Vol72 no3 2011

MAY 2011VOL. 72, NO. 3

MAY 2011VOL. 72, NO. 3

Missouri B.A.S.S. FederationNation Spring FlingRaises $1,836 for CFM!Read more about the fun at Pomme de Terre inside.

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 1

Inside This Issue:FEATURED ARTICLES

Missouri B.A.S.S. Federation Holds Tournament for CFM ..................4

Introducing the Missouri Atlatl Association ........................................10

CFM Debate Issues ....................................................................................12

Nature Conservancy Hires Todd Sampsell as Missouri State Director ......15

CFM Convention 2011 - Thoughts That Lead to Action ..................16

2011 Governor’s Youth Spring Turkey Hunt ........................................22

Esteemed CFM Conservation Awards Presented ..................................24

Great American Campout ........................................................................28

NEWS, UPDATES AND COLUMNS

View From The Stone House ....................................................................2

President’s Message..................................................................................3

School of Natural Resources

Update from the Director’s Office........................................................5

Solar Energy and a Diversified Energy Future....................................5

Development News

MO B.A.S.S and CFM on Pomme de Terre........................................29

Sporting Clays and a Quail Hunt ....................................................29

Teaming With Wildlife

CFM and MDC Receive National State Wildlife Action Plan Award ........8

Missouri TWW Urges Congress to Restore Federal Funding ................9

Calendar ..................................................................................................19

News & Issues..........................................................................................30

Agency News

Economic Growth or Environmental Protection ..............................18

Young Turkey Hunters Post Another Good Harvest ..........................23

Member Information

List of Affiliates ..................................................................................3Business Alliance Members ..............................................................31Conservationists For Life ..................................................................21New Members....................................................................................32

Wildlife May 2010

Vol. 72, No. 3

MISSOURI

Missouri Wildlife is the official publicationof the Conservation Federation ofMissouri, Affiliate of the National WildlifeFederation. ISSN 1082-8591

728 W. MainJefferson City, MO 65101-1559

Phone • 573-634-2322 Fax • 573-634-8205

Email • [email protected] • http://www.confedmo.org

MISSOURI WILDLIFE (USPS 012868) ispublished bimonthly in January, March, May,July, September and November forsubscribers and members of the Conser-vation Federation of Missouri, 728 W. Main,Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559. Of eachmember’s dues ($25 minimum) $10.00shall be for a year’s subscription to MissouriWildlife. Periodical postage paid at JeffersonCity, MO. and additional mailing offices.

POSTMASTER: Send address changes to

MISSOURI WILDLIFE, 728 W. Main,Jefferson City, MO 65101-1559

Mike SchallonDuane Addleman

Richard AshDan Zerr

Randy Washburn

Dave Murphy

Matt Gaunt

Amy Buechler

Micaela Haymaker

Laurie Coleman

Joe Pendergrass

President

1st Vice President

2nd Vice President

Secretary

Treasurer

Executive Director/Editor

Director ofDevelopment

Teaming WithWildlife Coordinator

Office Manager

MembershipAssociate/ Managing EditorDesign & Production

OFFICERS

STAFF

COVER: Pack up, take a hike and camp out overnightsomewhere in Missouri as soon as possible. You'll beglad you did! Photo compliments of DNR - Divisionof State Parks. ©2011

An eternity ago, Iremember one of thetoughest phone callsI have ever made. It

was to my parents to tell themthat after grad school, my wifeand I were moving overseas toget our family started, to get toknow my wife’s relatives andto take a brief break beforebeginning my career in conser-vation. I remember the disap-pointment, especially in Dad’svoice, when he knew for sure Iwas not taking over at thefarm.

Our journey wound upbeing one of nearly 4 years.Both our daughters camealong to unimaginably enrichour lives. I learned the lan-guage pretty well. I learnedthat the residents of everynation have their own nationat the center of the world map.I began to appreciate opinionsdifferent from my own, butequally valid in their ownright. Economics, politics,religion, natural resource con-servation…the enlightenedsociety in which I wasimmersed provided constantopportunities for my personal

growth…and abundantinstances in which I was theexpert on American culture.An awful lot of folks learnedabout the America betweenNew York and Californiathrough me, as their classroomteacher, as a part of their fami-ly through marriage, or evenas a fishing buddy.

We really couldn’t affordbig phone bills. This was wellbefore the appearance of theinternet and e-mail. So Iwrote long letters home eachweek… and looked eagerlyforward to the arrival of themany communiqués fromback in The States. Nearlyevery week came a one pagerfrom Grandma… each andevery one with the phrase“we’re on the go” somewherein the text. Snapshots trackedthe aging of all (save me, ofcourse) and the unbelievablegrowth of little kids intoyoung people who succeededat growing up, even withoutmy help.

Throughout the adventure,and forever since, I have con-tinued to think of myself as anAmerican, as a Missourian, asa hunter, angler and trapper,and as a conservationist. Bythe time we reach adulthood,we have a very clear image ofourselves and we invest a heckof a lot in maintaining thatimage.

Today I am thinking ofwhat it might be like to be thefirst elk off the truck into theMissouri Ozarks after 150years of absence for thespecies. Now THERE is ahomecoming. As we teach inHunter Education class, it will

take appropriate food, cover,water, space and arrangementfor our elk to survive andthrive. Landowners andagency folk in the release zoneare doing their best with pro-duction of food, cover andwater. As to the space part,our elk are being reintroducedinto the most appropriate andample space available. Thearea is mostly forested, withprecious few open areas andvirtually no agricultural crops.So the arrangement of covertypes is pretty much set aswell.

What happens next?Sometime in May we expectour elk to first have a chanceto explore their ancestralhome. Soon after that the firstcalves will drop, and the firstcohort of 100% native, wildMissouri elk since the CivilWar will learn to make a livingin the Show Me State. Anoth-

er major mile marker ofachievement in our incrediblehistory of restoration and con-servation! Wild Elk backhome for good in Missouri!

I vividly recall, after yearsabroad, coming home to hearand be back among my kinfolks, friends and landsmen inour beloved Missouri. Thereis such an indescribable, irre-sistible and totally familiarbeauty in home for each of us.Home is a unique source ofsolace and provides a sense ofplace where every sight,sound, and smell enhancesone’s comfort and well being.Come to the Ozarks and expe-rience the home range of ourelk very soon. A part of whowe are and where we havecome from is restored at longlast.

— Dave MurphyExecutive Director, CFM

VIEW FROM THE STONE HOUSE

2 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Back Home For Good!

Pat Jones and State Parks Director Bill Bryan cutting the ribbon to open theMissouri River Bridge Project to connect the Katy Trail to the Capitol.

Ihave been suffering from abad case of spring fever! Ibegan making my list ofthings to do at the first

hint of spring. Well it’s finallyspring and my list is long. Mylittle piece of heaven is locatedin Montgomery County andhas sat quietly through thewinter months, but that’s allchanging now. Dandelions areblooming, Dogwoods areshowing their stuff. Morelsare out there if you are luckyenough to find them. Turkeysare gobbling and bluebirds arereturning to the nesting boxesI’ve made ready for them againthis year.

I have been busy cuttingfirewood for those first cool

nights that inevitably willreturn. My food plots are alsoa high priority. What to plant?Is soil testing needed? Howmuch fertilizer will it take?

As you may surmise, springtime for me is a recommitmentto provide for wild things anda time for me to recharge mybatteries to be ready for thesocial and environmental chal-lenges that lie ahead. With allof the economic and politicalturmoil the world over, willthere be anyone to speak aboutthe need to continue fundingfor fish, forest and wildlife?After contacting the electedofficials that represent me atthe state and federal levelsthere appears to be little sup-port and it concerns me and itshould concern you as well.

As tough as things are, wemust not overlook creaturesthat cannot speak for them-

selves. Like it or not we arethe stewards of this domainand we owe it to future genera-tions to care enough about ournatural surroundings to pro-tect them and look at the longterm and not just the shortterm circumstances.

So this spring, renew yourcommitment to our planet.Earth Day is just around thecorner. What will you do in2011 to make a difference?I’ve already made my list. It’stime for you to do the same!

Yours in conservation,Mike Schallon

President, CFM

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE


Spring Renewal

C O N S E R V A T I O N F E D E R A T I O N O F M I S S O U R I A F F I L I A T E S

Anglers of Missouri, Inc.Bass-Hole Bassmasters of Missouri, Inc.Big Game Hunters, Inc.Bridlespur Hunt ClubBurroughs Audubon Society of Greater Kansas CityCapital City Fly FishersCentral Missouri Chapter Safari Club InternationalChesterfield Citizens Committee for the

EnvironmentColdwater Outing & Game PreserveDeer Creek Sportsman Club, Inc.Festus-Crystal City Conservation ClubFriends of Rock Bridge Memorial State ParkGreenway Network, Inc.Heaven’s AnglersJefferson County Coonhunters, Inc.Lambert Field Rod & Gun ClubMeramec Area Sportsman AssociationMid Missouri Outdoor DreamMid Missouri Trout UnlimitedMidwest Diving CouncilMississippi Valley Duck Hunters AssociationMissouri Association of Meat ProcessorsMissouri Atlatl AssociationMissouri Bass FederationMissouri Bird Conservation Initiative

Missouri Bow Hunters AssociationMissouri Chapter of the Ruffed Grouse SocietyMissouri Chapter of the Wildlife SocietyMissouri Chapter Soil & Water Conservation SocietyMissouri Conservation Agents AssociationMissouri Consulting Foresters AssociationMissouri Department of AgricultureMissouri Ducks Unlimited State CouncilMissouri Forest Products AssociationMissouri Hunter Education Instructors AssociationMissouri Hunting Heritage Federation, Inc.Missouri National Wild Turkey FederationMissouri Native Seed AssociationMissouri Parks & Recreation AssociationMissouri Parks AssociationMissouri Prairie FoundationMissouri River Bird ObservatoryMissouri Smallmouth AllianceMissouri Society of American ForestersMissouri Sport Shooting AssociationMissouri State Campers AssociationMissouri State University Bull Shoals Field StationMissouri Taxidermist AssociationMissouri Trappers AssociationMissouri Trout Fishermen’s AssociationMissouri Whitetails Unlimited

Monett Sportsman LeagueMU Student Chapter of the Wildlife SocietyNorth Side Division Conservation FederationOpen Space CouncilOzark Fly Fishers, Inc.Ozark Wilderness Waterways ClubPerry County Sportsman ClubPomme de Terre Chapter Muskies, Inc.Quail & Upland Wildlife Federation, Inc.Quail Forever & Pheasants ForeverRiver Relief, Inc.Rocky Mountain Elk FoundationSaint James Civic ClubSaint Louis Audubon SocietySouth Side Division Conservation FederationSouthwest Missouri Fly FishersTipton Farmers & Sportsman ClubUnited Bow Hunters of MissouriUniversity of Missouri Student Chapter

of the Wildlife SocietyWalnut Council & Other Fine HardwoodsWecomo Sportsman ClubWild Elk Institute of MissouriWindsor Lake Rod & Gun ClubWOLF Parent OrganizationWonders of Wildlife

The 2011 Spring Flingwas held on Pommede Terre Lake onSunday April 10th.

This year's event was a benefittournament for the Conserva-tion Federation of Missouri.Fifty-one boats braved the con-ditions, which were all butfavorable to the field ofanglers. Due to winter concretepouring to repair the dam’sspillway, the lake level was 16feet above normal pool. Com-bined with 30-40 mph winds,the fishing was extremely chal-lenging. As always though fishwere brought to the scales anda recap of the tournament islisted to the right. Most fishwere reported to be caught onspinner baits and some on jigs.The river arms seemed to havea lot warmer water than themain lake but not much shadactivity was reported in theriver arms.

I would like to especiallythank the following people fortheir help in making this tour-nament run smooth as always;Bill Lewis, Jeannine Lewis,Elizabeth Lewis, Tony Lewisand Kathy Blankenbeker. Sev-eral other members of the Mis-souri B.A.S.S. FederationNation were there to assist infish release and set up andbreakdown.

Sixty percent of the entryfees were paid back to theanglers and forty percent wasdonated to CFM. A check inthe amount of $1,836 was pre-sented to Dave Murphy at theweigh in. Dave also was onstage calling weights and

drawing boat numbers atten-dance prizes. A big thanks toDrury Hotels and Bass ProShops for their generous dona-tion of $1000.00 each of BassPro Shops gift certificates.There were 20 boats thatreceived a $100 gift card toBass Pro Shops as a randomdraw prize.

Considering the lake leveland weather, we had a decentturnout and hope to expandthe tournament next year intoan even bigger event. I chal-lenged everyone at the weighin to bring one extra boat eachto next year's event and wewill have over 100 boats andpay backs and the donationwill double. Thanks onceagain to all of the anglers fortheir participation and cooper-ation and we look forward tonext year's event.

Jim Zieger, PresidentMissouri B.A.S.S.

Federation Nation

4 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Missouri B.A.S.S. Federation NationHolds Tournament for CFM

TOURNAMENTRESULTS

51 Boats

32 Boats Weighed Fish

106 Fish Caughtand Released

173.35 Pounds

1.64 Average Weight per Fish

3.30 Big Bass WeightDaniel Stark

10.20 1st Place-Walt Hammond/Dan Laboube

9.65 2nd Place-Mike Rowland/Jr. Shinn

9.50 3rd Place-Dan Cox/Gary Cox

8.60 4th place-John Tyrrell/Danial Tyrrell

8.50 5th Place-Randy James/Ken Mason

8.35 6th Place-Kevin Johnston/Roger Waters

Walt Hammond and Dan Laboube took home 1st Place with 10.20 pounds.

Daniel Stark with the tournament's BigBass, 3.30 pounds.

Jim Zieger MC'd and Dave Murphy served as Weigh Master.


The School of NaturalResources has over100 students pursu-ing graduate degrees

(M.S. or Ph.D.) in one of ourprofessional disciplines. Thesestudents are working with fac-ulty mentors on a variety ofconservation problems fromMissouri, to elsewhere inNorth America, to across theglobe. This month, Mr. ChrisRota, Ph.D. student in Fish-eries & Wildlife Sciences, is my

guest columnist. Chris's dis-sertation research focuses onhabitat selection and popula-tion biology of Black-backedWoodpeckers in the BlackHills of South Dakota. Chrisreceived his MS in WildlifeEcology and Conservationfrom the University of Floridaand his BS in Wildlife Biologyfrom the University of Mon-tana. Chris also pursues avariety of interests outside theacademic arena, including

birding, hunting, hiking, long-distance running, and floatingin his canoe.

Chris’s essay was originallydeveloped as part of a gradu-ate course, Energy Develop-ment and Wildlife Conserva-tion, taught by Dr. JoshMillspaugh of our wildlife fac-ulty. This course was focusedon examining the potential ofalternative energy sources andthe impacts on wildlife conser-vation. The ideas expressed in

the following essay are solelythose of Mr. Rota’s. As alwaysif readers have questions orcomments for me, I am avail-able [email protected].

Mark Ryan, DirectorThe School of

Natural Resources

SCHOOL OF NATURAL RESOURCES

An Update from the Director’s Office

Plants figured out howto harness the energyof the sun via photo-synthesis more than

three billion years ago, and thisbasic process now provides theultimate source energy foralmost all life on earth.Humans figured out how toharness this energy sourcemuch later, but, just as the sunprovides the basic energysource for most life on earth,the sun has the same potentialto meet most of the energydemands of the human popu-lation. An added benefit isthat solar power can meetthese energy demands whiledrastically reducing greenhouse gas emissions as com-pared to conventional fossilfuels. However, relatively highcosts, intermittency problems,and conflicts with wildlife pre-vent widespread adoption ofthis technology. In an ideal-ized energy-production sce-nario in the United States,

solar would play an importantrole in a diversified energyeconomy that also includeswind and nuclear power.

Solar power is a promisingsource of renewable energy.According to Cho (writing in,Science magazine in 2010),global energy demand is on thescale of 15 terawatts. Expertsestimate that solar energy tech-nology could capture 50 ter-awatts of energy from the sun,enough by far to meet globalenergy needs. Indeed, Choestimated that the potentialenergy-generating capacity ofsolar power is more than dou-ble that of any other renewableenergy source. Fthenakis andco-authors (in Energy Policy in2009) even drew an ambitiousroadmap of solar energy devel-opment, claiming solar powerhas the potential to provide69% of total US energy needsby 2050 and over 90% of USenergy needs by 2100. Solarpower can meet all of these

energy demands while produc-ing only a fifth of the CO2 asburning coal. An additionalbenefit of generating electricityvia solar power is that it car-ries none of the catastrophicrisks associated with otherenergy sources, such as oil ornuclear power (as the recentcrisis in Japan demonstrates).

Solar power has the poten-tial to provide enormous indi-rect benefits to wildlife. Onemajor benefit is the potentialto curb the worst effects of cli-mate change by reducing CO2emissions globally. Anotherpotential indirect benefit couldarise if energy dependenceshifts away from oil and coaland toward solar power andother renewables. This couldpotentially curb the frequencyand intensity of extraction-related disasters such as oilspills, which have dramaticand long-lasting impacts onwildlife populations (Petersonand co-authors in Science,

2003). Making solar energymore cost-competitive couldalso reduce economic incen-tives to extract oil and coalfrom difficult to access loca-tions such as tar-sands andmountaintops.

Despite the great potentialof solar power, it does haveimportant drawbacks. Amajor drawback of solarpower is that is suffers fromintermittency problems (Fergu-son and co-authors writing inNature in 2010) since the sunis only guaranteed to shineabout half the time. Anotherdrawback is that solar andother renewables still costmore than conventional fossilfuel sources of energy(Fthenakis et al. in Energy Poli-cy), which prevents the wide-spread adoption of this tech-nology in the short-run.Finally, a major drawback ofsolar energy regards questions

Solar Energy and a Diversified Energy Future

See Solar Energy on page 6

Solar Energy from page 5

surrounding site placement.The desert Southwest receivesthe most sunlight in the conti-nental United States, makingthis location attractive to solarpower developers. However,many of the public landswhere utility companies wishto develop solar plants arehome to the ThreatenedMojave desert tortoise, whichhas resulted in intense conflictover site placement. Conflictsover site placement have arisenin California’s Panoche Valleytoo, where there are concernsover impacts proposed solarplants may have on the Endan-gered blunt-nosed leopardlizard.

My ideal energy future forthe United States includes adiverse portfolio of severalrenewable sources of energy. I

envision regionally-based ener-gy development, based onavailable resources. For exam-ple, I envision most solarpower will be generated in thedesert Southwest where sun-light is abundant. Additional-ly, I envision wind powerhotspots in states such asWyoming and Texas, whichare famous for their wind. Ialso envision taking advantageof offshore winds. Suchregional energy developmentwill require overhauling thecurrent electrical transmissionsystem. This overhaul willoccur by replacing relativelyinefficient alternating current(AC) power lines with highvoltage direct current (HVDC)power lines, which are relative-ly efficient at transmittingpower over long distances.

The intermittency problem ofwind and solar could be solvedby strategically and conserva-tively placing nuclear powerplants around the country.However, before widespreadfuture development of nuclearfacilities, we must first solvequestions of long-term storageof waste products. Finally, thisregional energy developmentwill be supplemented withsmall-scale individual electrici-ty generation. I envision thatmost homes will be capable ofgenerating some of their ownelectricity, either through solarpanels and/or personal windturbines. I envision govern-ment tax incentives and tech-nological development willeventually reduce the price ofthese technologies, makingthem more affordable for

home-owners. These small-scale generators will be tiedinto the energy grid, so thatwhen they generate excessenergy, this can power homeselsewhere (and provide home-owners a credit on their utilitybill). All of this will be cou-pled with mandatory gains inenergy efficiency, guidedthrough government tax incen-tives or directly written intolaw, for example via buildingcodes.

Chris Rota, Ph.D. studentin Fisheries &

Wildlife Sciences, University of

Missouri-Columbia

6 M A Y 2 0 1 1

8 M A Y 2 0 1 1

On Wednesdayevening, March 2,2011, the Conser-vation Federation

of Missouri and the MissouriDepartment of Conservationreceived a nationally-recog-nized award from the Associa-tion of Fish & Wildlife Agen-cies in Washington, D.C. -- theState Wildlife Action PlanPartnership Award. Theaward was presented during aspecial reception to “CelebrateChampions of Wildlife and theEnvironment” at the U.S.Botanic Garden. Over 300people were in participation aspart of the 2011 Teaming WithWildlife Fly-in event.

Accepting the award wasDave Murphy, CFM ExecutiveDirector. Also on hand toreceive Missouri’s acknowl-edgement were Teaming WithWildlife Steering Committeemembers Rick Thom (Mis-souri Conservation HeritageFoundation), Carol Davit(Missouri Prairie Foundation),and Gene Gardner (MissouriDepartment of Conservation).The group was also joined byGeralyn Hoey, NationalWildlife Federation’s RegionalRepresentative for Missouri.

The State Wildlife ActionPlan Partnership Award recog-nizes Missouri for outstandingcollaboration in addressingconservation priorities andimplementing managementstrategies associated with ourstate’s wildlife action plan(called Missouri’s Comprehen-

sive Wildlife Strategy). Wewere selected to receive thisaward for outstanding partner-ships to advance the mission ofTeaming with Wildlife, sup-porting increased public fund-ing for wildlife conservationand related education andrecreation needs.

In May, 2000, the Conser-vation Federation of Missouri(CFM) led an original TeamingWith Wildlife Coalition andhelped the House pass theConservation and Reinvest-ment Act (CARA). As a result,the Missouri coalition helpedsecure the first $50 millionappropriated to state fish andwildlife agencies through theWildlife Conservation andReinvestment Program (whichsubsequently morphed into theState Wildlife Grant Programin 2002). In the past ten years,Missouri has received morethan $12.4 million through theSWG program and, togetherwith contributions from all ourconservation partners, turnedthose funds into $45 millionworth of conservation actions!

In 2007, together with theMissouri Department of Con-servation, the CFM broughttogether The Nature Conser-vancy, Audubon Missouri,Missouri Prairie Foundation,Ozark Regional Land Trust,and the Missouri ConservationHeritage Foundation as thenewest collaborative effort andestablished the Missouri Team-ing With Wildlife (TWW)Steering Committee. Since

that time, the Missouri TWWcoalition has grown to anorganization more than 275members strong that ranksfifth in the nation in the num-ber of conservation partnersand supporters. This coalitionof agencies, sportsmen, busi-nesses, citizen conservationistsand other outdoor enthusiastsstaunchly support the need forincreased funding for fish, for-est, and wildlife conservationin America.

The TWW coalition worksto integrate the interests ofoutdoors men and woman inconcert with the goals of Mis-souri resource managementagencies (e.g., MissouriDepartment of Conservation,Missouri Department of Nat-ural Resources), non-govern-mental organizations devotedto the outdoors, businesses,and resource-based industries.

The CFM has developedmany innovative measures thatmotivate coalition partners toaddress conservation prioritiesidentified in Missouri’s Com-prehensive Wildlife Strategy.CFM provides start-up fundsand staff support to coalitionpartners that are used for avariety of projects that buildcollaboration within COAstakeholder teams, strengthensthe network between coalitionteams in other COAs, and pro-motes conservation actionsstatewide that implements ourState Wildlife Action Plan. Weare truly honored to receivethis award on behalf of allmembers of the MissouriTeaming With Wildlife Coali-tion!

Amy BuechlerTeaming With Wildlife

Coordinator, CFM

TEAMING WTIH WILDLIFE

CFM and MDC Receive National State WildlifeAction Plan Partnership Award

Dave Murphy (Executive Director, CFM) holding the State Wildlife Action PlanPartnership Award presented to CFM during the Teaming With Wildlife Fly-in. Pic-tured left of Dave is Gene Gardner (Missouri Department of Conservation), andpictured to Dave's right are J.P. Mason (Congressman Sam Graves staffer), Gera-lyn Hoey (National Wildlife Federation Regional Representative), Rick Thom(front: Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation), Jeremy Symons (back:National Wildlife Federation Senior Vice-President), and Carol Davit (MissouriPrairie Foundation). Photo credit: Association of Fish & Wildlife Agencies

This is the moment we’vebeen preparing for, buildingour coalition, knowing thatone day we must stand up andfight. In February, the U.S.House of Representativespassed HR1 – a budget planfor Fiscal Year 2011 that cutfederal spending by $100 bil-lion. Unfortunately, it severelycut many conservation pro-grams including completeelimination of the NorthAmerican Wetland Conserva-tion Act grants and StateWildlife Grant programs.While we understand the needto reduce our federal deficit,completely eliminating theseprograms would have severeimpacts on fish, forest andwildlife in Missouri andnationwide.

Missouri Teaming WithWildlife (TWW) Coalitionmembers and friends steppedup to the plate right away withnumerous phone calls, e-mailsand faxes sent to congressionaloffices since February. Over 80Missouri organizations and

businesses signed on to anational letter supportingfunding for State WildlifeGrants! We were the leadingstate by far for number of sig-natures, and 30 groups thatsigned the letter were not yetTWW Coalition members.Adding those groups to our listwould bring us to over 300TWW Coalition members inMissouri! Missourians believein and support funding forfish, forest and wildlife conser-vation!

As of press time, Congresshas just reached a tentative

deal with the White House onthe FY11 spending plan, nar-rowly avoiding a governmentshutdown. They agreed to justunder $40 billion in cuts. It islooking like State WildlifeGrants is still included, but at$62 million ($28 million lessthan last year). The NorthAmerican Wetland Conserva-tion Act grant program wasalso included, but at $37.5million (also a significant cutfrom last year).

It is a huge deal that theseprograms got reinstated forFY11. It was because of yourefforts to send letters, makecalls, and join the sign-on let-ter, etc. Without this effort westood a good chance of beingsqueezed out entirely. I appre-ciate all your help. We’ll keepworking hard on behalf offunding for fish, forest andwildlife in Missouri.

To stay up to date withTeaming With Wildlife Coali-tion efforts, contact Amy to be

added to the Missouri TWWcoalition e-mail list ([email protected]). To learnmore about State WildlifeGrant funding, visitwww.moteaming.org.

Amy BuechlerTeaming With Wildlife

Coordinator, CFM

Missouri Teaming With WildlifeCoalition Urges Congress to Restore FederalFunding for State Wildlife Grants Program


TEAMING WTIH WILDLIFE

State Wildlife Grants keep Missouri’s habitats healthy for everything from pink katydids to banded sunfish to wild turkey.This proactive program works to keep species off the endangered species list by taking action to conserve and restorewildlife habitats today. Photo Credits: MDC

Pine warblers nest exclusively in pinetrees and benefit from pine woodlandrestoration. Photo credit: USFWS

Grassland restoration efforts will belimited if State Wildlife Grants are cut.Photo credit: Frank Oberle

Restoration of Pine-Oak Woodlandson private land in the Ozarks is one ofdozens of projects that will not receivefunding if the State Wildlife Grants pro-gram is eliminated. Photo credit: MDC

1 0 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Introducing the Missouri Atlatl Association

You may not havenoticed, but amongthe CFM affiliates isa new organization

devoted to an ancient huntingweapon. The spear thrower oratlatl is believed by manyarcheologists to date back30,000 years in Europe, andprobably 12,000 in Missouri,to the time of the great hunterswho stalked mammoth andbison across land that nowsupports so many deer. It’s asimple but effective tool, astick with a hand grip on oneend and a hook or socket onthe other to engage the butt ofa light spear. Just as you snapyour wrist when you throw aball, you throw a “dart” withthe atlatl, and the flick of theatlatl gives a much longer leverarm than your hand and wrist.Hunting and target range istypically10 to 30 yards, butthe world record throw is over848 feet. (The world record fora modern aerodynamicallydesigned javelin throw isaround 321 ft.)

Today, atlatlists are amongthe many enthusiasts practic-ing “primitive” skills. TheWorld Atlatl Association is thelargest organization; local andstate groups like the MissouriAtlatl Association (MAA)organize events and help toeducate the public. There aresome 70 competitions aroundthe country and a coupledozen in Europe each year.Although some atlatlists prac-tice seriously and competehard, our events are friendlyand supportive, and open toall. We encourage newcomersto try throwing and join thecompetition, and we have

whole families participating.The atlatl is a great tool forteaching basic target sportsafety - its range is short andyou can’t forget it is loaded.Anyone can learn to throwwith satisfaction, but theysoon learn to respect the skillsof our ancestors as well.

Spear throwers were ofcourse primarily huntingweapons, with a record ofthousands of years of success.Although they were replacedby the bow in most parts of theworld, they survived to historictimes in several parts of theworld: in Australia, huntingkangaroos, among the Aztecsfor warfare and until a fewdecades ago for duck hunting,and in the Arctic, where sealand birds were the targets.Today’s atlatls add anotherdimension to target sport andoutdoor recreation.

Although the relativelyheavy projectile is quite capa-ble of driving through a deer,the range is short - you have tobe a good and careful hunterto get close enough to use anatlatl. Atlatl hunting is alsosafer for other hunters and foranyone else around, for thesame reason that atlatling is asafe sport with no recordedinjuries in 20 years of competi-tions. A miss does not carryvery far, plow through brush,or ricochet off to hurt someone100 yards away.

Recognizing that the atlatlwas safe and effective, the Mis-souri Department of Conserva-tion legalized atlatls for smallgame several years ago, andlast year they legalized it fordeer during the firearms sea-son. The MAA surveyed all

known Missouri atlatl deerhunters. Results of the surveyindicated that about a dozenhunters stalked deer with thismost ancient of weapons dur-ing the rifle season last fall.

Despite the fact that no oneharvested a deer, a number ofcomments reflected the excite-ment of using the atlatl.

• On the way in about 75yards from my stand I spot asmall doe about 50 yards

ahead and it seems she has mepegged but she starts slowlywalking towards me head bob-bing. As she passes behindeach tree I slowly get a dartnotched and arm up in thethrowing position. She isslightly quartering to my leftwhich I am not believing as Iam starting to think this isgoing to happen. Slowly shecloses the distance 40, 30, 20 -my heart is pounding and I amat the ready. She gets to 15

Public education is one of our missions. Jon Wood explains atlatls to the Mis-souri Department of Conservation Commissioners Don Johnson and ChipMcGeehan, and Director Robert Ziehmer.

Great accuracy is possible with an atlatl at 15-20 meters. Ron Mertz, Devin Pet-tigrew, Jon Wood, and Justin Garnett of MAA at the International Standard Accu-racy Competition target, a common of our events.

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 1 1

yards and is just about to gether head behind a tree andgive me a great shot when shesuddenly starts to drift to myright and with each step shetakes I am getting more outof position to throw. She low-ers her head but I am twistedto the right too far and whenI throw I don't get much onthe throw and my dart passesunder the deer and then shewas gone. Anyway what arush - just a few steps theother way and maybe historyis made. (RP)

It was a fantastic experi-ence! Quite unnerving to letdeer get that close. (ES)

• I hunted for four hoursone afternoon during theantlerless season with myatlatl. I had four does andone 4-point buck at 40 yards,but they did not come anycloser. It was EXTREMELYexciting hoping it was goingto all come together! (VC)

• Hunting with an atlatland dart presents a number ofchallenges that are far greaterthan with a rifle or even abow. It is much more diffi-cult to be in meaningful rangeand have adequate cover,while having the opportunityfor a clear unobstructedthrow. In several cases,respondents reported thatdeer were in atlatl range, butthey were not able to get aclear throw because ofobstructions or because theywere spotted in the process ofthrowing.

I spent about 80% of thetime in a tree stand, but only

saw one deer from there. Itwas a little 6 point buck thatcame into either a grunt callor rattled horns, since I wasusing both at the time. Itcame in behind me but I don'tthink I could have gotten athrow anyway because of thebrush I would have had tothrow through. If I rememberright, I saw a total of 7 deerwhile hunting. Only 1 wasout of range of the atlatl butwas in easy rifle range. Itwas also the only one that Isaw in the open. Most of mysuccess in seeing deer was onthe ground, then trying to getclose and find an opening tothrow through. I had severalopportunities at two year-lings, but it would have beenthrowing through heavybrush or a "head on" throwwhich is a very low percent-age shot. Because of that, Inever did throw a dart at adeer. All the deer I saw wereat one time or another, closeenough for an atlatl throw,with the exception of the onethat I saw in the open. (RM)

• When I was able to bewithin atlatl range there wastoo much brush for a goodthrow, or the deer spotted mebefore I could throw. I dis-covered that an atlatl huntingstrategy must be developedwhich I found is differentfrom a bow or rifle strate-gy…..it will take a lot of prac-tice throwing from differentpositions, at different eleva-tions, and in a woods envi-ronment (i.e., trees, brush,etc.). (CW)

• A doe was 20 yards awayand the throw was on target,but the doe saw my throwingand bolted. (ES)

• A number of respondentsexpressed their hope that theatlatl will be designated forthe archery season ratherthan the rifle season.

Due to cold I wish it couldbe held during bow season.

Even after much practice Ijust can’t throw with a gloveon. My hand got very cold. Itwould also allow more timein the field. (ES)

• I had an enjoyable timeout hunting with the atlatl,but one morning, after a cou-ple of hours in my spot Inoticed a gun hunter nearby.This is a high pressure hunt-ing season, and with a shortrange weapon like the atlatl itwould be far preferable tohave a longer, lower pressureseason. I would like to seeuse of the atlatl moved toarchery season, this wouldgreatly enhance the experi-ence and increase the likeli-hood of a harvest as an out-come. (JG)

• I would like to see thisweapon legalized for thearchery season as I feel thatearly foliage and less warydeer would equal moreopportunity and success.(RP)

• It would be a lot easierto get a deer into my effectiverange if the regulations werechanged to archery season!(BH)

• I think we should haveatlatls as a legal method dur-ing bow season prior to rifleseason. Once rifle seasonstarts, deer spook a lot easier.Wearing the blaze orange isalso a hindrance. Deer cansee color if they get closeenough and that’s whatruined two of the opportuni-ties I had for throwing. (CW)

• If we can get it includedwith archery, I think ourchances will improve. (RM)

The Department of Con-servation is considering legal-izing the atlatl during the2011 archery deer season. Inaddition to increasing theopportunity for hunters inMissouri we believe thischange will result in an everincreasing number of Mis-souri hunters who decide totry the atlatl. Meanwhile, theMissouri Atlatl Associationorganizes a number of targetand demonstration events inthe course of the year. A cal-endar of atlatl events aroundthe year can be found on theWorld Atlatl Associationwebpage at www.worldat-latl.org. Come see spearthrowers in action and trythem yourself. Everyone’sancestors used atlatls once!

John Whittaker, PhDWAA/MAA Board

Ron Mertz, PhDMAA President

Justin Garnett shows throwing formwith his replica prehistoric southwest-ern atlatl. Atlatl experiments improveour understanding of prehistory.

1 2 M A Y 2 0 1 1

CFM Debates IssuesAnnual Convention Produces Conservation Resolutions

The delegates of thisyear’s ConservationFederation of Mis-souri Annual Con-

vention have voted to adoptthirty-one resolutions on cur-rent issues. The conventionchallenges more than two hun-dred Federation members,meeting in natural resourcecommittee sessions, to debatecurrent conservation issuesand develop positions state-ments, when appropriate.

Action letters have beensent to agency heads, legislativeleaders (state and national),non-profit directors, and oth-ers requesting their response.

#1: Publicizing of Quail Habi-tat Opportunities

Now, therefore be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 rec-ommends that partners in con-servation increase awareness tolandowners, through local ven-ues, such as newsletters, Mis-souri Conservationist maga-zine, USDA, articles inagricultural venues includingMissouri Farm Bureau publi-cations, articles in MissouriWildlife, along with word ofmouth and any other means ofcommunication to informlandowners that services areavailable to private landownersthrough cooperation with theMissouri Department of Con-servation’s division of PrivateLand Services.

#2: Missouri Wetlands ReserveProgram (WRP) Allocation

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011suggests the increase of allocat-ed WRP acres availablethrough the NRCS for enroll-ment in subsequent years.

#3: CLC Volunteer Group forthe Cleanup of Illegal Dumps

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011support the formation of anillegal dump volunteer net-work coordinated by CLC stu-dents, in cooperation with theDepartment of NaturalResources and Solid WasteManagement Districts.

#4: Hazardous WasteProgram

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports the extension of theexisting Hazardous Waste Pro-gram fees structure.

#5: CFM Support ofHellbender Protectionthrough the Public and PrivateRivers and Streams

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the Conservation

Federation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011urges the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation, Mis-souri Department of NaturalResources, the US Fish andWildlife Service, and MissouriStream Teams to encouragepublic and private landownersto implement best manage-ment practices in conservingthe riparian zones alongstretches of important streamhabitats thereby benefitingHellbenders.

#6: Increasing Awareness andEducation of Didymo

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011contributes to the preventionof the expansion of Didymo bycontinuing and increasing out-reach and education effortsthrough support of organiza-tions and programs such as theMissouri Department of Con-servation and NaturalResources, Missouri StreamTeams and various interstatetourism and outreach agenciesin their efforts to educate thepublic on various practices toprevent the invasion of Didy-mo into the state of Missouri.

#7: Support for Adoption ofMissouri Woody BiomassHarvesting Best ManagementPractices Manual

Now, therefore, be it

resolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 rec-ommends the continuing sup-port of organizations that pro-tect forestry resources byadopting Woody Biomass Har-vesting Best ManagementPractices Manual in theirentirety and with third-partyverification.

#8: CFM Support of PathwaysCommittee Guidelines

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011encourages all public landmanagement agencies to adoptsimilar guidelines to those theEAB pathway committee hasestablished concerning themovement of firewood, andthe effects of the spread ofinvasive species.

#9: Improving Timber Man-agement by Supporting theEducation and Certificationof Missouri Loggers

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011support Missouri Departmentof Conservation, Missouri For-est Products Association, pro-fessional consulting foresters,and elected officials in devel-oping incentives for loggers to

participate in the ProfessionalTimber Harvesters’ TrainingProgram and receive the Mas-ter Logger Certification.

#10: CFM Establishment of anUrban Family EnvironmentalEducation Outreach TaskForce

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 inorder to ensure that UrbanFamilies are reached by theseprograms, 1) surveys its mem-bers about their communities’involvement in the Children inNature Challenge, 2) identifiesareas with little or no involve-ment and 3) makes recom-mendations on how to encour-age involvement of thosecommunities.

#11: Request Action to BetterControl Deer Population

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 askthe Missouri Department ofConservation to implementregulations in places where thedeer population is stable orgradually increasing and sup-port the formations of co-ops.

#12: The Potential Hazard ofKudzu DestroyingMissouri Habitats

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011understands that kudzu is apotential threat to the naturalhabitats of wildlife in Missouri.

CFM recommends the Mis-souri Department of Conser-vation, Department of NaturalResources, and Department ofAgriculture create a plan ofaction before this invasivespecies overwhelms the nativeflora of Missouri.

#13: CFM Supports Stoppingthe Spread of Invasive Species

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011suggest the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation, Mis-souri Department of Agricul-ture, USDA, and USFWSdevelop a list of highly detri-mental invasive species andprohibit the transportation ofthese species in and out of thestate.

#14: ImplementingOff-Road Vehicle Usagein the Mark Twain NationalForest

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011seek the participation of stake-holders in the Mark TwainNational Forest to implementadditional off-road vehiclerecreation areas as well as con-tacting different ATV groupsaround the state of Missourifor their participation andinput.

#15: Bats and Wind EnergyNow, therefore, be it

resolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011

requests the USFWS work withenergy companies, such asWind Capital Group, and stateconservation agencies to devel-op and implement policies andpractices with wind energycompanies to decrease batfatalities.

#16: Study the Populationof the Gray Fox

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports an immediate studyof the gray fox population sta-tus, by the Missouri Depart-ment of Conservation, due tolow numbers of this speciesreported in records of fur salesand the declining populationsas indicated by MDC’s sign sta-tion and bow hunter observa-tion indices.

#17: Modify Share the Harvestto be More Donation Friendly

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 for-mulate a way to make Sharethe Harvest more donationfriendly by lessening thehunter’s cost of getting adonated deer processed.

#18: Mountain LionEducation

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011encourages the MissouriDepartment of Conservationto educate the public on thelimited threat that mountain

lions pose to public safety.

#19: Conservation EasementsNow, therefore, be it

resolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports the introduction ofadditional incentives tolandowners in priority focusareas who are willing to pro-vide access to their property tothe public. The easementsshould contain liability lawsuitwaivers for landowners.

#20: Conservation Sales TaxNow, therefore, be it

resolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011strongly opposes any constitu-tional amendment that wouldsunset the one-eighth of onepercent conservation sales tax.

#21: North American WildlifeConservation Model

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports elk restoration andthe North American Model ofWildlife Conservation andstrongly opposes legislationthat places ownership and lia-bility upon the MDC.

#22: Felt Sole BanNow, therefore, be it

resolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this


See Resolutions on page 14

1 4 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Resolutions from page 1327th day of February, 2011supports a ban on the use andsale of felt sole waders in Mis-souri.

#23: Continuationand Expansion of the NationalFish Habitat Action Plan

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports the continued imple-mentation of the National FishHabitat Action Plan in TableRock Reservoir and, if success-ful, supports the expansion ofthis program to otherimpoundments in Missouri inneed of habitat restoration.

#24: Remove Livestock fromMissouri’s Last RemainingHigh Quality Prairies

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011express its support that domes-tic livestock grazing not occuron Natural Areas and otherhigh quality prairies in Mis-souri.

#25: Using Pittman-RobertsonFunds to Construct ArcheryRanges in Missouri

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011hereby strongly encouragesand supports the efforts of theMissouri Department of Con-servation to work with theCFM and its

archery/bowhunting affiliatesin developing and implement-ing a phase one action plan toconstruct “world class” facili-ties as soon as feasible, startingwith the four major popula-tion areas of the state of Mis-souri, namely Saint Louis,Columbia/Jefferson City,Kansas City, and Springfield.

Be it further resolved thatcopies of this Resolution besent to Director Ziehmer andour four Commissioners.

#26: Create a LessExpensive Mentor Permit toSatisfy License Requirementsfor Adult Chaperones ofYoung Hunters

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011 rec-ommends the MissouriDepartment of Conservationcreate a less expensive MentorPermit to satisfy licenserequirements for adult chaper-ones of young hunters.

#27: Land and WaterConservation Fund

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011calls on Congress to imple-ment full and dedicated fund-ing to the LWCF, and supportsHCR 31 in the Missouri Gen-eral Assembly, and calls onCongress to implement legisla-tion specifying an annual allo-cation of at least 50% of LWCFfunds to the State AssistanceProgram.

#28: Support for MissouriState Parks (Reintroduced)

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011convey its support for MissouriState Parks by: Supporting anamendment to House JointResolution No. 9 Fifth StateBuilding Fund or any statebond issue for capital improve-ments to specify that 10% ofthe total ($80-100 million) bedesignated for back-loggedcapital improvements in Mis-souri State Parks; and support-ing the retention of interest onmoneys in the State Park Earn-ings Fund within the fund tobe used for state park purpos-es, as provided by House Bill89; and including withinCFM’s media mix informationabout the Missouri State ParksDonation Program includingbut not limited to articles inCFM’s Missouri Wildlife publi-cation and by adding a hyper-link from the ConservationFederation of Missouri websiteto the State Parks Donationswebsite; and recommendingthat Governor Jay Nixon pro-vide all possible support to themanagement of the Depart-ment of Natural Resources inseeking creative solutions tothis crisis that will sustain itsemployees and facilities whilemaintaining the level ofintegrity and excellence forwhich Missouri state parks areknown across the nation.

#29: State Parks Youth CorpsResolution

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-

bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011fully support and be a valuablepartner once again for the 2011State Parks Youth Corps.

#30: Missouri’s RecreationalTrails Program Resolution

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011calls on US Congress to imple-ment legislation fully fundingthe Recreational Trails Pro-gram.

#31: Statewide Trail LinkageSystem

Now, therefore, be itresolved that the ConservationFederation of Missouri assem-bled at the Lodge of Four Sea-sons, Lake Ozark, MO, this27th day of February, 2011supports the full appropriationof funds necessary to develop,maintain and staff this project.The Conservation Federationof Missouri strongly encour-ages the Governor, state legisla-ture and DNR to proceed withany actions necessary to ensurethe trail’s completion, specifi-cally a link from Pleasant Hillinto Kansas City and nearArrowhead Stadium and anyremaining portions in the St.Louis area. CFM is stronglyopposed to any action thatwould threaten the integrityand continued extension of theKaty Trail corridor.

The Nature Conser-vancy in Missouriannounced todaythat Todd Sampsell

has been hired as the StateDirector. Sampsell is located inthe Conservancy’s St. Louisoffice, and assumed his newposition on January 1, 2011.

Sampsell comes to Missourifrom the Pennsylvania Chapterof the Conservancy, where heserved as Deputy State Direc-tor. Prior to his employment atthe Conservancy, Sampsellgained leadership and conser-vation experience as executivedirector of the Central Penn-sylvania Conservancy and asprogram director of the West-ern Pennsylvania Conservancy.

Rob McKim, Director forthe Central Division of theConservancy, is pleased to wel-come Sampsell to the Missouriteam. “Todd has been anactive and energetic leader inconservation his entire career.He has demonstrated a firmunderstanding of the need forcreative projects related to

forestry and freshwater conser-vation that will fit perfectlywith Missouri’s heritage ofconservation and balancedhuman use.”

An ecologist by trade,Sampsell has well over adecade of experience in conser-vation planning, land trustdevelopment, aquatic andwatershed research, invasivespecies management, andwildlife biology. He has nego-tiated numerous large-scalemanagement programs, andhas a longstanding history of

building strong partnershipswith government agencies.

“Todd is an extremely well-rounded individual, and awonderful fit for the statedirector position. The exten-sive experience and talent hebrings to Missouri will be anenormous asset to the Chap-ter,” states Missouri BoardChair Nancy Ylvisaker.

Sampsell looks forward toassuming leadership of theMissouri Chapter. “The quali-ty of the Conservancy’s team inMissouri and the foundationof conservation success makethis an exciting opportunityfor me. I’ve always admiredMissourians’ appreciation ofthe state’s natural resourcesand investment in protectingthe environment. I’m eager tostrengthen partnerships withlocal, state, and federal agen-cies as well as other conserva-tion-minded organizations.Most importantly, Missouriwill make an excellent homefor my family and is a place formy boys to enjoy wild places,

clean waters, and all the statehas to offer.”

Sampsell is a native ofWilliamsport, Pennsylvania.He will move to the St. Louisarea with his wife, Jennifer,and their two children, Joshua(9) and Jacob (5).

The Nature Conservancy isa leading conservation organi-zation working around theworld to protect ecologicallyimportant lands and waters fornature and people. The Con-servancy and its more than 1million members have protect-ed nearly 120 million acresworldwide. Visit The NatureConservancy on the Web atwww.nature.org.

Together with our membersand conservation partners, TheNature Conservancy in Mis-souri has protected more than145,000 acres of critical natu-ral lands since 1956. Visit uson the Web at nature.org/mis-souri.

The Nature Conservancy HiresTodd Sampsell as Missouri State Director

CLC Legislative Day was held on Wednesday, April 6. Five students partici-pated in the event this year. Pictured with CFM Executive Director DaveMurphy (top row right) are: (left to right) Alex Rittel, Caitlin Shoults, TaylorRohan, Zachary Knerr and (front row) Josh Canaday.


1 6 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Convention 2011Thoughts That Lead to Action!

After our wildly successful convention in 2010, it was hard toimagine that 2011 could possibly be better. In 2010 we sawGovernor Nixon sign an Executive Order for the “Children inNature Challenge,” heard from Johnny Morris of Bass Pro

Shops, and enjoyed the build up to our 75th Anniversary as we reflectedon the monumental accomplishments of CFM’s many great leaders pastand present. Despite that, staff heard back from countless attendees that2011 was the best convention yet. The underlying theme in those com-ments was the quality of the conversations. The dialogue between agen-cies, elected officials, businesses, conservation organizations and sports-men is at the heart of everything CFM does. Citizens are well served byremembering that if you leave it to others to guess what you want fromyour natural resources, they may guess wrong. CFM’s convention takesthe guessing out of the equation, providing direct access to our state’sdecision makers.

Each year at convention CFM has three main objectives. We recog-nize excellent performances in conservation, develop timely, well con-

structed resolutions, and rally support for CFM. Our success on thosethree fronts is due in large part to our dedicated volunteers on the fol-lowing committees – Thank You!


Awards Committee Ann Kutscher

Duane AddlemanJeanne Crews

Arnold MeysenburgSara Seidler

Resolutions CommitteeAbe PhillipsDon JohnsonAnn Kutscher

Gary Van De Velde

Resolution ChairsCoordinator

John Knudsen (And our manyresource committee chairs

and vice-chairs!!)

Convention PlanningCommittee

Mossie SchallonGery and DebbieGremmelsbacherWinnie Stribling

Judy Dixon

ntion 2011at Lead to Action!

structed resolutions, and rally support for CFM. Our success on thosethree fronts is due in large part to our dedicated volunteers on the fol-lowing committees – Thank You!

1 8 M A Y 2 0 1 1

AGENCY NEWS

Economic Growth or Environmental Protection –Can We Turn the Trend Back Around

Irecently attended the Envi-ronmental Council of theStates, or ECOS, springmeeting in Washington

D.C. ECOS is the nationalnon-profit, non-partisan asso-ciation of state and territorialenvironmental agency leaders.The purpose of ECOS is toimprove the capability of stateenvironmental agencies andtheir leaders to protect andimprove human health and theenvironment. The meetingsprovide an opportunity forstate and territorial environ-mental leaders to come togeth-er and discuss issues and con-cerns we each are facing anddevelop and share potentialsolutions.

There were two notablecommon threads among all ofthe leaders – one was the nowfamiliar struggle of continuedbudget and staffing woes in theface of even more potentialcuts and additional federalmandates. None of the new orproposed federal standardscome with funds for increasedstaffing to enforce the newstandards. Each new standardintroduced at the federal levelleaves all the states with repri-oritizing how to use existingstaff and resources.

The Department of NaturalResources set its expectationshigh, but without sufficientfunding to hire and retain thenumber of staff to completeour mandated responsibilities,the consequences affect notonly the department, but theregulated community thatdepend on the agency to issue

permits and citizens thatdepend on us to ensure we areenforcing permit requirements.The department’s statisticsover the last 10 years of losingmore than $16 million in gen-eral revenue and more than200 employees reflect those ofother agencies around thecountry. ECOS provides aforum to not only share thesestruggles, but to identify waysto prioritize and become moreefficient with the resources athand.

But there was another com-mon thread among the states’environmental leaders – it wasa keen awareness and under-standing that each of us in ourrole as keeper and protector ofour state’s natural resourceshave a critically important mis-sion at hand – one we allsensed was important nowmore than ever. Indeed it’strue that in these tough eco-nomic times, citizens tend toprioritize economic growthover environmental protection.A recent Gallup poll foundAmericans favor economicgrowth over environmentalprotection for the third year ina row. The same question hasbeen asked for more than 20years, and environmental pro-tection has always rankedhigher than economic growthuntil 2009. But the greatermessage and challenge is torecognize that environmentalprotection and economicgrowth/public health are notmutually exclusive but worktogether to ensure a qualityway of life for our state’s citi-

zens.Still, even in these tough

economic times, Americansstill strongly value the impor-tance of clean air, land andwater. In the same Gallup poll,water quality continues to bethe highest environmental pri-ority for Americans. Protect-ing Missouri’s water quality

including our drinking waterand our lakes, streams andrivers has always been a priori-ty to the department. Ourefforts to permit facilities,inspect and enforce those per-mits are now at stake. Thedepartment’s water permittingeffort touches businesses,municipalities, institutions andconstruction projects -- includ-

ing residential construction --in every corner of Missouri.When businesses want toexpand their operations andcreate jobs, they often need awater permit. Since 1974, thedepartment has been able toassist these businesses andother entities at the state level,rather than referring them to afederal government. Thedepartment’s authority to col-lect water fees that fund thesepermitting, inspection andenforcement efforts lapsed atthe end of 2010, and failure toextend the fees this Legislativesession will have dire conse-quences for the department’sWater Protection Program.The General Assembly contin-ues its discussion of the waterfee extension and only timewill tell if the department con-tinues these efforts at statelevel.

Good communication isvery important to me and iscritical to this agency. Thisincludes both one-way andtwo-way communication. Themost important key to goodcommunication is listening.We must listen to our stake-holders, the regulated commu-nities and the public…every-one in order to do our jobright. And we are listening!We have initiated or re-initiat-ed stakeholder forums notonly for the Water Protectionbut also the Hazardous Wasteand Solid Waste programs.These forums have been mod-eled after the Air Advisory

Protecting Missouri’s water qualityincluding our drinking water and ourlakes, streams and rivers has alwaysbeen a priority to the Department ofNatural Resources.

See Economic Growth on page 19


Forum, which has proven to bevery successful in finding com-mon ground among sometimesdiverse interests with stake-holders. These forums providea way for people to help usrecognize and implement waysto reduce the burden of regula-tion without compromisingour commitment to protecting,preserving and enhancing Mis-souri’s natural resources.

In addition to good com-

munication, we need to beflexible. Most federal regula-tions that are enforced by thestate offer some level of flexi-bility. This allows us some lee-way in addressing issues thatare unique to our state and itsstakeholders. We are veryappreciative of the interest anddedication our stakeholdershave shown in working withus to build more effective andefficient environmental pro-

grams. It is the stakeholdersand citizens in Missouri whoultimately decide what andhow they want to protect andimprove Missouri’s naturalresources.

The department has come along way over the years since itwas first created in 1974 andwe continue to learn how toimprove environmental protec-tion using new technologiesand through better under-

standing. I truly appreciate thesupport the members of theConservation Federation ofMissouri have provided thedepartment. Together, we willensure Missouri’s abundantand treasured naturalresources will continue to pro-vide a valuable quality of lifefor generations to come.

Sara Parker PauleyDirector, DNR

AFFILIATE EVENTSBURROUGHS AUDUBON SOCIETYOF GREATER KANSAS CITYMAY 3: General Meeting, Anita B.Gorman Conservation DiscoveryCenter, Kansas CityJUNE 7: General Meeting, AnitaB. Gorman Conservation DiscoveryCenter, Kansas City

GREENWAY NETWORKMAY 1: Mary Meachum Freedomand Fun Rides, Mary MeachumFreedom Crossing Site, SaintLouis (10:30am – 2:00pm)MAY 2: Monthly Board Meeting,Saint Peters (7:00pm – 9:00pm)MAY 11: South Grand Mother’sDay Bike Tour, Commerce Bank,Saint Louis (9:30am – 2:00pm)MAY 12: Deer Creek FriendsSpring Meeting, City Hall, Ladue(4:30pm – 6:30pm)MAY 14: Environmental JusticeRide, Old North Restoration Group,Saint Louis (11:00am – 12:30 pm)MAY 26: Past to Present Pedal,Old North Street RestorationGroup, Saint Louis (6:00pm –8:00pm)JUNE 4: Tour de Plants, SaintLouis (8:00am – 11:00am)JUNE 4-5: Route 66 Festival, OldChain of Rocks Bridge (9:00am –3:00pm); Kevin Keach (314) 436-1324JUNE 6: Monthly Board Meeting,Saint Peters (7:00pm – 9:00pm)

JUNE 11: Saint Vincent Green-way Farmer’s Market Ride, SaintVincent Park, Saint Louis (8:00am– 10:00pm)JUNE 18: Mounds Trail Interpre-tive Bike Ride, Cahokia MoundsState Historic Site, Collinsville, IL(9:00am – 12:00pm)JUNE 18: Ride Your Bike – HelpMake a Difference, Forest Park,Saint Louis (9:00am – 5:00pm);(314) 773-1100

MID MISSOURI TROUT UNLIMITEDMAY 3: Regular Monthly Meeting,D. Rowe’s, Columbia (7:00pm)JUNE 7: Regular Monthly Meet-ing, “Hot Dog Burn”, Bethel Park(5:30pm)

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY DICKHUNTERS ASSOCIATIONMAY 11: Regular Monthly MeetingMAY 14: Trap and Skeet Shooting,Missouri Bottoms

MISSOURI ATLATL ASSOCIATIONMAY 13-14: Hands-on Demon-strations, Montauk State Park; RonMertz (314) 628-9376MAY 20-21: Spring Osage Kanp-In, Boonville; Jon Woods (573)881-6622 or Ron Mertz (314) 628-9376JUNE 3-5: Pioneer Ridge AtlatlThrow, Pioneer Ridge Conserva-tion Area, Bloomfield, Iowa; KevinVerhulst (641) 777-5053JUNE 10-12: Four CornersArchery Club and Missouri Atlatl

Association – 1st Annual South-east Missouri Atlatl Challenge,Sedgewickville; Curtis Waggoner(573) 866-0046

MISSOURI BASS FEDERATIONMAY 5: Open Buddy Bass Tourna-ment, Coffman Beach Ramp, LakeOzark (6:30pm – 10:00pm); JodyHughes (573) 216-4232 or RandyDavis (573) 480-2640MAY 12: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640MAY 19: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640MAY 26: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 2: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 5: 16th Annual Open-Buddy Bass Tournament SummerSizzler, Truman Lake, Long ShoalMarinaJUNE 9: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 16: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 18: 14th Annual Kids Free

Fishing Tournament (9:00am –10:30am); Faron Morris (573) 787-0174 or Randy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 23: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640JUNE 30: Open Buddy Bass Tour-nament, Coffman Beach Ramp,Lake Ozark (6:30pm – 10:00pm);Jody Hughes (573) 216-4232 orRandy Davis (573) 480-2640

MISSOURI DUCKS UNLIMITEDMAY 7: Saint Peters Dinner,PFEM Banquet Center, SaintPeters (5:00pm – 10:00pm); A.J.Girondo (217) 370-2522 or DonMolitor (636) 970-1114MAY 19: White River SponsorDinner, Country Club, West Plains(6:00pm – 9:00pm); Jay Gregory(417) 274-2457 or Dale Baxter(417) 256-8776JUNE 25: 3 Man Scramble GolfTournament, Municipal GolfCourse, Neosho (6:00pm –11:30pm); Chris Endicott (417)540-2855 or Sam Major (417) 455-6444JUNE 30: State CommitteeLicense Plates (6:00pm –11:30pm); Todd Carlton (573) 893-7449

MISSOURI HUNTING HERITAGEFEDERATIONJUNE 1-4: International HunterEducation Association AnnualConference, Wrightsville Beach,NC

M I S S O U R I F E S T I V A L S A N D A F F I L I AT E E V E N T S

CALENDAR

See Calendar on page 20

2 0 M A Y 2 0 1 1

JUNE 12: Board of Director Meet-ing, Bass Pro Shops, Indepen-dence

MISSOURI NATIONAL WILDTURKEY FEDERATIONFUNDRAISING BANQUETSMAY 13: Mid America Chapter,The Cashew, Kansas City; StevenMoore (816) 309-1150JUNE 4: Twain’s Roaring Gob-blers, Roaring River Indoor Shoot-ing Range, Cassville; ScottWilliams (417) 847-3204JUNE 9: Sand Hills ThunderingToms, Wild Idea Archery, Seymour;Jeff Ford (417) 880-7173JUNE 10: Booger County Gob-blers, High School, Ava; Chad Sul-livan (417) 576-7843JUNE 11: Branson Tri-Lakes,Clarion Hotel, Branson; Fred Shar-brough (417) 331-0965JUNE 18: Bollinger County Dou-ble Beards, First Baptist Church,Marble Hill; Randy Pogue (573)238-3234

JAKES FIELD DAYSMAY 14: Tick Ridge Chapter,Macon County Fairgrounds; TedSeiler (660) 385-2616JUNE 11: Randolph CountyLongbeards, Lions Club TrapRange, Huntsville; Larry Terry(660) 651-8636

WHEELIN SPORTSMANS EVENTSMAY 21: Ridin’ with Turkeys, CapeCounty Park #4, Cape Girardeau;Tim Hendershott (573) 270-3030JUNE 4: Wheelin’ Fishing Day,Crowder Lake, Trenton; Scott Roy(660) 359-3399JUNE 4: Bootheel Boss Gobblers,Heartland Banquet Hall, Jackson;Paul Strickland (573) 579-5833JUNE 4: Bootheel Boss GobblersClay Bird Shoot, Midwest ShootingSports Clay Range, Marble Hill;Paul Strickland (573) 579-5833JUNE 11: WOODS Program,

Army Corps of Engineers, Wappa-pello; Chuck Stewart (573) 222-7182 or Kyle Ouzts (573) 258-0770

WOMEN IN THEOUTDOORS EVENTSMAY 1: Ladies Turkey Hunt, NorthWest Missouri Outfitters, Denver;Karla Ledom (816) 582-2241MAY 14: Branson Tri-LakesLadies Day Out, Rec-Plex, Bran-son; Catherine McGregor (417)593-6333MAY 14: Benton County BossHens, Community Building, War-saw; Jeanette Limback (660) 287-2881

MISSOURI PRAIRIE FOUNDATIONNOW – JUNE 11: Wildlife Pho-tography Exhibit by Glenn Cham-bers, Missouri State HistoricalSociety, Hallway Gallery, EllisLibrary, University of MissouriCampus, Columbia (8:00am –4:45pm Monday through Friday)and (8:00am – 3:30pm Saturdays);(573) 882-7083MAY 21: Native Pollinators Work-shop, MU Southwest ResearchCenter, Mount Vernon; (573) 681-5392JUNE 3: Educators’ JournalingWorkshop, Golden Prairie(10:00am – 4:00pm); Jeff Cantrell(517) 451-4158JUNE 4-5: 2nd Annual PrairieBioBlitz, Golden Prairie; (888) 843-6739JUNE 18: 45th Anniversary Din-ner, Swope Park, Kansas CityJUNE 26: Tour of Prairie Fork,Callaway County (10:00am –1:00pm); (888) 843-6739

MISSOURI RIVER BIRDOBSERVATORYMAY 13-14: Wings Over Weston,Weston Bend State Park

MISSOURI SMALLMOUTHALLIANCE

MAY 18: Monthly MembershipMeeting, Powder Valley NatureConservation Center, Kirkwood(7:00pm – 9:00pm); Les Anderhub(314) 894-8945JUNE 15: Monthly MembershipMeeting, Powder Valley NatureConservation Center, Kirkwood(7:00pm – 9:00pm); Les Anderhub(314) 894-8945

MISSOURI TROUTFISHERMEN’S ASSOCIATIONMAY 5: Regular Club Meeting,Conservation Nature Center,Springfield (7:00pm)MAY 14-15: Spring Derby, Ben-nett Spring State ParkMAY 19-20: Solutions, RoaringRiver State ParkMAY 21-22: 6th Annual Fly Fish-ing Expo, Reading’s Fly ShopJUNE 2: Regular Club Meeting,Conservation Nature Center,Springfield (7:00pm)JUNE 10-12: MDC DiscoverNature WomenJUNE 11-12: Free Fishing Week-endJUNE 26: Fish Fry, Living Memor-ial Park

OZARK FLY FISHERSMAY 1: WQM Blue Springs CreekMAY 4: Board Meeting, PowderValley Nature Center (7:00pm –9:00pm)MAY 20-22: Montauk SummerOuting, Montauk State ParkJUNE 1: Board Meeting, PowderValley Nature Center (7:00pm –9:00pm)JUNE 23: General MembershipMeeting, Tilles Park

OZARK WILDERNESSWATERWAYS CLUBMAY 7-8: Bryant Creek, RippeeConservation AreaMAY 9: State Park Tour #4, SaintFrancois State Park, Bonne TerreMAY 10: State Park Tour #4, Trailof Tears State Park, PerryvilleMAY 11: State Park Tour #4, BigOak Tree State Park, East PrairieMAY 12: State Park Tour #4, LakeWappapello State ParkMAY 13: State Park Tour #4, Sam

A Baker State ParkMAY 14: State Park Tour #4,Johnson’s Shut Ins State ParkMAY 14: Potluck Dinner, SwopePark, Kansas City (6:30pm –7:30pm)MAY 14: Business Meeting,Swope Park, Kansas City (7:30pm– 9:00pm)MAY 21-26: Spring Canoe Fest,Jadwin CampgroundJUNE 2-3: Osage Fork River,Gasconade Hills Campground,RichlandJUNE 11: Potluck Dinner, SwopePark, Kansas City (6:30pm –7:30pm)JUNE 11: Business Meeting,Swope Park, Kansas City (7:30pm– 9:00pm)JUNE 20-21: Beaver Creek,Brown Branch Campground, AvaJUNE 25: Kaw River, JunctionCity, KS

POMME DE TERRE CHAPTERMUSKIES, INC.MAY 1: 2nd Day Shawnee MuskieHunters Spring TournamentMAY 21: Spring Board Meeting,Madison, WIMAY 21: Active Military DayJUNE 4: Kids Fishing Day withChamber of Commerce and COEJUNE 11: Prime Time Outing

ROCKY MOUNTAINELK FOUNDATIONMAY 14: Osage Buglers BigGame Banquet, Lees Summit;Scott McMillin (816) 365-1434

UNITED BOWHUNTERSOF MISSOURIMAY 21-22: Jerry Pierce Memori-al Shoot (7:00am – 7:00pm); KevinBrown (601) 566-4255

CFM EVENTSJUNE 18: Board MeetingAUG 13: Pull for Conservation –Sporting Clay Shoot, River HillsSporting Clays, BoonvilleSEP 16-18: Annual Fall Confer-ence, Camp Clover Point StatePark, Osage Beach


CALENDAR

Conserve Life: SLOW DOWN More than 1,100 people die on Missouri highways each year.

Don’t become a statistic. Conserve life by slowing down and by always making sure your seatbelt is buckled. BUCKLE UP


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: ___________________

Charles Abele, Saint LouisR. Philip Acuff, Saint JosephDuane Addleman, SpringfieldMichael Duane Addleman †Nancy Addleman †Nancy Carol Addleman, SpringfieldTom Addleman, JoplinJames Agnew, ArnoldAllen Appell, CalhounRichard Ash, Saint CharlesCarolyn Auckley, BallwinMichael Baker, DeSotoDane Balsman, PerryvilleDon Bedell, SikestonJim Tom Blair, Saint LouisMarilynn Bradford, Cape GirardeauStephen Bradford, Cape GirardeauMark Brandly, New Baden, ILScott Brundage, ColumbiaGlenn Chambers, ColumbiaRon Coleman, Saint AlbansMark Corio, ColumbiaBill Crawford, ColumbiaRyan Diener, MarthasvilleJoe G. Dillard, ColumbiaRon Douglas, SpringfieldCharlie Drury, Saint LouisChuck Drury, Saint LouisTom Drury, Saint LouisJohn Enderle, KelsoHoward Fisher, HigginsvilleMary Louise Fisher, HigginsvilleAndrew Fleming, ColumbiaHoward Fleming, MoberlyLori Fleming, ColumbiaMatt Fleming, ColumbiaPaula Fleming, ColumbiaSara Fleming, Moberly

Matt Gaunt, ColumbiaTimothy Gordon, Maryland HeightsRichard & Sally Graham, HartsburgJoseph Gray, Saint JosephDebbie Gremmelsbacher, Saint LouisGery Gremmelsbacher, Saint LouisMark & Kathy Haas, JacksonHerman Hanley, Grain ValleyJack & Pat Harris, Saint LouisMickey Heitmeyer, AdvanceRandy Herzog, Saint JosephJames Hill, MexicoChristine Logan-Hollis, BlackwellAllan Hoover, Pleasant HillJohn Hoskins, FremontLarry & Joan Hummel, GlencoePatricia Hurster, Saint LouisJim Jacobi, Saint CharlesAaron Jeffries, Jefferson CityRoger Johnson, HumansvilleDon Johnson, FestusMalcolm “Mac” Johnson, HartsburgPat Jones, WilliamsburgTom Karl, FarmingtonCosette Kelly, Kansas CityDuane Kelly, Kansas CityMarty King, University CityJudd Kirkham, Climax SpringsElizabeth Knight, Charlotte, NCJeff Kolb, Saint CharlesCarl Kurz, Leawood, KSAnn Kutscher, Jefferson CityLarry Lackamp, Bates CityKyle Lairmore, OwensvilleJay Law †Gerald Lee, Kansas CityJoel LeMaster, FultonNorman Leppo, Saint Louis

John Lewis, ColumbiaLeroy Logan, ArnoldIke Lovan, SteelvilleChip McGeehan, MarshfieldTeresa McGeehan, MarshfieldRichard Mendenhall, ColumbiaCynthia Metcalfe, Saint LouisDavis Minton, DexterLowell Mohler, Jefferson CityJohn Moore, Jr., SpringfieldJohnny Morris, SpringfieldJohn & Patricia Mort, SmithvilleDavid Murphy, ColumbiaDean Murphy, Jefferson CityFirst Lady Georganne Wheeler Nixon,

Jefferson CityGovernor Jay Nixon, Jefferson CityLarry & Nancy O’Reilly, SpringfieldAustin Owens, LebanonJeff Owens, MarshfieldSara Parker Pauley, HartsburgAbe Phillips, Saint LouisJan Phillips, Saint LouisJessica Plaggenberg, FlorissantJerry Presley, CentertownAlbert Price, ColumbiaNick Prough, HarrisonvilleKirk Rahm, WarrensburgDavid & Janice Reynolds, SpringfieldGerald Ross, Jefferson CityTyler Ruoff, SavannahBruce & Jan Sassmann, BlandFred Saylor, IndependenceEvelyn Schallon, BallwinMike Schallon, WentzvilleMossie Schallon, WentzvilleTimothy Schwent, JacksonGeorge Seek, Meadville

E. “Sy” Seidler, Saint LouisSara Seidler, Saint LouisGary & Susanna Smith, NeoshoM. W. Sorenson, ColumbiaEd Stegner, Pilot GroveCharles & Winnie Stribling, MexicoMary Stuppy, JoplinMark Sullivan †Jacob Swafford, ColumbiaJim Talbert, Jefferson CityTravis Taylor, LawsonTim Thompson, Lake Saint LouisJeff “J. T.” Tillman, Lake OzarkGary Van De Velde, Jefferson CityBarbara vanBenschoten, Kansas CityLee Vogel, Kansas CityAl Vogt, ColumbiaJulius Wall, ClintonRandy Washburn, Jefferson CityHenry J. Waters, III, ColumbiaRobert O. Werges, ArnoldMark Williams, LawsonMichael Wilson, Saint LouisStephen Wilson, HartsburgBrenda Witter, Holts SummitDaniel Witter, Holts SummitDick Wood, Saint LouisHoward Wood, Bonne TerreJoyce Wood, Bonne TerreNicole Wood, Bonne TerreDan Zerr, O’FallonJim Zieger, HannibalEmily Ziehmer, CaliforniaRobert Ziehmer, CaliforniaEthan Zuck, StraffordGuy Zuck, Strafford† Deceased

CFM Conservationists For Life($1,000 Contribution)

2 2 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Thank you so muchfor the coolest timeever. Since this wasmy first time hunting Iwas really happy tohave such good teach-ers to teach me abouthunting safety andhunting turkey's. OnFriday when we got toshoot at the targets Igot 15 shots in theneck area and alsolearned how to judgethe distance of theturkey I was going toshoot and when not to.The dinner at the Gov-ernor's Mansion willalways be somethingthat I remember espe-cially the turkey callthat the Governor

signed for me. I woke up at 3:45AM and could not go back to sleep knowingthat we would be getting up at 5:00 to head out. Dave had set up a blind in thefield the night before where he had heard some gobblers. We saw 2 hens reallyearly but then we did not see anything else for a long time. We called my dadand he came down to the field to help us move the blind and decoys up to a newarea. After awhile and not hearing anything after calling we decided we wouldhead to breakfast. Just as we were getting ready to go we heard a gobble and sowe set back up and stayed. The gobbles got closer and closer. When we sawthem there were two, the gobbler was strutting and there was a jake. They werewalking back and forth but it took them a very long time to get in range. Davetold me to be real patient and take my time to get a good shot without branchesin the way. I got lined up but I was too late to shoot the gobbler as he walkedbehind a tree and then the other one got into view. I pulled the trigger and got it.It was 10:47AM. We stepped off the distance and it was 27 yards. The jakeweighed 16 pounds and had a 4 1/4 inch beard. We went to breakfast and I gotto tell the story over and over and get lots of pictures taken. I was really happyand enjoyed telling my story at the Capitol that night. This was the most funever and I want to thank you again.

Heather Ludwig

The Missouri Governor’s Youth Spring WildTurkey Hunt for 2011 was a Huge Success!

Dan Fuller, Governor Nixon and three of thehunters (left to right): Kade McKee, Jon Martin andDustin Tomlinson.

Thanks to the George Clark Mis-souri State Chapter of theNational Wild Turkey Federa-tion, the Missouri Legislative

Sportsmen’s Caucus, and dozens of guidesand landowners, our 3rd annual hunt mayhave been our best ever.

After safety, ethics and regulations ori-entation at the United Sportsmen’s Club inJefferson City, our hunters and their fami-lies were hosted at The Mansion by Gov-ernor and First Lady Nixon for dinner onFriday evening. Next the hunters traveledto their respective hunting camps for a lit-tle bit of sleep before an early morningintroduction into hunting the Wild TurkeyMissouri style!

On Saturday evening, the hunters, theirfamilies, their guides and the hostinglandowners convened at the MissouriCapitol for dinner together and a chanceto share their stories. Then back to campand preparations for the final morning ofthe hunt on Sunday.

In the end, 3 turkeys were harvested,but more importantly everyone involvedwith the hunt had an incredible experienceand a lifetime memory. Thanks to every-one for a wonderful celebration of Mis-souri’s leadership in hunter recruitmentand wild turkey conservation.

M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 2 3M I S S O U R I W I L D L I F E 2 3

Fortune smiled on young hunters during Missouri’s springyouth firearms turkey season April 9 and 10, enabling

them to shoot an impressive 3,898 turkeys.This was the second year in a row of warm, sunny weather

for the youth season; encouraging hunters age 6 through 15to spend plenty of time pursuing gobblers. This year’s harvestwas nearly identical to last year’s figure of 3,945. Top coun-ties for this year’s youth season were Franklin with 101turkeys checked, Wright and Callaway with 77 each and PolkCounty with 75.

Male turkeys gobble most on warm, sunny days withmoderate wind. Weather across most of the state closelymatched this description this year, paving the way for anexcellent hunt. Youth harvests prior to 2010 ranged from3,894 in 2005 to 2,530 in 2001, the first year of the youthhunt.

The youth season provides an opportunity for adults tofocus on mentoring young hunters. The impact on the state’swild turkey flock is minimal, since the youth harvest usuallyaccounts for approximately 5 percent of the annual harvest.

Jim LowNews Services Coordinator, MDC

Hunters, parents, guides, landowners and friends after their special late morning breakfast on opening day at the Lairmores.

Julie Cook and her guide, Eldo Meyer.

Young Turkey Hunters PostAnother Good Harvest

A scene from the hunt.

This year’s weather and the youth turkeyharvest were nearly identical to last year’s.

2 4 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Esteemed CFM Conservation Awards PresentedCitizen Conservationists Recognized At Annual Convention

Agroup of Missouricitizen conservation-ist were awardedprestigious Conser-

vation Federation of Missouristatuettes for their volunteerand professional efforts toimprove and protect our natu-ral resources at the AnnualConvention of the Conserva-tion Federation of Missouri onFebruary 25, 2011, at theLodge of Four Seasons, LakeOzark, MO. Chosen from aselect group of nominees, the2010 award winners representthe best of the best. A largegroup of CFM members andfriends celebrated the elitegroup’s accomplishments at areception sponsored by BassPro Shops. Presenting the2010 awards were CFM Presi-dent Mike Schallon and Mar-tin MacDonald with Bass ProShops.

ConservationCommunicator of the Year:Bob Priddy, Jefferson City

If the Missouri outdoors hada single human voice, it wouldlikely be Bob Priddy. BobPriddy has been the newsdirector of the Missourinetsince its founding in Novem-ber, 1974. He’s the author ofmany books including Onlythe Rivers Are Peaceful:

Thomas Hart Benton’s Mis-souri Mural and very recentlyThe Art of the Missouri Capi-tol: History in Canvas, Bronzeand Stone. Both are mustreads for the well informedMissouri citizen-conservation-ist. He has led efforts to bringlive debate from the legislatureto the internet, and to bringlive broadcasts of the MissouriSupreme Court. He is a fre-quently called-upon publicspeaker and is widely recog-nized for his knowledge ofMissouri history.

Bob is the only two-timeChairman of the Board of theRadio-Television News Direc-tors Association, the onlyinternational organization thatspeaks exclusively for broad-cast journalists. He’s dabbledin archaeology, likes to ride hisbike when he can, hopes tolearn to play the hammer dul-cimer someday, and hates yardwork.

His eloquence and rapier withave delighted CFM gather-ings at our convention, at the2009 Summit on the Future ofthe Missouri Outdoors, and atour 75th Anniversary celebra-tion in 2010. In that each ofus Missouri outdoors zealotsconsider ourselves to be part ofan extended family; Bob is ourfamily’s Walter Cronkite. Forall Missouri citizens and for itswild inhabitants, we celebrateBob Priddy’s countless contri-butions to keeping the out-doors relevant to each andeveryone of us.

Conservation Educatorof the Year:Norman Ridder,Springfield

Before coming to Spring-field, Dr. Ridder served assuperintendent in ColoradoSprings, Colorado and wasinvolved in a program calledSchool in the Woods. Uponarriving in Springfield, Dr. Rid-der began to explore the possi-bility of beginning a conserva-tion science program in theOzarks. In a proactive move,he sent a team from SpringfieldPublic Schools, along withstaff from WOW to ColoradoSprings to learn more aboutthe School in the Woods. As aresult, he made WOLF hap-pen.

Working closely with BassPro Shops founder JohnnyMorris and Wonders ofWildlife (WOW) museumstaff, in 2007 Dr. Ridderhelped develop WOLF (Won-ders of the Ozarks LearningFacility), which allows nearly50 fifth-grade students tospend the entire school yearusing the outdoors as theirclassroom. Stationed at theWOW museum office, WOLFstudents have the opportunityto learn math, science, reading,history, and other traditionalsubjects while studying nature

and conservation science.WOLF curriculum teaches

the conservation of Missouriecosystems, and incorporatesactivities such as archery, fish-ing, shooting sports, hiking,snorkeling, kayaking, canoe-ing, orienteering, and primitiveskills. It also includes natural-ist pursuits such as plant iden-tification, birding, gardening,nature journaling, nature art,and animal handling.

As of today, nearly 150 stu-dents have experienced theWOLF program since it beganthree years ago. But, the “rip-ple effect” is far-reaching whenyou include the siblings, fami-lies, grandparents, and friendsthat have been drawn inbecause of the WOLF stu-dents’ interest and experience.And thanks to private dona-tions, a new WOLF school iscurrently being constructednext to the WOW museumand Bass Pro Shops. This newfacility features two 1,200square feet classrooms as wellas an archery range, water fea-tures, various outdoor learningstations and much more.

For most of these students, itis the first time they have evershot a gun, been in a canoe, orshot an arrow. Many of thesestudents and families go hunt-ing, camping, or canoeing forthe first time because of theirexperience at WOLF. More-over, these families continuelearning about their role inconservation through theirparticipation in programs likewoodworking for wildlife,furbearer identification using


pelts and tracks, and the manypublic educational programsand events offered by MDCeach year.

Not only is the WOLFschool changing the way stu-dents view the natural worldand making them better stew-ards of the Missouri outdoors,it’s also improving their aca-demic achievement. A recentassessment of all fifth gradestudents in Springfield PublicSchools found WOLF studentsscored the highest across theboard in Language Arts, Read-ing and Math. As a note, thereare no academic requirementsto enter WOLF.

In addition to the WOLFprogram, Springfield PublicSchools are now participatingin MDC’s Discover NatureSchools program. Designed tomeet state education require-ments and to teach studentsmore about the Missouriponds, forest and prairies sur-rounding them, 68 teachershave been trained on how touse MDC’s Nature Unleashedcurriculum which will result in1,500 fourth-graders learningmore about Missouri’s fish,forest and wildlife resources.Again, this is made possiblethanks to Dr. Ridder’s supportand commitment to outdoorlearning.

Forest Conservationistof the Year:Gus Raeker, Washington

Gus Raeker was responsiblefor the development of theMissouri Forest ResourceAssessment and Strategy(FRAS) over the past two

years. The Forestry Title of the2008 Farm Bill directed statesto complete forest assessmentsand strategies as a requirementto continue receiving financialsupport from the Forest Ser-vice. The FRAS is equivalentto the State Wildlife ActionPlan and the completionrequired a significant timecommitment and substantialwork by Gus. Gus was chosento lead this effort from 16 can-didates through a competitiveinterview process. Once select-ed, Gus hit the ground run-ning. He coordinated withWildlife staff to assure theFRAS complemented theState’s Comprehensive WildlifeStrategy (CWS). He also spentconsiderable time withForestry Division leadership tomore clearly define the expec-tations, process and productsexpected.

Through the process, Gusworked tirelessly to pulltogether stakeholders includ-ing numerous state and federalagencies, NGO’s, Associations,environmental groups,landowner groups, individualsand MDC staff. He plannedand facilitated six stakeholdermeetings throughout the statefor over 160 participants. Hespent countless hours research-ing information related to Mis-souri’s forests and relatedresources and worked closelywith many Department staff todevelop and refine criteria forthe assessment and to assembleappropriate data sets used inthe assessment. During thisprocess, Gus worked closelywith USFS State & PrivateForestry staff to assure ourassessment and strategies metForest Service guidelines.Gus’s passion, knowledge andstrategic thinking abilities wererecognized by the Forest Ser-

vice and he was invited to par-ticipate at the national level tohelp define the criteria to beused in developing the FRASand the process for completingthem. He was also drafted bythe Forest Service State & Pri-vate Forestry staff to make sev-eral presentations to the ForestService and other states. Tocomplete the document, Guswrote extensively. This includ-ed a lot of research, consulta-tion and collaboration withMDC staff partners and stake-holders, but ultimately, he hadto pull it all together in a com-prehensive, yet understandableplan.

The development of Mis-souri’s FRAS was a collabora-tive process that required theinput and involvement of a lotof individuals, but the majorityof the work was done by Gus.He poured his heart and soulinto this project for nearly twoyears and that passion isreflected in the quality of thefinal product. This documentwill be a cornerstone forforestry in Missouri for thenext several decades. It is diffi-cult to predict the importanceof this monumental plan or theimpact it will have on thehealth and sustainability ofMissouri’s forest resources inthe future, but we can expect itwill be significant and it will beregarded as a watershed docu-ment for forestry in Missouri.

In addition to the publica-tion of the actual FRAS docu-ment, the September, 2010Missouri Conservationistmagazine was dedicated to theMissouri FRAS. Gus wrotefive articles for that magazinewhich provided informationabout FRAS, but also intro-duced hundreds of thousandsof Missourians to forest man-agement and conservation. It

is difficult to imagine any oneindividual who will have amore significant potentialimpact on Missouri’s forests inthe next decade.

Outstanding LifetimeAchievement:Wayne Morton, Osceola

Dr. Wayne Morton’s knowl-edge and passion for Mis-souri's grasslands/ prairieshave been widely known andappreciated for over 20 years.He has been, and is, a com-mitted servant tirelessly car-ing for our rural citizens in allthe medical needs like yester-day's old fashion visiting doc-tors. It is easy to see from thesmile on his face that he lovescaring for all from aging shut-ins to the youngest children.

His devoted and intensecommitment to preserving,protecting and promotinggrassland health can be seenthroughout our state. It seemsthat Dr. Morton cannot betired out; hardly ever yieldingto fatigue or weariness in hislove for prairies. He is alwaysattending meetings that need aprairie advocate here in Mis-souri. His width and breadthof knowledge concerning theecology of our prairiesaffords him the title of a"sage," not the prairie plantbut of a wise man alwaysshowing knowledge and wis-dom. Most of all, he does thiswith selfless devotion andlove.

Doc Morton's influence inN.E. Missouri is most obvious

See Conservationists on page 26

2 6 M A Y 2 0 1 1

in the Mystic Focus Conserva-tion Opportunity Area. Whileserving on Missouri PrairieFoundation Board - as a pastpresident for several years -and on USDA's State TechnicalCommittee and on Missouri'sBird Coalition Initiative(MOBCI) and a host of othercommittees, Dr. Morton canalways be counted on todefend and promote the valueof prairies. It was his persist-ence and persuasive naturethat made it possible for theMystic Plains to be designateda special area of conservationconcern. That certification hasmade a host of conservationcost share fund available toover 10,000 acres of privateland. This is just in NorthMissouri. Where he lives in theSouthwest part of our state, heowns and maintains thousandsof acres of prairie that providesMissouri’s rarest bird - theprairie chicken - abundantfields of grass and wildflow-ers.

Hunter Education Instructorof the Year:David Rush, Belton

David Rush joined Mis-souri’s volunteer hunter educa-tion instructor corps in 1998.A lifetime of experience, com-bined with a passion for work-ing with youth, has preparedDavid well for a distinguishedcarrier as a volunteer. Theseexperiences include: growingup on the family farm in theKansas Flint Hills, learning

from his father how to handlefirearms and safely hunt every-thing from small game toupland birds and waterfowl towhitetail deer, an educationalbackground including a Bache-lor of Science Industrial Tech-nology in Electronics and Mas-ters of Science IndustrialTechnology in Digital Elec-tronics and Fluidic Devices,and a career as a CertifiedPower Quality Professional.

As an instructor, David hasconnected with hundreds ofstudents by creating a pleasantatmosphere where learning isfun and exciting. His trade-mark style of keeping studentsalert in class is a particularfavorite. As the day growslong and attention spans short-en, David routinely rewardsstudents for correct answers byproducing candy bars from hisvest pockets and tossing themacross the room. Studentsquickly learn to maintain eyecontact while interacting withDavid.

In addition to his efforts as avolunteer hunter educationinstructor, David generouslycontributes his time and talentsto 4-H programs at the local,state, and national levels. Heis credited with being the driv-ing force behind transforminga local Firearms Safety groupconsisting of two students in1996 into a county-wideShooting Skills Program ofmore than 100 students today.David has 4-H certifications inRifle and in Hunting Skills dis-ciplines, and he conducted twonational Hunting Skills compe-titions in 2004 and 2005. Hisnational 4-H Level 2 trainingand experience qualify Davidto serve as a trainer for newinstructors and as a consultant

in developing teams for nation-al competitions.

In 2007 David was instru-mental in founding the Mis-souri Hunting Heritage Feder-ation, a grass rootsorganization that utilizeshunter education as an instru-ment in introducing youth toan outdoor way of life featur-ing hunting and the shootingsports. David’s leadership as amember of the MHHF Boardof Directors is invaluable. Inaddition, he volunteers timeteaching the hunter educationclasses, supervising the live firesessions, mentoring youth ontheir first hunt for waterfowl,turkey, or deer, and he willbreak out the Dutch Ovens toprepare a camp lunch for theentire group as a special addi-tion to their MHHF clinicexperience.

Whether it is inside the class-room or outdoors, no chal-lenge is too great, nor any tasktoo small for David to con-tribute his time and consider-able talents as a volunteerhunter education instructor.

Water Conservationistof the Year:Bill Ambrose, Jefferson City

Since acquiring his MillerCounty farm, Jefferson Citydentist Bill Ambrose has beena fine example of what a pri-vate landowner can accom-plish through leadership, astrong commitment to conser-vation, perseverance, and per-sonal effort.

Soon after purchasing his325-acre farm in 1998, Dr.Ambrose became aware thatthere were serious long-termproblems with the Little Tav-ern Creek that ran adjacent tomuch of his most productiveland. These problems includedfrequent flooding, excessiveerosion and ongoing loss ofhabitat for the native fish inthe stream, which includesmallmouth bass and theendangered Niangua darter.

By initiating and hosting aseries of meetings, Bill enlistedthe support of local stakehold-ers and various governmentalagencies. The cause of the Lit-tle Tavern Creek problems wasdetermined to be the MassmanSlab, a 1920’s-era concretelow-water bridge. Replacingthe slab with a suitable struc-ture would be very expensiveand the process would not beeasy. However, today, largelydue to Bill’s efforts and deter-mination, a modern 90-footbridge now stands where theold concrete slab once was.The problems have been allevi-ated and habitat for the Nian-gua darter in the stream hasbeen significantly improved.

Bill did not limit his effortsjust to addressing the Mass-man Slab issue. Having asound understanding of con-servation and watersheds, hehas spent a great deal of timeand money upgrading thequality of the water runningoff his farmland and into theLittle Tavern Creek and theThomson Branch Creek,which is also on his farm. Thisprocess has entailed plantingover five thousand native treesand shrubs in the riparian cor-ridors of these beautiful Ozarkstreams. The introduction of

Conservationists from page 25


these trees and shrubs has alsogreatly improved the habitatavailable for birds and otherwildlife. Bill has achieved fur-ther improvement of wildlifehabitat through the use of cat-tle exclusion fences, plantingbuffer areas between fields andforested areas, and by replac-ing fescue in his fields withnative Missouri grasses. Thewater for the cattle in two ofhis fields is provided by asolar-powered alternativewatering source system that hepersonally built. Enlisting thehelp of family and friends, hehas also restored several gladeson his farm and he maintainsthem through carefully con-ducted controlled burns.

Bill Ambrose is extremelyknowledgeable about conser-vation issues and continues tomake improvements to hisfarm. As he does so, he wel-comes many visitors each yearso they can see his ongoingconservation projects and canview the dramatic results of hismany projects of the past. It iscommon for people to comeaway from these visits bothinformed and inspired. Byeducating the public, Dr.Ambrose’s contributions to thecause of conservation extendwell beyond the Little TavernCreek Valley.

Wildlife Conservationistof the Year:John Murphy, Kirksville

Adair County is a very spe-cial place, one with beautiful,

wide open spaces endowedwith abundant wildlife and sig-nificant remnant nativeprairies. Thanks at least inpart to our Wildlife Conserva-tionist of the Year, prairies areparticularly well cared for andabundant around the commu-nity of Pure Air.

The rare and unusual plantlife, the awe inspiring beauty ofsavannahs, the diversity of thewildlife all live well aroundPure Air.

John Murphy is on a conser-vation mission. This guy istruly a servant to building rela-tionships with owners andexpanding the conservationpractices on private lands. Itseems the more he gets toknow the county's environ-mental assets, the more ardent-ly devoted he becomes to thegoals he was sent to achieve.His no nonsense and conta-gious zeal for delivering solu-tions consistently improve ournative grasslands and ourprairie dependant wildlife.John's reputation in the field ofenhancing habitat for wildlifehas earned him the respect ofranchers, hunters and the aca-demic community.

John Murphy has made adirect and positive impact onover 12,000 acres. His imple-mentation of restorationrecipes is like watching themagic of a 4th of July fire-works show. He is the scienceguy. When he sells a landowner on the idea of convert-ing hundreds of acres of fescueinto a paradise for wildlife, youknow John will go above andbeyond any job description toachieve inspirational success.

John is a one of a kind hus-band, a dad-extraordinaire andan exemplary professional.

Conservationists of the Year:Larry & BrendaPotterfield, Columbia

“Conservation is the WiseUse of Natural Resources” isat the center of who the Potter-fields are, what they representand how they conduct theirbusiness. From a beginningwith very modest means totheir current national andinternational prominence asleaders in the outdoor indus-try, the Potterfields certainlyhave used their resources wise-ly, efficiently and effectively forall our benefit.

In December 2009, theiroutstanding company, Mid-wayUSA was one of fiveorganizations to receive the2009 Malcolm BaldrigeNational Quality Award, thenation’s highest Presidentialhonor for innovation and per-formance excellence. “Theroad to greatness in Americahas been, and always will be,traveled by those who embracechange and work hard everyday to be the best; the organi-zations we honor today withthe Baldrige National QualityAward exemplify that spirit,”said President Obama.

This national recognitionconfirms what we Missourioutdoors folks have longknown, the Potterfields havedeep roots in all aspects of theoutdoors and their influenceand leadership improve every-thing they touch. For manyyears, their leadership and sup-port have brought out the bestin the Friends of the NRA, the

National Wild Turkey Federa-tion, Safari Club International,the Wild Sheep Foundation,the Mule Deer Foundation andthe Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation. They have sup-ported CFM’s Share The Har-vest Program.

Especially deserving ofrecognition at the moment istheir founding, funding andnurturing in every conceivableway the Scholastic ShootingTrust Fund which they createdto raise money for shootingteams for high schools, col-leges and universities all acrossthe United States. Every year,they invest in youth shootingsports programs. Most yearsat least 10% of their pre-taxprofits. Nearly 20% in 2010.

Rob Keck, former CEO ofthe National Wild Turkey Fed-eration said it best: “withoutguns there can be no hunting,without hunting there can beno conservation, without con-servation there will be nowildlife.” The Potterfields arechampions among the legionsof hunters and shooters inAmerica. Their inspirationalleadership, personal commit-ment to excellence andextremely effective actions aredeserving of all the recognitionand support we can provide.

REDUCE • REUSERECYCLE

2 8 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Great American Backyard Campout

We need to giveback to ourchildren whatthey don’t

even know they’ve lost, aconnection to the naturalworld. A great place to start is byhaving your family partici-pate in the 7th annual GreatAmerican Backyard Cam-pout on June 25. NationalWildlife Federation’sfundraising event encour-ages parents and kids aliketo trade screen time forgreen time by spending anight under the stars. In the last two decades,childhood has literallymoved indoors with kidsspending more than sevenhours per day in front ofelectronic media. The aver-age American child nowspends just four to sevenminutes outside in unstruc-tured play each day. Simplyput, the nature of childhoodhas changed, and there isn’tmuch nature in it. Studies show that outdoortime helps children growlean and strong, enhancescreativity and attentionspans, decreases aggression,and boosts classroom per-formance. Bottom line;healthier, happier kids. A night under the stars willhelp kids understand whyit’s called the GREAT out-doors. As part of NationalWildlife Federation’s BeOut There movement, theGreat American BackyardCampout lets kids explore awhole other world right in

their own backyard, togeth-er with neighbors, withfriends at a local campground, or at a large com-munity camping event. Forthose looking to campbeyond their own backyard,the Campout website helpslocate organized Campoutsacross the country.

When you register yourCampout on NationalWildlife Federation’s website you get helpful informa-tion to make your campingexperience a fun one includ-ing recipes, nocturnalwildlife guides, campfiresongs and games, natureactivities and more.

National Wildlife Federa-tion inspires Americans toprotect wildlife for our chil-dren’s future. Media Contact: Mary Bur-nette, [email protected],703-438-6097www.backyardcampout.org

Sponsored by National Wildlife Federation June 25, 2011


Having justreturned fromPomme deTerre, and the

B.A.S.S. Federation NationSpring Fling, I’ve got “MoBASS” on my mind. TheirPresident, Jim Zieger, hasforged an ideal relationshipwith CFM. As the Presidentof an affiliated organizationwith over 250 members,Jim holds a seat on theCFM Board. He’s taken anactive approach to thoseduties, attending boardmeetings and providinginput on topics like the useof lead in fishing lures. Jimhas regularly attended our

annual convention andjumped in with a CFM LifeMembership, but mostimportantly, he has workedboth sides of the affiliateequation to remind us thatwe are in this together.

Shortly after Jim and hisson Jimmy attended oursporting clay shoot lastAugust, I asked if he wouldhelp coordinate a sportingclay event in the KansasCity Area. His slow,thoughtful response was,“Well…, okay, but… howabout a fishing tourna-ment?” Jim knows fishingtournaments. He’s beenrunning them for manyyears. In his 26 years withMO BASS he’s served asYouth Director, Treasurerand 10 years as President.Jim knows how to makenovice tournament fisher-men feel comfortable. For

the Spring Fling, hearranged boats for severalCFM participants, pairingthem with experienced MOBASS members, and madesure that everyone had agood time… and we raisedsome money! We’re goingto do this again next year.So when the date isannounced for the 2012MO BASS Spring Fling, putit on your calendar. Itwould be great to have 30or 40 more CFM membersat next year’s event. Pleaseshow up and let the MOBASS members know weappreciate their support ofCFM!

If you’re reading this,you’re almost certainlyalready a CFM mem-ber. Nothing is more

important to CFM thanmembers, so thank you forjoining and renewing. Wecould use a few (thousand)more members, and the bestway to get there is for eachmember to invite a friend tojoin – or better yet, bring afriend to a CFM event. Thenext scheduled event is our5th annual “Pull for Con-servation” sporting clayshoot at River Hills Sport-ing Clays near Boonville.Last year’s 103 shootersincluded everyone fromrank amateurs to competi-tion shooters. We’ll pay

three places deep in threeLewis Classes and we’llhave door prizes, so youwon’t have to be the bestshot there to go home witha prize. The fun will takeplace on Saturday, August13. Call the office and signup your team today.

Missouri Department ofConservation employeeshave an added reason tocome and compete. Thiswill be the 3rd year of theMDC traveling trophy.Kyle Lairmore and TimRipperger won the trophyin 2009 and again in 2010.It’s time to add some addi-tional competition to thefield! Thanks to Ed Stegner,this year’s top MDC team

will not only have theirnames engraved on the tro-phy, they’ll win a quail hunton Ed’s property. Mostfolks know Ed was execu-tive director of CFM for 40years, but you may notknow he has a gorgeousfarm near Pilot Grove. Andhe has quail. If you don’thave dogs, don’t worry,Aaron Jefferies has offeredto serve as a guide for thewinners.

The success of this eventis due in large part to thework of two great volun-teers, both former MDCemployees, Tom Russell andGlenn Chambers. Knowingthe history of CFM well,they’ve always hoped for

greater participation fromMDC staff. The first act ofthe “Restoration and Con-servation Federation ofMissouri” was to write aproposed amendment toMissouri’s constitution,gather signatures on peti-tions, and campaign forpassage of Proposition 4,thereby creating the modernDepartment of Conserva-tion with our four commis-sioner system. Please honorthis great partnership byjoining us at River Hillsto celebrate our historytogether.

Matt GauntDirector of Develop-

ment, CFM

DEVELOPMENT NEWS

MO B.A.S.S. and CFM on Pomme de Terre

Sporting Clays and a Quail Hunt

3 0 M A Y 2 0 1 1

The 2011 ConservationFederation of Missouri FallConference will be held Fri-day, Saturday and Sunday,September 16, 17 and 18 atCamp Clover Point, LakeOzark State Park, OsageBeach, Missouri.

Programs planned are:• Climate Change – Universi-ty of Missouri, AtmosphericScience Department • “What ConservationAgents Actually Do” – MDC,Protection Division• Ethanol – Missouri CornGrowers Association• Orienteering

Additional activities willbe MDC movies, bingo,camp fire and marshmallowroast, a craft project andscavenger hunt.

We will have Happy Hourand a White Elephant SaleSaturday afternoon. Whenyou are cleaning out yourgarages and basements thisSpring save some good stuffto donate to the White Ele-phant Sale. The sale helps todefray the expenses of theFall Conference.

The food is always won-derfully prepared by theBoessen family.

Put September 16, 17, and18 on your calendar and planto attend this relaxing outsideweekend. A registrationform will be in the July issueof your Missouri Wildlifemagazine. Bring yourself,family, friends and relativesto the Conference.

We hope to see each andevery one of you there.

The Open Space Councilfor the St. Louis Region(OSC) was honored toreceive the 2011 WatershedManagement AchievementAward from the MissouriWater Environment Associa-tion, recognizing OSC for itsleadership and work withOperation Clean Stream andthe Meramec River TributaryAlliance. According to theMWEA, this award is giveneach year to nominated indi-viduals and organizationswho "Reduce volume or tox-icity of pollutants enteringthe watershed environment;reduce flooding potential andrelated threat to structuresand human life; preserve orrestore natural lands or habi-tat; increase conservationactivities;" and/or "educate

the public on watershed pro-tection." Executive DirectorRon Coleman attended theMWEA Annual Meeting andAwards Banquet at Tan-Tar-A Resort in Osage Beach,

Missouri, to receive theaward on behalf of OSC.

OSC's years of watershedconservation has involvedmany partners on the Mer-amec River and several of itstributaries, including LaBar-que Creek, the Big River, theCourtois River, the HuzzahRiver, the Bourbeuse River,Fox Creek, Brusch Creek andHamilton-Carr Creek. Thisaward, while presented toOSC, is a recognition for thejoint contribution of all ofour partners and supporters,all the thousands of Opera-tion Clean Stream volunteers,and all the members of theMeramec River TributaryAlliance. OSC Project Man-ager, Brittany Barton,explains, "Without our part-nerships, our watershedrestoration work and effortswould not be the success theyare today."

To learn more about OSC,visit openspacestl.org, and tolearn more about MWEAvisit www.MWEA.org

Missourians who yearn tolearn how to trap ottersunder ice or clean a turtle,

find out more about moun-tain lions or collectable trapsor possibly meet representa-tives from international furauction houses can do all thatand more at the National FurTrappers Association’s 52ndannual convention Aug. 4through 7. For those fourdays, Columbia will be thecenter of the nation’s trap-ping universe, with opportu-nities to compare notes withhundreds of trappers, shopfor bargains from more than100 vendors and attenddemonstrations on dozens oftopics. For more informa-tion, visit www.nationaltrap-pers.com/2011nat.html.

Missourians can helpmanage the Show-Me State’sgrowing black-bear popula-tion with a phone call or aquick trip online. Citizenreports of bear sightings giveMDC a huge network ofobservers. “Citizen reportsprovide information aboutbear abundance and distribu-tion,” said Assistant Furbear-er Biologist Justan Blair.“Documenting public obser-vations is a cost-effective wayof collecting data.” To reporta bear sighting, call 573-882-9909, or fill out the reportform athttp://1.usa.gov/fbtkOg.


NEWS & ISSUES2011 Fall Conference

Open Space CouncilReceives Award

Trappers’ ConclaveSet for Aug. 4-7 in

Columbia

Black Bear Sightings

@Would you like to be added to our electronic newsletter list?Please email your name and email address to

[email protected] or call us toll free at 800-575-2322


PLATINUMBass Pro ShopsShelter InsuranceDrury Hotels

SILVERAnalytical Bio-Chemistry

Laboratories, Inc.Gray Manufacturing Co.Hornbuckle Heating,

Cooling and Plumbing

James T. Blair IVPyramid Home Health Services

BASICAaron’s Boat & MotorsArdPark CabinsBee Rock Land, LLCBolin Auto & Truck PartsC. J. Thomas CompanyCap AmericaCentral Trust & Investment Co.

Cequel IIICitizens Telephone CompanyColumbia Daily TribuneCommerce BankColumbia MarketCulligan Water of ColumbiaDenny Dennis Sporting GoodsEvans EquipmentFarmer’s Coop Elevator Assoc.Les Bourgeois VineyardsMcRoberts Farm, Inc.

Meramec Bison Farm, LLCMichaelanne Investments, Inc.Paradigm Financial AdvisorsQuality Forest ManagementREMAX Boone RealtySierra BulletsSuddenlink CommunicationsTabor Plastic CompanyThe Bank of MissouriWood Land & Cattle, LLC

THANK YOU! BUSINESS ALLIANCE MEMBERSOur sincere thanks to all of our Business Alliance members. Your support of CFM is making a difference for Missouri outdoors!

3 2 M A Y 2 0 1 1

Gerald Adlon, Saint LouisRobert Ahlvin, SikestonAnderson Dairy

Equipment, Inc., LebanonDon Antweiler, Loose CreekThe Ash-Piccinni Family,

BallwinDavid Austin, Jefferson CityAlan Baker, Kansas CityRosella Baller, TruxtonJohn Barr, Blue SpringsJennifer Battson, ColumbiaCharles Benz, Saint LouisDon Bishop, LibertyJohn & Kathy Blankenbeker,

CamdentonJean Blecha, Saint LouisBob Bomgaars, Pleasant HillDavid Boone, Gravois MillsCale Bradford, Saint LouisBarbara Bregant,

Jefferson CityBruce Brown, O’FallonMenzie Brown, Kansas CityWilliam Brown, North Kansas

CityPatrick & Kristy Bryant,

ColumbiaRobert Buenger, Saint PetersJim Burger, Lees SummitW. Burger, Saint JosephHelen Burgess, DunneganJim Butler, Saint LouisAndy & Angie Carmack,

IndependenceLeo Carroll, SpringfieldJohn & Wendy Carter, RollaSusan Chervek, FlorissantCarol Cockrell,

IndependenceJim Conklin, Kansas CityWilliam Corcoran,

SpringfieldJeffrey Cytron, Saint LouisScott Danback, Festus

Jerry & Janet Danuser,Fulton

Brent Davis, Jefferson CityRichard Dewey, LouisianaJames Drake, ClevelandStephen Dyreks, O’FallonDouglas Elbert, LeslieBrian & Elizabeth Elston,

MaryvilleMargie Faulstick, Saint LouisGerard Feltman,

MiddletownMarianne Fenzl, Des PeresWilliam Field, VichyW. Fienup, ChesterfieldRobert Finger, Saint LouisMerle Fox, Rock PortSam Fox, Saint LouisTimothy & Rita French,

Jefferson CityM. Gardner, HazelwoodBruce Garrett, MexicoEdward Grossmann,

Saint LouisFrank Hackworth, ForistellBrad Hammen, FultonRobert Hammond,

DadevilleGordon Hamon, KirbyvilleMarvin Harrelson, SedaliaSteve Harrison, RollaKevin Haskamp, ColumbiaEdward Heisel, Saint LouisHerb’s Cutting Edge

Taxidermy, Saint CharlesDavid Horner, ColumbiaDaniel Hughes, Kansas CityRobert Hutchison, ArnoldJerome Jaeger, DexterJC Car Care, Inc.,

Saint CharlesTammy Jennings, WarrentonStuart Jump, MarshfieldWilliam Kacerovskis,

Saint LouisTerry Kennett, Saint LouisOliver Kernick, RollaRobert Kindle, Saint LouisBob Kinker, BallwinMichael Klos, BallwinNorbert Koenig, Saint Peters

Lauren Kostecki, DefianceMike Kruse, Mount VernonMichael Lachtrup,

Saint LouisEldo Lakey, O’FallonGary Lee, Fisherville, KYRick Lewis, JacksonDiana Linders, Saint LouisCharles & Bonnie Lint, Farm-

ingtonW. Lloyd, Saint LouisDelbert Long, Kansas CityBill Lovelace, Saint LouisAndy Maglich, Sugar CreekMarc & Deb Mash,

Saint JamesDaniel May, Saint LouisJohn Mayne, BallwinLouis McDonald, SpringfieldH. Mead, MarshallDoreen Mengel, HarrisburgLonnie Meyer, Saint LouisDavid Mosher, EurekaCharlie Nelson,

Jefferson CityMike Neuroth, O’FallonBen Nylin, O’FallonDelmar Pagel,

House SpringsMarilyn Parker, ColumbiaBill Patterson, Saint JosephOrland Pennel, StoverClint Pery, HaytiRobert Peterson,

Kansas CitySteve Ploesser, ImperialDavid Polc, HannibalS. Polka, Pleasant HillDavid Powell, Kansas CityPromatic, Inc., GowerJanet Pacen, Sunrise BeachRonald Raglin, Saint LouisLee Redman, HillsboroKarl Rice, ChillicotheBob Richards, Saint LouisBob Rimel, Poplar BluffCharles Robertson, RollaJames Robinson, ClintonJason Robinson,

Montgomery CityDon Rone, Portageville

James Ruffini, BeltonMonte Safron,

Town and CountryMarvin Schuette, Saint LouisLynn Sestak, ColumbiaRoger Shannon, High RidgeLeroy Sharp, ColumbiaSteve Sickmeier, UnionJames Siebert, Saint LouisAnita Siegmund, Saint LouisJohn Sievers, BallwinAllen Smith, Climax SpringsGerald Smith, Saint LouisMarty Smith, Saint LouisWilliam Stiffler, Saint LouisPete Stupp, Saint LouisCyrus & Heather Taylor,

SpringfieldCody Thompson,

Cookeville, TNTommy Thompson,

Cookeville, TNJ. Thro, Saint CharlesJanis Torrey, ColumbiaTrapp & Company,

Kansas CityAlan Turnbough, Saint ClairJohn Tuttle,

New BloomfieldBernie Urbas, BallwinAbby & Chris Vernon,

Saint PetersJoe Wall, HoustonRudy Wall, JoplinGene Weber, Saint PetersFreddie Wells, AlbanyWheeler Truck Sales &

Service, Inc., Kansas CityJackie White, Kansas CityJerry White, HaytiWhite River Valley Electric

Coop, Inc., BransonRayburn Whitener, HaytiJerry Williams, ColumbiaHarley & Sarah Winfrey,

WheatlandAlbert Wittmeyer,

Kansas City

C F M N E W M E M B E R S

WELCOME

REDUCE • REUSE • RECYCLE

2011 Missouri Governor'sYouth Turkey HuntMore photos and information inside

If there are any errors in your name andaddress, if you’ve moved from this address, or if you plan to move, please notify us at Missouri Wildlife, 728 W. Main, Jefferson City, MO 65101 or call (800) 575-2322. Visit our website: www.confedmo.org

Vol72 no3 2011

Documents

Transcript of Vol72 no3 2011