Missouri Conservationist, August 2007
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Missouri ConservationistVolume 68, Issue 9, sePTemBeR 2007 •Serving nature & You [Note to our readers] Answering the Call or as long as I can remember, Conservation department employees have assisted in emergency situations. staff have Ftaken action to rescue drowning, choking and accident victims. The Department and its staff are also ready to step up when natu- watercraft, firearms and other specialized equipment. Safety ral disasters strike. equipment and gear are mandated. Accidents are reviewed to After Hurricane Katrina in the fall of 2005, the Department determine how they can be avoided in the future. With the spe- answered the call for help. Sixteen conser- cialized skills of Conservation employees, vation agents and agent supervisors, with it isn’t surprising that the Department of eight boats, went to New Orleans. Search Public Safety asked us to take a much and rescue was their top priority. larger role in managing Missouri’s emer- Severe spring storms in 2006 gency response and recovery if a natural brought significant destruction to south- or technological catastrophe occurs. east Missouri. The Department aided Severe winter weather in early 2007 with both staff and equipment. Teams created an “opportunity” for us to use assisted with road cleanup and county- the Incident Command Team concept. damage assessment, and agents provided With power outages affecting thousands security detail. and massive debris blockages in several About this time, all Missouri state counties, the Department and other state agencies incorporated the National agencies quickly joined SEMA’s efforts. Incident Management System (NIMS). After severe winter weather in early Conservation employees opened roads NIMS provides a consistent approach 2007, Department employees cleared for emergency vehicles and the National for federal, state and local governments access to power lines and roads. Guard and provided access to power lines to work together more effectively and ef- for utility trucks. Conservation agents ficiently during domestic incidents. helped with well-being checks and law NIMS taught Department employees how to determine enforcement. Numerous Department staff volunteered to work the most critical needs during a major disaster and effectively in treacherous conditions. gather resources to meet them on local, county or state levels. The 2007 spring rains created yet another need to activate They learned how to organize and move large groups of people an Incident Command Team. Whether patrolling flood-swollen and/or entities. Staff also learned how to create an Incident waters, evacuating trapped people or helping with the extensive Command Team. Each member of the team is assigned distinct debris clean-up, Department employees were proud to serve. duties that ensure law enforcement, fire control, financial man- As caretakers of Missouri’s fish, forests and wildlife, we agement, safety, computer technology and other responsibili- are forever reminded of the bounty and unpredictability of ties are appropriately addressed during emergencies. nature. We’re just happy we can be there to help out with both. Along with the NIMS training requirements, the Depart- ment places a high priority on safety programs. Employees are instructed in the proper operation of chainsaws, ATVs, Debbie Strobel, human resources division chief Our Mission: To protect and manage the fish, forest and wildlife resources of the state; to serve the public and facilitate their participation in resource management activities; and to provide for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about fish, forest and wildlife resources. September 2007, Volume 68, Issue 9 [CoNteNTS] On the cover: Photographer Jim Rathert captured this image of a mourning dove. Dove season this year is Sept. 1 through Nov. 9. Last year around 5,000 acres on almost 150 fields on 100 conserva- tion areas were actively managed for doves. To locate dove fields in the area you want to hunt, contact the regional office in that area (see page 3 for phone numbers). Maps of areas that have dove fields are available from the Department’s Web site at www.missouriconservation.org/7469. Left: Photographer Cliff White took this image of a snipe hunter. To learn more about hunting these “utility birds,” read Jim Low’s feature article starting on page 14. NextGeN This section reports on goals established in The Next Generation of Conservation. To read more about this plan, visit www.missouriconservation.org/12843. 5 PlaNts & Animals 6 PlaCes to Go 7 Community CoNservatIoN 8 outdoor reCreatIoN 10 CleaN Water 11 HealtHy Forests FeAtures 12 laNdowner assIstance 4 Utility Birds 3 CoNservatIoN eduCatIoN story and photos by Jim Low Pursuing elusive woodcock, snipe and rail tunes you up for the fall hunting season. MisCellany 2 Letters 18 Encore! 4 ombudsman story by A.J. Hendershott and Phil Helfrich, photos by David Stonner 4 on the Web More than just a curtain call, the alligator gar gets a new “release” on 4 on the TV life in southeast Missouri. 32 Hunting and Fishing Calendar 32 Contributors 24 Thirty Years for Missouri’s Natural Areas 33 Behind the Code by Mike Leahy, photos by Noppadol Paothong 33 agent notes Visit a designated natural area near you! 33 time Capsule September 2007 Missouri Conservationist [letters] Submissions reflect readers’ opinions and may be edited for length and clarity. importance of respect for wildlife and the laws of conservation. Though my father has since passed, my husband, Steve, continues with these same beliefs. An avid hunter and outdoorsman, he keeps a watchful eye out for wildlife. With the assistance of a program called Raptor Rehab, he has helped to save and release three injured owls back into their natural environment. Recently, on a trip through Buffalo, he came upon an owl [caught in a barbwire fence]. It took Steve about 45 minutes to free it because of its wounds. We turned the owl over to the very capable hands of the Raptor Rehab team, where after examination, it will be returned to the wild. I am grateful that there is a program like this available, and I’m proud of my husband for the respect and love he shares for the outdoors and all the wonder it holds. M. Kay Hickman, Barnett A Good Turn time when the Scouting program can be such a benefit to our youth. Editor’s note: To learn more about the article in Maybe with the continued efforts of the the Raptor Rehabilitation Project at Scouting program along with the assistance of the College of Veterinary Medicine, the July issue MDC we can increase the numbers of young men University of Missouri-Columbia, that will become true outdoorsmen. or to report an injured raptor, call of the Conservationist Greg Rudroff, Farmington the College of Veterinary Medicine Teaching Hospital at 573-882-7821. concerning the Boy Raptor Rehabers You can also visit their Web site at My father, Mark Vogt, worked for the Missouri www.raptorrehab.missouri.edu. scout program Department of Conservation as a towerman for over 35 years. As children, we were taught the Back to the Future [page 27] was nothing Sour Water, the 1957 article featured in the July Time Capsule (page 33), was actually based on short of top notch. Cedar Creek, rather than Dodge Creek as written. The name was intentionally changed in the article to avoid difficulties with the local coal company. Having grown up in Scouting (Eagle Scout) For 50 years, Cedar Creek was drastically im- and now a troop and district leader in the pro- paired. It took over $5 million dollars and the hard gram, I can attest to the conservation-minded work of many people to restore ecological value practices that so enrich the Scouting program. to Cedar Creek, which thousands of local residents, Having been the camp director for two Cub including visitors to U.S. Forest Service lands, can Scout Adventure Camps in the recent past, I now enjoy. It is considered a great example of was very pleased with the Department of what mine reclamation projects can accomplish. Conservation and the support they offered. The Department of Natural Resources did The number of young people that are most of the work using federal funds, but MDC learning the joys of fishing and hunting seems has been deeply involved from the beginning. to be down. The number of boys in the Scouting The author, Robert Hartmann, is very pleased program is also down. These facts are so that the creek has been restored and is again distressing considering that we are living in a populated with fish. Missouri Conservationist September 2007 SubscripTioNs Northeast Missouri Northwest Phone: 573-522-4115, ext. 3856 or 3249 Conservationist Address: Circulation, P.O. Box 180, GOVERNOR Matt Blunt Jefferson City 65102-0180 Kansas Central St. THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION City Louis E-mail subscriptions: [email protected] Don Johnson Online subscriptions and address changes: Chip McGeehan Lowell Mohler Southeast www.missouriconservation.org/15287 Becky Plattner Southwest Cost of subscriptions: Ozark Director John Hoskins Free to Missouri households Assistant Director Denise Brown Out of State $7 per year Assistant Director John W. Smith Out of Country $10 per year Assistant Director Robert Ziehmer DEpArtment Headquarters Internal Auditor Nancy Dubbert Address Changes: Don’t miss an issue due to an General Counsel Tracy McGinnis Phone: 573-751-4115 address change. Go online, call, write or e-mail Address: P.O. Box 180, DIVisiON ChiEFS us to update your information. Administrative Services Carter Campbell Jefferson City 65102-0180 Ombudsman QuesTioNs Design and Development Bill Lueckenhoff Regional officEs Fisheries Steve Eder Phone: 573-522-4115, ext. 3848 Forestry Lisa G. Allen Southeast/Cape Girardeau: 573-290-5730 Address: Ombudsman, P.O. Box 180, Human Resources Debbie Strobel Central/Columbia: 573-884-6861 Jefferson City 65102-0180 Outreach & Education Lorna Domke Private Land Services Bill McGuire Kansas City: 816-655-6250 E-mail: [email protected] Protection Dennis Steward Northeast/Kirksville: 660-785-2420 EDiToriAl comments Resource Science Dale D.