The Missouri Department of Conservation wants to know what Missourians think about the agency’s nearly 1,000 conservation areas around the state — including two in Texas County.
The agency is in a multi-year process of updating management plans for its conservation areas and is inviting public comment.
Included among the management plans that are being updated and are up for review are 11,244-acre Gist Ranch Conservation Area and the 80-acre Midvale Conservation Area, both of which are in Texas County. Both are mostly forested and offer hunting and nature-viewing opportunities. The draft plan for these areas will be available for public comment from March 1- 31. To preview draft management plans and share comments only, visit www.mdc.mo.gov/areaplans
“Missourians care about conservation and use conservation areas for many different reasons,” said MDC Director Bob Ziehmer. “These areas help people discover nature through various activities and help make Missouri a great place to hunt, fish and enjoy outdoor activities. We want to know how conservation areas are important to Missourians. Encouraging public comments on conservation area management plans is part of MDC’s ongoing efforts of working for and with Missourians to sustain healthy forests, fish and wildlife.”
The plans focus on natural resource management and public use. They do not address regulations on hunting and fishing regulations, which are set by the conservation commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife and people.
Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best utilize them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional and statewide context and on the professional expertise of MDC staff, the department said.