sewer equipment. Mike Alesandrini, St. Louis regional ombudsman, was contacted by a small community that needed to upgrade its wastewater treatment plant to continue to meet the demands of its growing population in a way that would protect local water quality. Because the project required working with different parts of the department, city officials found the process confusing. Alesandrini worked with the city and other staff in the department to get the project back on track.

Speaking with businesses about environmental programs is another important function of the ombudsmen.

Southwest Regional Ombudsman Carrie Smith met with staff at Harry Cooper Supply about a cooperative that’s designed to recycle wall-mounted mercury thermostats. As a result of the meeting, Harry Cooper Supply employees established collection bins and printed and distributed flyers to promote availability of the program. In all, the ombudsmen have met with 102 heating, ventilating and air conditioning contractors and wholesalers to encourage participation in the cooperative.

Through personal visits, ombudsmen

have helped promote the department’s Tire Dump Roundup Program, which allows private property owners to selfreport tire dumps on their properties and have them cleaned up for free.

Ombudsmen also visited 177 salvage operations to encourage participation in the End of Life Vehicle Solution Program, or ELVS, a program designed to help salvage yards remove mercury switches from scrap vehicles before recycling them.

The ombudsmen facilitate dialogues between the department and private citizens as well. The ombudsmen and I have held 108 town hall meetings with more than 1,670 Missourians across the state. Southwest Regional Ombudsman Dave Woolery worked with other department staff to help disseminate information to the local media about the potential impact of a regulatory change on a local creek and to organize a town hall meeting to discuss the issue.

Central Missouri Ombudsman Jim Froelker has attended several electric cooperative annual meetings to distribute information about reducing home heating and cooling bills and gasoline costs to the cooperatives’ customers.

Across Missouri, ombudsmen have met with more than 30 co-ops to discuss energy issues.

The department’s Ombudsman Program is part of a broader departmental initiative to promote compliance assistance, which is aimed at helping Missouri’s businesses, communities and private citizens to prevent environmental mistakes.

Other components of this effort include Environmental Assistance Visits and improvements to the department’s Web site. The department recently added a Community Assistance Portal at www.dnr.mo.gov/assistance/ and an online Environmental Concern Form, www.dnr.mo.gov/concern.htm. I’m proud to report that these efforts have been successful. The ombudsmen have heard more than 1,000 positive comments about the department and its staff during the course of their work, which I believe is evidence that Missourians feel comfortable approaching our department for assistance with environmental issues. For more information, visit the department’s Web site at www.dnr.mo.gov/ombudsman.htm.

Doyle Childers Director, Department of Natural Resources

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SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES

Forest Management Using The Missouri Mule t the recent 2008 Wurdack Farm Field Day, the words “Gee” and “Haw” could be heard among the sounds of excited high school students from around the state who had fun watching a logging demonstration using mules. Mr. Todd Martin, with Martin Logging & Sawmill out of Steelville put his two big mules Kit and Kate through their paces as they showed over 450 students how they move logs from the woods to a decking area. Mr. Martin is using his mules to help researchers at MU’s Department of Forestry clear a site for the restoration of shortleaf pine and the evaluation of genetic families produced from seed collected 25 years ago as part of Missouri’s Tree Improvement Program. He explained that mules and other animals have been used since the late 1880’s to move timber from the woods to the sawmill.

Mules can be very cost effective in today’s economic times. Each of Todd’s mules weighs about 1,600 pounds, yet consumes only about 10 pounds of a corn/oats mix each day. And, they don’t burn diesel, need hydraulic fluid checked, or require lubrication and other daily maintenance that conventional rubbertired skidders need. The mules leave a light touch on the land in terms of minimizing the area impacted by skid trails that would otherwise be present during conventional rubber-tired skidding operations. Mules can be steered closely to the log and have the unique ability to go-

DUSTY WALTER

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Missouri mules Kit and Kate welcome the adulation of interested Vo-Ag students at the recent MU Wurdack Farm Field Day.

around trees that are to be left thus minimizing damage to the future forest. With the advent of the log carriage, the butt end of a log can now be lifted off of the ground using a small electric winch reducing the plow effect caused by skidding on the ground. Mules are very intelligent animals and can be taught to drive a carriage in about 2 to 3 months. However, mules to be sent to the woods have considerable more training because of the innate dangers associated with logging.

According to Todd,“a good pair can sell for $2,500 to $15,000”. In most cases a good pair of mules can pull out about 3,000 to 5,000 board feet per day depending upon the size and density of the timber. On average logging jobs Todd indi-

TIME TO GET YOUR TICKETS FOR THE BIG CFM GUN DRAWING! $20 each • 3 for $50 • 7 for $100 • Only 1,500 tickets will be sold Tickets and money due at CFM on or before February 15, 2009 Drawing to be held at CFM Annual Convention on February 28, 2009 Each winning ticket will be re-entered. One ticket could win all 12 guns!

• Benelli Super Black Eagle II, Camo 12ga semi-auto • Ruger Hawkeye, 7mm cal Mag bolt-actionw/ Nikon 3-9x40 scope • Savage 12 FV, .223 cal bolt-action, bull barrelw/ Bushnell Banner 6-18X50 scope • TriStar Field, 12ga over-under, 28” barrels • Thompson Center Encore, .25-06 single shot rifle

• • • • •

Beretta 390, 12ga semi-auto, 28” barrel FNP 40 Stainless, .40 cal semi-auto handgun Benelli Nova, Camo 12ga pump-action Henry Golden Boy, .22 cal lever-action Savage 17HMR, .17 cal, thumbhole stock bolt-action • Ruger Single Six, .22 cal, single-action revolver • Ruger 10/22, .22 cal, digital Camo, semi-auto

All these great firearms, made available by our partners at Bass Pro Shops, will be on site for your inspection at our January board meeting in Branson and at our Annual Convention at the Lodge of Four Seasons.You may also buy tickets from CFM board members or from the CFM office in Jefferson City while they last. Drawing to be held Saturday night, February 28, 2009, at CFM Banquet. Need not be present to win.

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cated that two pair of mules will be used, and that they anticipate loading two tandem truck loads of wood a day. However, a great deal of the efficiency of mule logging depends on the terrain and the distance to the log deck.

In spite of the fact that conventional skidders are faster, Todd keeps about 10 pair of mules, and additional draft horses, on hand to meet the desires of landowners on specific logging jobs and for use during inclement weather. Todd likes the mules during the winter months when wet, icy weather would normally side-line a conventional wheeled skidder. The mule can negotiate these difficult environmental conditions while minimizing damage to the site. Todd’s mules were chosen because

they reflect the character of the famous “Missouri Mule”. These mules are hardy and also withstand working in Missouri heat better than draft horses. They both were bred from a Mammoth Jack Mule and a Percheron mare. Kit and Kate stand 16.3 hands high, but in the minds and hearts of the students who watched them perform they stood much taller.

John Dwyer University of Missouri School of Natural Resources, Forestry Department Dusty Walter University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry

AGENCY NEWS

Back From The Brink issourians have an impressive record of leading the way in keeping wildlife healthy. The latest example is the removal of three species (bald eagle, barn owl and fox snake) from the Missouri Endangered Species List. This isn’t a vague reference to some esoteric enterprise. It’s based on hard-won successes in keeping Missouri a state rich in life of all kinds.

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Bald eagle.

In September, the Missouri Conservation Commission voted to declassify the bald eagle, the barn owl and the western fox snake from the state’s Endangered Species List. Including that reduction, the new total of state-listed species is 53 animals and 10 plants.

“So what?” some people might wonder.

The truth is that keeping our outdoors healthy is a hard won effort done in acreby-acre increments to help species by species. In some cases, it includes national efforts that pay off locally.

The latest delistings reflect a mix of reasons. Conservation Department Endangered Species Coordinator Peggy Horner said the bald eagle’s declassification comes on the heels of a change in the bird’s national status. The bald eagle’s decline in Missouri had several causes. The primary problem was habitat loss due to clearing of forests. Unregulated shooting and poisoning by the insecticide DDT played roles, too. From 1962 through 1981, the ShowMe State did not have a single known successful bald eagle nest.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency banned DDT in 1972, and aggressive enforcement of laws protecting bald eagles enabled restoration efforts to succeed. Between 1981 and 1991, the Conservation Department worked with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Dickerson

Park Zoo of Springfield to bring 74 wildhatched eaglets from states with thriving populations. These birds were placed in artificial nests, called hack boxes, where they matured and took their first flights.

The goal was to establish a foundation of eagles with strong ties to their fledging sites.

The strategy worked so well that Missouri now has more than 150 active bald eagle nests, and that number is doubling every five years or so. The Conservation Department keeps records of all known nests, but with the rapid increase in nest locations, it relies largely on citizen reports to catalog them all.

“The bald eagle definitely meets the requirements for delisting,” said Horner.

“We need to know that a listed species is not likely to become extirpated and that the population is stable or increasing, with limited threats. That is true of the bald eagle in Missouri. We intend to keep a close eye on our eagles and ensure that they continue to thrive.”

The barn owl also meets these requirements, but its story is slightly different.

These unusual birds inhabit open grasslands prairies, marshes and agricultural areas. From 1986 to 1992 the Conservation Department had been able to gather only 11 reports of barn owl nests. By this year, 90 nests had been identified.

“Barn owls probably always have been rare as permanent residents here,” said Horner. “We have been finding a surprising number in the Mississippi Lowlands, where clearing of dense forests for agriculture actually has created new habitat for them. They don’t do well in dense forests.

Their populations fluctuate widely, but the only part of the state where you almost never find them is the Ozarks.”

In addition to finding more barn owl nest sites, Horner said the Conservation Department is seeing more nest sites in new areas and large broods.

The barn owl is still protected under the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The bald eagle’s protection continues under the federal Bald and Golden Eagle Act. The first two species are removed from the Missouri Endangered Species List are birds. The third is a snake. The western fox snake was proposed for listing as a state endangered species in 1990 and listed in 1999. This species inhabits wet prairies and marshes, and originally was known only from a handful of sites in extreme northwestern and northeastern Missouri.

MDC PHOTOS

Keeping Missouri’s Wildlife Healthy

Top photo: Barn owl. Bottom photo: Western fox snake.

Threats initially identified included habitat loss and illegal collecting. Horner said the listing was a precautionary measure to ensure the fox snake was not lost before Missouri could develop a recovery plan.

“Subsequent surveys revealed populations on public and private land in 10 Missouri counties,” she said. “Several of those were previously unknown populations.

Missouri is at the southwestern edge of the fox snake’s North American Range, and we have concluded that the species probably never was common here.”

The Conservation Department decided to delist the fox snake because populations in Missouri seem stable and secure. It is found in eight other states and is locally abundant around the Great Lakes.

To prevent collection of fox snakes as pets, the Conservation Commission added them to the list of species whose taking is prohibited. The Commission also added the dusty hog-nosed snake and the Kirtland’s snake to the list.

Keeping Missouri wildlife healthy isn’t a static effort. What’s doing well today may be in trouble tomorrow. The challenge for those with a will to conserve is to keep an eye on healthy habitats—on making sure we have suitable places for a mix of wildlife to live.

The movie Field of Dreams revolved around the idea that “if you build it they will come.” That’s not so far off from the reality of keeping nature healthy in our state. Restore a prairie? Create places for prairie chickens and Henslow’s sparrows.

Keep a wetland growing? Make way for king rails and bald eagles. Conserve lands around a cave? Keep underground streams clean enough to sustain Ozark cavefish.

Wildlife conservation isn’t just an idea.

It’s an action that Missourians choose to make happen every day.

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Jim Low News Services Coordinator, MDC W I L D L I F E

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Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club Accepting Entries ollowing a transition period to a new leadership structure, the Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club (MSMBBC) is back in business. A backlog of nearly three years of record entries has been processed, and the club is now accepting new entries. MSMBBC has established a regional coordinator program to assist the public with record entries and locat-

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ing measurers. Please contact the regional coordinator in your area for club details. Inquiries regarding past or pending entries may be directed to Mr. Larry Lueckenhoff, Central Region Coordinator, or Mr. Bradley Harriman, Kansas City Region Coordinator.

MSMBBC recognizes trophy whitetailed deer harvested or found in Missouri, in both the typical and non-typical categories. In addition, the club recognizes shed antlers in both categories. Minimum entry scores for trophy records are 140 inches for typical

entries, 155 inches for non-typical entries, 60 inches for typical shed entries, and 70 inches for non-typical shed entries. Entry fees are $20 for trophy entries, and $15 for shed antlers, and include a certificate and entry packet as well as lifetime entry of the trophy in the club records.

As the club is still undergoing transition activities, the Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club website is still under construction, and currently not available to the public. Plans include both a public site and a private site for mem-

bers and measurers. The website will provide information relative to measuring events, measurer location, club records, photos, and more. MSMBBC merchandise will also be available for purchase when the public site becomes active.

We thank you for your patience during this transition period to the new Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club.

Good Hunting!

Larry Lueckenhoff Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club

Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club Regional Coordinators Northeast Region Coordinator Bradley Ream 11764 State Hwy 5 Unionville, MO 63565 (660) 933-4700 reamx5@nemr.net

Northwest Region Coordinator Martin Marks 24751 Hwy P Bigelow, MO 64437 (660) 442-5332 martin.marks@mdc.mo.gov

Central Region Coordinator Larry G. Lueckenhoff 13110 Route B St. Thomas, MO 65076-2137 (573) 477-3552 lueckenhoff@embarqmail.com

Kansas City Region Coordinator Bradley R. Harriman 715 S Colby Ave Marshall, MO 65340 (660) 886 6654 bharriman@yahoo.com

Southwest Region Coordinator Kevin Asbury Rt 4, Box 4150 Cassville, MO 65625 (417) 847-2210 fishunt@earthlnik.net

St. Louis Region Coordinator John Detjen Jr. 323 Oakwood Dr. Troy, MO 63379 (636) 338-4114 jdetjen@centrytel.net Ozark Region Coordinator David Nance PO Box 200 Grandin, MO 63943 (573) 714-4011 bowbender@semo.net

Southeast Region Coordinator Ronnie Gadberry 228 Mohawk Ln. Perryville, MO 63775 (573) 547-2301 rgadberry@stoneresourcesconsulting.com

Hunters and Measurers: Please contact the Coordinator in your area regarding trophy entries into the Missouri Show-Me Big Bucks Club.

Club Minimum Entry Scores: Typical—140 inches • Non-Typical—155 inches • Typical Shed—60 inches • Non-Typical Shed—70 inches

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2nd Annual Sporting Clays Event a Success ugust 16 was a blast, literally.

A good crowd showed up on a gorgeous summer day and had a great time shooting targets to help raise money for CFM. Last year it rained and only a few die-hards showed up to shoot. This year the sky was baby blue and the temperatures were in the low 80’s; very unusual for mid-August in Missouri. We hosted 62 shooters and raised about $5000. We had hoped to raise more money but this was a big improvement over last year. Bass Pro Shops was again a major sponsor and we are indebted to them

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for their partnership with this and other CFM events. Many CFM board members donated money for prizes which helped attract more shooters this year and we sincerely appreciate those of you who contributed. Thank you very much for your continued support.

Kevin and Barb Pickett, the owners of River Hills Sporting Clays where we held the event, did another wonderful job hosting us. The club house is spacious and the river hills provide a scenic backdrop for outdoor events. Kevin set challenging but fun targets and Barb

handled registration and the myriad jobs associated with a successful event.

We thank them for all they did and continue to do for CFM. It takes a lot of people to run an event and our membership rose to the challenge. The office staff handled registration and helped get shooters out on the course in a timely manner. Members from as far away as St. Louis showed up to help with important tasks of preparing lunch for hungry shooters, manning the silent auction, selling gun raffle tickets and throwing targets and scoring for the shooters. We couldn’t

have done it without them and we sincerely appreciate their help. This was truly a team effort and we thank everyone who helped and contributed in various ways. We look forward to next year and hope everyone who helped this year will help next year and recruit others to participate. I’m confident that with continued membership support and participation we can grow and make this a major fund raiser for CFM. Tom Russell Pull for Conservation CFM Benefit Sporting Clay Shoot Chair

2009 Missouri’s Outdoor Heritage Calendar

2009 MDC Natural Events Calendar

This new calendar celebrates Missouri’s rich outdoor heritage. With images and gear from years past mixed with modern photographs of hunting, fishing and trapping, it calls out for the current generation to continue building Missouri's outdoor legacy one generation at a time. You’ll also find monthly reminders of current game seasons along with tips to increase your success in the field.

Available late October.

Chock-full of dazzling photographs, fascinating natural history details and native-plant gardening reminders, the Conservation Department’s Natural Events Calendar sells out fast every year. The 2009 edition features MDC staff and volunteer photos of Missouri plants, animals and landscapes in every season. Home gardeners will appreciate native-plant gardening tips following the monthly pages. Order for that nature lover on your Christmas shopping list.

10 x 14 inches $10.00 (includes shipping)

10 X 14 $10.00 (includes shipping) M I S S O U R I

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Creating Legacies magine a corner of the world so special to you, that it occupies a place in your heart typically reserved for your most prized possessions. When you are at this place, it soothes your worries, it relaxes you, and it provides comfort that is hard to explain to others. When you are not there, it consumes many of your idle thoughts. It is a place whose physical treasures fascinate you. It holds many memories. You have witnessed events and experienced moments that you want to share with the important people in your life. You can’t wait to go there again… Many CFM members already have such a place – it is one of the many family farms, family woodlands, wetlands, or riverine properties that are owned by Missouri’s citizens.

CFM members understand the special bond that is created with such special places.

For those of us who are fortunate to be able to own such a slice of Missouri’s natural resources, it often becomes an integral part of our lifestyle. Stewardship of these wild places becomes part of who we are, and how we see the world. These lands become part of the fabric of our family life. It is for those individuals and families that we will be writing a special series of articles in the coming issues of Missouri Wildlife. We will be discussing the essential (but often complicated) issue of “succession planning” for those family wildlands.

We are addressing this topic because there is a gathering cloud on the horizon for the future of the natural resources that are so important to each of us. It involves planning for the longterm stewardship of these privatelyheld properties.

As we all know, the majority of Missouri’s wild places are in private ownership (over 90%). Often these lands are family-owned. Some families have inherited land passed down from generation to generation. Others have purchased the parcels with hard-earned money, saved over many years. Either way, these fields and forests have been managed and cared for in a way that is unique among all real estate owners.

For the most part, these are not owners who plan to “flip” the property for an economic profit. The dream of many of these family wildland owners is to pass their family properties on to the next generation of loved ones. But times are

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Stewardship of these wild places becomes part of who we are, and how we see the world. These lands become part of the fabric of our family life. different today. Gone are the days that the family can assume that it can simply transfer the title to the heirs, and that the land will remain in the family, or be used in the same manner that it has been used in the past. The reality of today’s world is that families face a multitude of pressures and obstacles that can prevent a successful transition of the property to the next generation: • Children may not share the same passion for the wildland property • Children/ spouses may not all get along with each other • Children may live in different regions of the country • Some heirs may face financial pressures/challenges that make maintaining a farm, woodland, or wetland difficult • Modern lifestyles often do not allow much “free” time to spend working on a piece of rural property • Divorce may cause assets to be split or sold • Estate taxes and transfer costs may cause property to be sold • Prices offered by developers may be very tempting to some heirs who see this property as just another financial asset to be liquidated The biggest threat to the future of our wildlands may not be invasive species, growing deer populations, pollution, or even global warming. It may be the lack of solid succession planning being done around kitchen tables or in family rooms. This lack of planning makes these special places vulnerable to development and misuse. In the next two or three decades, the majority of our forests in this state, will change hands. That is a frightening thought!

Especially if we do not know whose hands will ultimately control them, and what the future owner’s motivations will be... Will it be a developer who wants to subdivide the property? Or will it be an owner who appreciates the natural resource and can carry on with your vision? Will the habitat be degraded? Will the timber stand improvement work be continued? Will you be able to create and pass the “lega-

cy” that many current owners envision for their heirs?

Each of us has a real opportunity to impact the future of our precious natural assets. We need to think about, and plan for the day that we will hand over the control of our farms, timberland, or wetland to someone else, either because we have passed away, or because we are physically unable to do what we are doing today. This may be a discomforting thought, but we all have an incredible opportunity to truly create a legacy that will exist much longer than our time in the world. This is about transferring your passion and your dreams.

This column will be dedicated to exploring the various tools and techniques of “conservation-land” succession planning, as well as the process of planning for intra-family transfers. For many owners, this may seem boring, tedious, and even overwhelming at first, but it is achievable. Just like the land owner who begins a quail habitat improvement project one fencerow at a time, this project is very “doable” if we break it into small steps. And like the quail habitat project, the time and energy invested today, will bear very worthwhile returns, in the future – not only for the wildlife, but for our heirs, as well.

David A. Watson, CLU, ChFC, RHU, REBC Financial Advisor and President of D.A. Watson & Company www.dawatsonco.com

Applications Now Being Accepted for the Charles P. Bell Conservation Scholarship The Conservation Foundation of Missouri Charitable Trust and the Conservation Federation of Missouri are pleased to announce that applications are now being accepted for the 2009 Charles Bell Conservation Scholarships.

In the 2009 Bell Scholarship Program, eight scholarships will be awarded: one graduate ($600), one undergraduate ($500) and six for elementary, high school or youth groups ($250 each). In this later category, CFM members who work with Boy Scouts, 4-H, environmental clubs or youth chapters of their affiliate are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Graduate applicants must be enrolled in a field of study related to conservation, natural science or earth resources at an accredited college or university. Undergraduate applicants must have 60 credit hours or more and should be enrolled in an area related to conservation. Preference in all cases will be given to applicants enrolled in Missouri schools. The deadline for applications is January 15, 2009.

These scholarships are named in memory of CFM past president Charles P. Bell, whose family provided major funding for this program. For an application form write to Conservation Federation of Missouri, Bell Scholarships, 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or call (800) 575-2322.

REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE

DNR Offers Ways To “Go Green” For The Holidays t’s getting colder outside, and the holidays are right around the corner. The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, produces more trash than any other time of the year. The Department of Natural

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Resources offers a few green tips for the holiday season to assist you in reducing your environmental impact.

Holidays are a wonderful time to spend with family and friends over a great meal. To reduce waste at holiday

OutdooR magazine

Guide

HUNTING

FISHING

CAMPING

BOATING

For a FREE Copy of the Magazine Call 1-800-706-2444 or Visit our Web site at www.outdoorguidemagazine.com

gatherings, remember the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.

By reducing the amount of packaging and purchases made for the holiday, there will be less trash going to the landfill. Purchasing items in bulk, rather than individual serving sizes will reduce the amount of packaging waste. If presents need wrapping, consider paper made of recycled content or use colorful newspaper. To be a bit greener, wrap gifts inside of gifts, such as a canvas shopping bag or a handmade quilt.

Even if the roasting pan is only used once or twice a year, it makes sense to invest in a sturdy, reusable roasting pan for turkeys and hams rather than using a disposable aluminum pan. Also, remember to serve those holiday meals on reusable plates rather than paper or plastic. If you have a large gathering or are afraid of accidents from breaking china, consider purchasing disposable

tableware made of recycled or compostable material. For decorating, purchase reusable décor that can be brought out each year to carry fond memories of holidays past into the future.

Find out what materials are accepted locally for recycling and have bins in convenient locations at holiday gatherings. Lots of wrapping paper gets thrown away every holiday season, remember paper is very easy to recycle.

When shopping for gifts, be sure to visit the local thrift store for hidden treasures, and check the recycled content of products on store shelves. Living gifts such as plants or bulbs that can be planted in the spring make a wonderful present. A gift card or gift certificate to the recipients’ favorite store or restaurant, or tickets to a sporting event or concert can also make a great green gift.

Best wishes for a “Greener” holiday season.

Beautiful CFM Notecards For Sale!

A unique partnership between CFM and Jim Rathert has begun. You can buy fantastic images of Missouri wildlife, caught in the act of living, by renowned photographer Jim Rathert.

Best of all, each of these vivid slices of Missouri wildlife will greatly benefit CFM. The cards are sold only in high-quality sets of 12. There are 3 copies of each of the 4 images in every set (whitetail buck, greater prairie chicken, belted kingfisher, eastern bluebird). Each card is 5 x 7 with a full color photo on the front, a nature note by Jim with our CFM logo, mission statement and contact information on the back and plenty of space for your message on the inside. High quality, matched envelopes accompany each card.

Please order your cards today! We are certain you will enjoy sending them as much as your friends will enjoy receiving them. A dozen cards are yours for only $19. If you order 3 or more sets, you pay only $16 per set. Prices include shipping and handling. To buy cards, use the form below, call (800) 5752322 or go to www.confedmo.org. Mail your payment to 728 West Main Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.

Name:_________________________________________________________________________________ Address:________________________________________________________________________________ City: ________________________________________ State: ______________ Zipcode:_____________ Quantity (# of sets): _________ Total Price: ________________ ❑ Check

❑ Cash

❑ Credit Card ~ Card #: ________________________________________ Exp. Date: ______________

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Honorariums and memorials are donations made to the Conservation Federation of Missouri to mark special occasions or show tribute to someone you care about. They are a thoughtful way to mark an occasion or to show respect to friends and loved ones who have passed away. Beginning with this issue of Missouri Wildlife, we will list honorariums and memorials in this area.

To make such a gift, please fill out this form and mail it to CFM. We gladly accept cash, check or credit card.

A Gift To CFM Your gift to the Conservation Federation of Missouri could help in so many ways. You could benefit our Share the Harvest Program, the Conservation Leadership Corps, our publications or website, our building fund or help fund our day-to-day operations. You could also honor loved ones for birthdays, anniversaries or other special events.

❑ $25

❑ $50

❑ $100

❑ $250

❑ $500

❑ Other ________

In memory of ______________________________________________________________________________________________________ In honor of

______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please notify (name, street, city, state, and zip) ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ DONOR INFO: Name

❑ I would like more information about including the Conservation Federation of Missouri in my will or trust.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Street

City

State

ZIP

Phone ____________________________________________Email __________________________________________________________

Credit card number

____________________________________________________Expiration date ______________________________

Mail this form and payment to:

Conservation Federation of Missouri • 728 West Main Street • Jefferson City, MO 65101

CONSERVATION FEDERATION OF MISSOURI AFFILIATES Anglers of Missouri Big Game Hunters Bridlespur Hunt Club Capital City Fly Fishers Central Missouri Chapter Safari Club Coldwater Outing & Game Preserve Festus/Crystal City Conservation Club Greenway Network Heaven’s Anglers Jefferson County Coonhunters Kansas City Woodcarvers Lambert Field Rod & Gun Club Mark Twain Area Quail Unlimited Mid Missouri Trout Unlimited Midwest Diving Council Mississippi Valley Duck Hunters 1 4

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Mississippi Valley Gun Club Missouri Association of Meat Processors Missouri Bass Federation Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative Missouri Bow Hunters Missouri Conservation Agents Association Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Missouri Department of Agriculture Missouri Ducks Unlimited State Council Missouri Forest Products Association Missouri Hunting Heritage Federation Missouri Native Seed Association Missouri Parks & Recreation Association Missouri Parks Association Missouri River Relief Missouri Ruffed Grouse Society

Missouri Smallmouth Alliance Missouri Sport Shooting Association Missouri State Campers Association Missouri State Council Quail Unlimited Missouri Taxidermist Association Missouri Trappers Association Missouri Trout Fisherman’s Association Missouri Waterfowl Association Missouri Whitetails Unlimited Missouri Wild Turkey Federation Missourians Outdoors MO Chapter of the Wildlife Society MO Chapter Soil & Water Conservation MO Hunter Education Instructor’s Association Monett Sportsman League Northeast Missouri Coonhunters

Northside Conservation Federation Open Space Council Owensville HS Hunting & Fishing Club Ozark Fly Fishers Ozark Wilderness Waterways Club Perry County Sportsman Club Pomme De Terre Chapter Muskies Saint James Civic Club South Side Division Southwest Missouri Fly Fishers Tipton Farmers & Sportsman Club United Bow Hunters of Missouri Wecomo Sportsman Club Wild Elk Institute of Missouri Wildlife Society of Missouri State UniversityWindsor Lake Rod & Gun Club

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The Conservation Federation of Missouri Holiday Wreath Dear Friend: Celebrate the beauty of nature this Holiday Season and help CFM continue its conservation programs by ordering our 2008 Holiday wreaths for your family and friends.

Each wreath is handmade by CFM members and features absolutely fresh and fragrant boughs of evergreens grown here in the Midwest.

Our wreaths will do great displayed either in your home or outdoors for all to see. Each wreath is carefully prepared and treated to ensure freshness and vivid colors. Each of our wreaths is packaged and shipped to arrive in great shape, on time, fragrant and beautiful. We include information about CFM with every wreath.

the holidays.

Please place your order today, so we may best deliver to your schedule. Because all our wreaths are made fresh by hand and shipped promptly directly from the tree farm, we must adhere to the schedule on the order form. We thank you for your support and wish you and yours the most joyous of holiday seasons! Thanks ever so much for choosing to support CFM and our programs!

Basic Wreath ~ $24.95

Deluxe Wreath ~ $34.95

We offer two distinct wreath styles this year. The basic wreath is decorated with red berries and pine cones for a simple, elegant look.

You may choose either a plaid or traditional red velvet bow for your wreath. Best of all, the basic wreath is yours to keep or give as a gift for only $24.95 plus shipping and handling.

Perhaps you are looking for a very special gift? Or maybe a more festive, decorative wreath might be more to your liking? Our deluxe wreath may be just what you are looking for! For only $10 dollars more ($34.95 plus shipping and handling) you get our very best. This year our deluxe wreath is adorned with a pair of cardinals to brighten

ORDER FORM ORDERED

BY:

Please X when you would like your wreath(s) delivered.

Name

X

For delivery the week of:

Your order must be received by:

Street/RFD (no PO boxes)

Nov. 17, 2008

Nov. 12, 2008

City

Nov. 24, 2008

Nov. 19, 2008

Dec. 1, 2008

Nov. 26, 2008

Dec. 8, 2008

Dec. 3, 2008

Dec. 15, 2008

Dec. 10, 2008

State

Zip

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GIFT

WREATHS TO:

Total No. of Wreaths

Name Street/RFD (no PO boxes) City

State

Price Each

Basic Deluxe

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$ 24.95* $ 34.95* S/H

*Shipping cost within Missouri is $6.70 per wreath and outside Missouri is $11.50 per wreath.

Total

Please indicate Basic Wreath Bow Preference ~

Gift Message (example: “Happy Holidays”—limited to 35 characters)

Plaid

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Exp. Date __________________________________________________________ Mail to:

Gift Message (example: “Happy Holidays”—limited to 35 characters) Fax to:

Conservation Federation of Missouri 728 West Main Street Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559 573-634-8205

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CALENDAR MISSOURI FESTIVALS AND AFFILIATE EVENTS

AFFILIATE EVENTS CAPITAL CITY FLY FISHERS NOV 1: Welcome Home Celebration, Truman Veteran Administration Hospital (3:00pm – 6:00pm) NOV 6: Teach a Vet to Tie Flies, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C201, Columbia (3:00pm) NOV 8-10: Club Outing, Location TBD NOV 11: Club Meeting, Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City (6:00pm – 9:00pm) NOV 20: Teach a Vet to Tie Flies, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C201, Columbia (3:00pm) NOV 24: Hooked on Fly Fishing Not Drugs, South Callaway R-II Middle School, Mokane (3:00pm) DEC 4: Teach a Vet to Tie Flies, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C201, Columbia (3:00pm) DEC 9: Club Meeting, Runge Nature Center, Jefferson City (6:00pm – 9:00pm) DEC 18: Teach a Vet to Tie Flies, Veterans Hospital – Conference Room C201, Columbia (3:00pm) GREENWAY NETWORK NOV 1: Brush Creek Litter Pickup, Pacific City Park, Pacific (9:00am – 12:30pm); Nancy Pfeiffer or Jen Jones (636) 271-1414 NOV 3: Monthly Board Meeting, Saint Charles Community College – College Center Building Suite 202, Saint Charles (7:00pm – 9:00pm) NOV 8: Maline Creek Monitoring, Forestwood Park, Ferguson (9:00am – 12:00pm); Mark K. (314) 388-1423 NOV 8: River Des Peres Annual Fall Cleanup; Danielle Haake (314) 941-0489 NOV 8: Gateway Cooperative Weed Management Association’s “Bush Honeysuckle” Work Day, Riverfront Trail (8:30am – 3:00pm)

NOV 11: Scientific Meeting – Finding the Balance Between Floods, Flood Protection, and River Navigation, Anheuser Busch Center Conference Room – Saint Louis University, Saint Louis (8:00am – 4:00pm) NOV 11: Flood Forum – Why the Rivers Keep Rising and What we Should do About it?, Marvin and Harlene Wool Ballroom – Busch Student Center, Saint Louis (7:00pm); Jean Jackson (314) 977-2205 or Barb Valentine (314) 977-2207 NOV 15: Tree Planting at Peruque Creek (8:00am – 5:00pm) NOV 19: River Des Peres Planning Committee Meeting, Green Center – Blackberry, University City (6:30pm – 8:30pm); Danielle Haake (314) 941-0489 DEC 1: Monthly Board Meeting, Saint Charles Community College – College Center Building Suite 202, Saint Charles (7:00pm – 9:00pm) DEC 6: Grand Glaize Watershed Wide Winter Monitoring Event (8:30am – 12:00pm) DEC 13: Sierra Club Demonstrates Water Quality Monitoring at Fox Creek (8:30am – 12:00pm) MID MISSOURI TROUT UNLIMITED NOV 4: Chapter Meeting, D. Rowe’s, Columbia (7:00pm) NOV 25: Board of Directors Meeting, D. Rowe’s, Columbia (6:30pm) DEC 2: Christmas Party, Location TBD DEC 2: Chapter Meeting, D. Rowe’s, Columbia (7:00pm) DEC 30: Board of Directors Meeting, D. Rowe’s, Columbia (6:30pm) MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DUCK HUNTERS ASSOCIATION NOV 12: General Meeting DEC 10: Christmas Party MISSISSIPPI VALLEY GUN CLUB NOV 2: Muzzle Loader Shoot, Schenk’s

Market, Evansville, IL (12:00pm) NOV 5: Trap Practice (7:00pm) NOV 16: .22 Silhouette Shoot (12:00pm) NOV 19: Trap Shoot, Schenk’s Market, Evansville, IL (4:00pm) NOV 19: Club Meeting (7:30pm) DEC 3: Trap Practice (7:00pm) DEC 14: Muzzle Loader Shoot, Schenk’s Market, Evansville, IL (12:00pm) DEC 17: Trap Shoot, Schenk’s Market, Evansville, IL (4:00pm) DEC 17: Club Meeting (7:30pm) MISSOURI BASS FEDERATION NOV 3-8: Federation Nation Championship MISSOURI DUCKS UNLIMITED NOV 1: Golden Valley Membership Dinner, Elks Lodge, Clinton (5:30pm); Mitchell Mills (660) 885-3368 NOV 1: Texas Hold’em Tournament, Copper Kettle Restaurant, Ashland (9:30am); Cindy Downing (573) 657-2722 NOV 1: Annual Banquet, Sacred Heart Church Hall, Elsberry (6:00pm); Paul Earley (573) 242-3643 NOV 6: Grand Prairie Membership Dinner, Elks Lodge, Blue Springs (6:00pm); Gene Cole (816) 797-9905 NOV 6: Sweet Springs Dinner, American Legion Hall (6:00pm); Tonya Winfrey (660) 335-4170 NOV 7: Bates County Membership Dinner, Bates County Fairgrounds, Butler (6:00pm); Kevin Piepmeier (660) 4762508 NOV 8: 33rd Annual Banquet, Rupe Center, Carrollton (5:30pm); Tina Brooke or Lona Burk (660) 542-3420 NOV 15: Two Rivers Suzies Holiday Extravaganza; Beth Thomas (314) 280-1027 NOV 29: Annual Banquet, Louisiana (5:30pm); Rick Henry (573) 754-5055 NOV 29: Annual Banquet, Knights of Columbus Hall, Salisbury (5:30pm); Wesley Morrison (660) 777-3405 DEC 27: South Dunklin County Annual Banquet, Little River Sportsman Club, Hornersville (6:00pm); Mark Moore (573) 444-8448

MISSOURI NATIONAL WILD TURKEY FEDERATION WHEELIN SPORTSMENS EVENTS NOV 8: Deer Hunt at Mark Twain Lake, Indian Creek Access Area, Monroe City; Shelly Howald (573) 735-4097 WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS EVENTS DEC 12-14: Doe Hunt, Northwest Missouri Outfitters, Denver; Dave Frampton (816) 390-2147 DEC 12-14: Doe Hunt, Back 40 Outfitters, Memphis; Diane Savage (816) 524-1881 MISSOURI PARKS ASSOCIATION NOV 7-9: 26th Annual Meeting, Montauk State Park, Salem; Eleanor Hoefle (314) 869-6534 MISSOURI TROUT FISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATION NOV 6: Regular Meeting, Nature Center, Springfield (6:00pm) DEC 4: Regular Meeting, Nature Center, Springfield (6:00pm) OZARK WILDERNESS WATERWAYS CLUB NOV 1-2: Missouri River Trip; John Starke (816) 923-8971 NOV 8: Monthly Meeting, Swope Park Camp, Lake of the Woods Dining Hall, Potluck Dinner (6:30 pm), Meeting (7:30 pm); George (816) 861-7737 DEC 13: Decorate the Dining Hall and Potluck Breakfast; Judy (816) 363-0925 DEC 13: Monthly Meeting, Swope Park Camp, Lake of the Woods Dining Hall, Potluck Dinner (6:30 pm), Meeting (7:30 pm); George (816) 861-7737 POMME DE TERRE CHAPTER MUSKIES NOV 8: White Bass Outing DEC 6: Planning Meeting SOUTHWEST MISSOURI FLY FISHERS NOV 13: Business Meeting (7:00pm) DEC 7: Roaring River Outing DEC 11: Business Meeting (7:00pm)

CFM EVENTS JAN 9-11, 2009: Board Meeting, Keeter Center – College of the Ozarks, Branson FEB 27-MAR 1, 2009: Annual Meeting, Lodge of Four Seasons, Lake Ozark SEPT 18-20, 2009: CFM Fall Conference, Camp Clover Point, Lake Ozark

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