Volume 22, No.3 September, 2004 Susan Flader, Editor Urban Populations Outreach Project Now in Three Cities MPA’s innovative and highly brainchild of MPA director and opportunities to experience the successful Urban Populations former president Mary Abbott, natural and cultural resources of Outreach Project (UPOP) is now UPOP began in Kansas City in state parks and historic sites. For operating in three cities—Kansas summer 2000 as an effort to offer most it is their first exposure to City, St. Louis, and Joplin. The disadvantaged inner city children the wonders of our state parks, and for some it may well be a life-altering experience. In Kansas City this summer, UPOP operated for its fifth season and its third year in a row under the able leadership of Shalonn Curls. More than 300 youngsters from a variety of inner city programs visited Watkins Mill, the Bruce Watkins Center and State Museum, the Katy Trail, and other parks, including one lucky group that experienced an overnight at Camp Bob White at Knob Noster State Park. About 60 kids enjoyed the campout during which they swam, played basketball, roasted MPA's UPOP program continues to grow in popularity and scope allowing marshmallows at the bonfire and inner city kids to discover Missouri's state parks and historic sites. gazed at a sky sprinkled with stars -- a treat they rarely see at night in the inner city. Snakes, Barges, and a Dead Fish or Two The Kansas City program was supported by MPA members and Make for a Day to Remember friends, including a $2500 gift by Shelley Welsch from the law firm of Shook, The Green Center Hardy and Bacon. “It feels like corn on the cob!” In St. Louis, UPOP expanded to a four-day experience (see So said a 10 year-old girl who had the chance to touch a snake while “Snakes, Barges, and a Dead Fish visiting the interpretive center at Columbia Bottom Conservation Area, as or Two,” at left) for each of six part of the Urban Populations Outreach Project (UPOP) of the Missouri groups of youngsters from Parks Association and the Green Center. Castlepoint Family Support Center, the downtown YMCA, This young girl was one of almost 30 children who visited Columbia Wesley House, Walbridge Bottom as part of the UPOP Summer Experience, a program designed to Elementary School, Dignity House let children from highly-urban communities experience nature up-close- and Pagedale Family Support Center. Each group went to (See "Snakes" on Page 8) (See "UPOP" on Page 6) Page 2 The Missouri Parks Association MPA President’s Message Building Public Support For Our State Parks by Ron Coleman On September 6 I had the 10th. Prior to my greeting and welcome I had the opportunity to visit with a honor as president of the Missouri number of these dynamic leaders charged with the stewardship of millions Parks Association to welcome of acres of our public lands and so many of our country’s precious state park directors and members historical and natural resources. of their staffs from across America to Missouri for the annual Many of our conversations revolved around such topics as funding and National Association of State public support for state parks. I was somewhat surprised to find that many Parks Directors Conference held in of the states represented at the conference did not have a citizen support St. Louis September 6th through the organization like our own Missouri Parks Association (MPA) or a foundation such as our relatively new Missouri State Parks Foundation to aid them in building public awareness and improving funding for the capital Park Briefs needs of their respective state park systems. It made me proud as president of your organization to appear before Bob Meinen will took over as such an elite audience and realize that we are definitely making a director of Idaho State Parks difference here in Missouri through our involvement in the Missouri Parks September 7 after serving Association, an organization conceived over twenty years ago in 1982. Missouri State Parks for five Each state park director at the conference received a copy of the years as deputy director. He proceedings of the First Missouri Conference on State Parks, organized by assumed major supervisory duties MPA and held in St. Charles, Missouri, June 15-17, 1984—MPA’s first at a time when Division Director major effort to raise public awareness about the needs of our Missouri Doug Eiken and other key staff state parks. were deeply involved in leading the Missouri Lewis and Clark We are returning to historic St. Charles October 23-24 for our annual commemoration. He also MPA members’ meeting and conference (see registration information on coordinated the development of a the inside back page) to discuss how together we can continue to be a centralized campground national leader in building support for our Missouri state park system. I reservation system, advocated hope that you will plan to join us for the meeting. improved pay for key facility heads, negotiated the first union agreement, and in all his efforts, according to Eiken, “was a A new St. Louis Area Office Assembly that will encourage the consummate team player.” MPA has been opened at Scott Joplin development of walking and applauds his service and wishes State Historic Site to coordinate bicycling trails by protecting him well in his new assignment. services and activities at six park landowners whose property units in the metropolitan area with adjoins state-designated, county or Gap survey. There is still the goal of promoting the use of municipal trails from civil liability. time to offer your thoughts on new state parks and historic sites by parks and historic sites or urban residents. The new effort Kathy Borgman, for twenty standards for inclusion of new will be discussed at MPA’s annual years executive director of the units in the state park system. meeting in St. Charles on Saturday, Friends of Arrow Rock, is this The park division has been October 23. year’s winner of the prestigious following a 1992 expansion plan Elizabeth and George Rozier Award that identified gaps in the system Ann Sligar, historic site of the Missouri Alliance for Historic and seeks now to update the plan administrator at Watkins Mill from Preservation. Borgman oversaw with public input. To fill out a 1979 until her retirement in 2001, the restoration and management of survey form on-line go to has coauthored a history of the site ten additional historic structures in www.mostateparks.com/survey. with UMKC history professor Arrow Rock, including several Louis Potts. The Factory on the related to the town’s Black heritage. Harry S Truman State Park Farm may be purchased at She oversaw increases in Friends’ suffered extensive damage from a Watkins Mill or through Truman membership from 200 to 700 and in devastating wind storm in July that State University Press. its annual budget from $5,000 to forced the temporary closing of $100,000, and led the development campgrounds, beaches, trails and Efforts to complete Katy Trail of an endowment fund of more than other facilities, many of which State Park will be aided by a bill $400,000—an unparalleled record have since been reopened. passed by the Missouri General among state park friends groups. September 2004 Heritage Page 3 MPA Provides Input to Wild Areas Planning For Roaring River Hills and Mudlick Mountain by Dave Bedan In 2002 the Missouri Parks Missouri Department of Natural process is completed, only fire Association and others raised Resources convened meetings in management will be used to concerns about the management 2002 of individuals and groups with maintain the glades. of the Wild Areas in Missouri an interest in wild area State Parks. Park managers were management. These meetings led In 2004 the planning team faced with numerous problems to the adoption of a clearer visited the Mudlick Mountain Wild that have been growing since 1978 statement of policy and better Area in Sam A. Baker State Park. when the Wild Areas System was guidelines for solving resource The size and wild character of this established. The system was management problems in state premier area present special modeled on the National park wild areas. Most importantly, opportunities for high quality wild Wilderness System and consists of wildness itself was recognized as a area management. Mudlick eleven designated wild areas on resource, one that should receive Mountain certainly has fewer 23,000 acres, or about 15 percent priority attention in designated wild pressing problems than Roaring of the state park system. Some areas. This was followed by the River Hills but the team did note wild areas are suffering from establishment of a Wild Area some management issues. overuse and erosion of trails while Planning Team composed of others have encroachments of representatives from the interested Much of the trail system exotic species or a loss of conservation and user groups follows old roads that were poorly designed and constructed and the biodiversity due to years of fire including MPA. This team has suppression. now traveled to two parks and trails are likely to be increasingly spent two days in each park hiking subject to erosion by equestrian use, which is becoming more The park managers also felt in the wild areas, discussing the that they were facing conflicting issues and suggesting solutions. popular. While equestrian use is mandates and a lack of detailed The park division staff then appropriate in some wild areas, this use requires special care in the guidance on managing wild areas. develops a detailed management routing, design, construction and As is the case for most public plan for the park.