Year of the Drought

Title page image: Mallards taking flight from Moist Soil Unit 4W. TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS ...... i INTRODUCTION ...... iii CLIMATE DATA ...... iv REFUGE MAP ...... v FORWARD – YEAR OF THE DROUGHT ...... vi

Monitoring and Studies:

1a. Surveys and Censuses ...... 1 1b. Studies and Investigations...... 2

Habitat Restoration:

2a. Wetland Restoration...... 8 2b. Upland Restoration ...... 11

Habitat Management:

3a. Water Level Management ...... 12 3b. Moist Soil Management ...... 13

3c. Graze/Mow/Hay ...... 20

3d. Farming ...... 20

3e. Forest Management ...... 22

3f. Fire Management ...... 25

3g. Pest/Plant Control ...... 25

Fish and Wildlife Management:

4a. Bird Banding ...... 26 4b. Disease Monitoring and Treatment ...... 26

4c. Reintroductions ...... 26 4d. Pest, Predator & Exotic Animal Control...... 26

Public Education and Recreation:

5a. Provide Visitor Services ...... 31 5b. Outreach ...... 43

Resource Protection:

6a. Law Enforcement ...... 54 6b. Permits and Economic Use Management ...... 55

6c. Contaminant Investigation ...... 55

6d. Contaminant Cleanup...... 55

6e. Water Rights Management ...... 55

6f. Cultural Resource Management ...... 55

6g. Land Acquisition Support ...... 55

Planning and Administration:

7a. Planning ...... 56 7b. General Administration ...... 56

Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge ...... 68

Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge ...... 69

INTRODUCTION

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge is located in portions of Stoddard and Wayne Counties in southeast Missouri, approximately 150 miles south of St. Louis. It was established in 1945 under authority of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act as a resting and wintering area for migratory waterfowl and preservation of bottomland hardwood forest. The Refuge contains 21,592 acres and lies in a linear basin formed in an ancient abandoned channel of the Mississippi River. The Refuge is predominately a bottomland hardwood swamp bordered on the west by the foothills of the Ozark Uplift and on the east by a terrace called Crowley's Ridge. Elevations along the top of these ridges range as high as 405' msl compared to the 340' msl elevation of the basin.

Historically, the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge area was a haven for wildlife before logging, drainage, and conversion to agriculture altered the area. Bankruptcy of the Mingo Drainage District in the 1930's set the stage for Federal acquisition and subsequent restoration of the swamp and its productivity. Peak waterfowl populations of 125,000 mallards and 75,000 Canada geese have been recorded.

The Refuge contains approximately 15,000 acres of bottomland hardwoods, 1,300 acres of upland hardwoods, 1,200 acres of cropland and moist soil units, 500 acres of grassland/early successional forest, and 3,500 acres of marsh and water. There are seven natural areas on the Refuge and over 140 identified archaeological sites. In 1976, 7,730 acres were designated as a Wilderness Area. The Mingo Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center with over 240 enrollees is located adjacent to the Refuge.

Recreational activities such as fishing; hunting for waterfowl, squirrel, turkey, and deer; canoeing; and wildlife observation are very popular on the Refuge. Annual visitation to the Refuge the past 5 years has averaged about 126,299 visits. Facilities available to the public include a Visitor Information Center, the Mingo Swamp Friends Bookstore, a 1.0-mile self-guided Boardwalk Nature Trail, a 20- mile self-guided Auto Tour Route, four observation towers, picnic tables, and an environmental education pavilion.

iii Climate Data

2012 Climagraph showing actual monthly and average monthly precipitation 7

4 Actual 3 Average 2 Precipitation (inches) Precipitation 1

0 JAN FEB MAR APRIL MAY JUNE JULY AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC

Month Actual Rain Average Rain January 2.97 2.96 February 1.91 3.13 March 3.11 4.26 April 1.35 4.17 May 0.79 4.99 June 1.37 3.43 July 2.16 3.37 August 1.44 3.21 September 6.2 3.54 October 2.58 3.18 November 1.32 4.22 December 1.71 4.27 Total 26.91 44.73

iv v FORWARD – Year of the Drought

While 2011 was the year of the flood, 2012 was the year of the drought. Mingo NWR and the Midwest saw the most severe and extensive drought in 25 years. Experts called 2012 a “flash drought” which meant that it evolved quickly and unexpectedly.

While the drought allowed refuge staff to proceed with ditch maintenance on Ditch 3, mechanical disturbance of Rockhouse Marsh, and mechanical disturbance or planting in moist soil units; the vegetation in the wetlands and cooperative farm units suffered from lack of rainfall later in the summer. Refuge staff was able to pump into the moist soil units to water the plants, which provided better vegetation response. Later in the summer, it was strongly advised that caution be taken in care of heavy equipment operation during extreme drought conditions.

The imagery of the plant stress in Figure 1 below is produced by NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites. Plants cool themselves by sweating water extracted from the soil by their roots. When access to water is limited, plants lessen their consumption and reduce evapotranspiration from leaf surfaces. The leaves heat up and produce an elevated leaf or canopy temperature, which can be detected by thermal sensors on NOAA’s weather satellites, and depicted significant drought in the region (NASA 2012). Figure 1 shows plant stress on August 28, 2012 in the U. S. Midwest.

Figure 1. Imagery shows significant plant stress on August 28, 2012, which indicated significant drought in the U.S. Midwest. Hotter plans imply limited water in the soil (NASA/Goddard Scientific Visualization Studio/USDA-ARS 2012).

MONITORING AND STUDIES

1a. Surveys and Censuses

Waterfowl

Waterfowl surveys were conducted weekly, when possible, from October through March. Refuge staff coordinated the timing of some weekly waterfowl surveys to correspond with the Missouri Department of Conservation state wide ground and aerial counts. These coordinated ground counts allow for a regional (SE Missouri) waterfowl population estimate. Waterfowl survey data were compiled by management unit in an effort to evaluate waterfowl response to water and habitat management.

Peak waterfowl numbers for each month data were collected from 2012 2012 Jan Feb Mar Sep Oct Nov Dec Ducks 53740 34343 11276 3340 21397 85512 59673 Geese 5891 1091 90 275 937 1417 627

Waterfowl count results were made available to the Visitor Center staff, on the refuge website, on the Mingo Facebook Page, and to the Missouri Department of Conservation.

WB Pendley conducted the Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey 3 January 2012. A total of 34,172 individuals were counted with ducks accounting for 30,945 and geese 2367. The most numerous waterfowl species on the refuge were mallards at 20,170.

WB Pendley conducted the Mid-Winter Waterfowl Survey 7 January 2013. A total of 27,164 individuals were counted with ducks accounting for 24,899 and geese 2021. The most numerous waterfowl species on the refuge were mallards at 11,568.

Eagle Survey

Eagles were systematically counted by refuge staff while performing weekly waterfowl surveys. A new nest was built at MS 4W and was successful in 2012. Golden eagles were seen on the refuge in the winter of 2011/2012 and 2012/2013.

Peak eagle counts for each month during 2012 Jan. Feb. March Oct. Nov Dec. Adults 38 13 6 6 19 23 Immature 48 11 4 2 14 19

1 Christmas Bird Count

The Christmas Bird Count was conducted by the National Audubon Society on 22 December. The count circle includes the entire refuge and Big Oak Tree State Park. On the refuge, a total of 43,185 individuals were counted representing 99 species. Highlights included several record high totals: Northern Shoveler, Least Sandpiper, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Tufted Titmouse, and Cedar Waxwing. An unusual sighting was of a Yellow-throated Warbler seen at Houck Park in Puxico, which would be the first winter record of the common summer warbler for Missouri.

Deer

Deer population estimates were obtained using post hunt survey data following the December muzzleloader hunts. The managed hunt was conducted on December 1st and 2nd and the youth rifle hunt was October 27th and 28th. A managed hunt for antlerless only was held December 15th and 16th. A total of 16 feral hogs were harvested during the managed hunts. Survey data are used to estimate white-tailed deer population numbers which is then used to establish a harvest objective. Surveys were conducted by refuge staff following standard spotlight survey protocol along historic survey routes. Deer population estimates from the 2012/2013 survey data at a 95% confidence interval post-harvest, resulting in a mean of 2952. The population is not currently within the desired level of 800-1,200 individuals. The earn-a-buck strategy was not used during either hunt this year.

Season Number of Total Harvest Bucks Does Button bucks 2012/2013 hunters Harvested Harvested Harvested Youth 49 33 24 8 1 Adult 138 55 20 27 8 Adult 59 9 0 5 4 (Doe only) Archery 2023 74 43 31 Not recorded

1b. Studies and Investigations

Reptile Road Mortality Monitoring

Because of concerns about excessive reptile (e.g., snake) road mortalities, not only to sensitive rare species (e.g., Farancia abacura, mud snake), but also differential mortalities (e.g., male vs. female; neonate vs. adult; gravid female vs. non-reproductive female) during seasonal habitat movements within the Mingo Basin, biological staff continued to monitor reptile road mortality during 2011. The primary goal of the monitoring was to assess temporal and spatial migration patterns and road mortalities associated with snake seasonal movements. The objective(s) were: 1) monitor Monopoly Transect (added last season), Bluff Road (5.8 km) and Ditch 6 Road (5.6 km) and identify terrestrial and aquatic snakes species impacted by auto routes, 2) develop a mortality index for each species and identify temporal, spatial (i.e., hotspots), and/or differential mortality patterns, 3) use refuge car counters strategically placed as an index for traffic volume to help correlate temporal patterns of mortality, and 4) develop science based mitigation strategies to minimize reptile mortalities. Road mortality surveys continued through 2012.

Snake Mortality Hotspots

3 Mobile Acoustical Bat Monitoring

Bats, especially Indiana bats, have been identified as a species of concern in many NWR CCPs and HMPs. The Southeast Region 4 Inventory and Monitoring Network coordinated acoustical bat monitoring on 42 National Wildlife Refuges, including Mingo NWR, and 3 Ecological Services field offices in Regions 2, 3, and 4 in 2012. These surveys established baseline inventories of bats at each station with the objective to understand bat populations and habitat associations across the landscape. Bat call (ultrasonic echolocation) data were collected using Anabat SD2 detectors along a 30 mile transect following the procedures outlined in the 2012 USFWS Mobile Bat Acoustical Survey Protocol.

WB Pendley, SCEP Anna Weyers, and CDIP Marina Rodriguez conducted 4 nightly surveys, which totaled 102 miles of data, during June and July 2012. The data was analyzed and showed 975 total bat calls, 243.8 mean number of bat calls/night, and 9.6 bat calls/mile (25.5 mean length miles/night); compared to an overall average of 121 bat calls/transect and overall average of 6.16 bat calls/mile. Out of 40 NWR stations in the final report, Mingo ranked #1 in total bat calls, #3 in mean bat calls/night, and #4 in the most bat calls/mile. The full report and individual station report are on file.

1 of 4 survey maps showing bat call locations detected along the transect route; from the 2012 Mingo NWR Mobile Acoustical Bat Monitoring Report.

4 OTHER STUDIES OR MONITORING EFFORTS Air Quality

WB Pendley continued to conduct the weekly filter changes and periodic maintenance for the IMPROVE air quality monitoring station throughout the year. Technicians were primarily responsible for weekly filter changes and site monitoring. WB Pendley coordinated the annual site visit by UC Davis and state site audits.

Research Projects

SEMO graduate student Brittany Kussman completed her thesis project designed to evaluate and compare contaminant loads in red-eared sliders throughout the refuge. Her project compared tissue samples from the turtles with soil, sediment, and tissue levels from other species.

SEMO graduate student Anna Weyers started her thesis research on the Refuge in 2012. Anna’s project uses camera traps to monitor feral hog movement around the refuge. The project hopes to shed light on movement patterns related to water levels and seasonal changes. The Refuge staff hopes to use this information to be more efficient in their hog eradication efforts.

Mississippi State University master’s student Jonathon Sloan and Dr. Richard Kaminski submitted a proposal to the JV office to estimate acorn and aquatic invertebrate biomass in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Mingo NWR was selected as a sampling site. Sloan worked on the red oak acorn biomass. He is using the established ~20 acorn sampling sites around the refuge that began sampling in the fall 2009. Another graduate student was selected to work on the invertebrate biomass portion of the study and samples were collected from Pool 8.

Missouri State University graduate student Daniel Schepis continued his thesis project in the summer of 2011 and continued writing in 2012. Schepis monitored mud snake (Farancia abacra) habitat use, movement patterns, and life history information. Schepis, along with refuge staff, captured, PIT tagged, and inserted radio transmitters into 15 snakes over the spring and summer of 2011.

Missouri State University graduate student Andrew Hoffman completed his field work with sirens and amphiuma. His work compared water regimes and impacts to these species over 4 habitat types across the refuge. Hoffman used minnow traps to sample for occupancy and abundance in green tree reservoirs, ditches, moist soil units, and pools.

University of Missouri graduate student Jessica Tapp continued her thesis project in 2012. The goals of the study are to estimate forage availability and examine factors within wetlands influencing abundance and species richness of waterbirds. This project is in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

North Dakota State University graduate student Sean Lofgren completed his thesis work in 2012 on Mingo NWR. The study looked at the implications for detection of beaver dams with the use of LIDAR data. His project included hydrologic mapping of units using the same data.

Mississippi State University graduate student Justyn Foth continued his research project in 2012 on Mingo NWR. The focus of the project is collecting shorebird food resources, conducting bird

5 surveys, banding birds, and collecting biological material (feathers, blood) for stable isotope analysis. This project is in response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Fisheries Resources The USFWS Columbia Fisheries Office performed fisheries evaluations in October 2011. A management report was submitted to the refuge (refer to 2011 Annual Narrative for a summary or to the official report on file). Fox Pond does not have sufficient habitat available and it was recommended to place fish cribs and habitat structure made of trees around the edge and middle of the pond. The refuge re-established a Christmas tree drop-off program where staff will deposit discarded Christmas trees in the pond, along with placing cut trees along the shoreline. Refuge staff also organically fertilized Fox Pond with the recommended 1,200 lbs. of rice bran on October 24, to encourage plankton growth. Refuge staff will manage the habitat in the ponds first before any stocking efforts would be needed, if necessary.

STEP Emily Shaffer depositing rice bran into Fox Pond.

Invasive Plant Inventory and Monitoring

The intent of the Mingo National Wildlife Refuge Invasive Plant Monitoring and Mapping project was to identify and map invasive species within refuge sensitive areas to establish baseline data to evaluate current and future invasions. Data will be used to establish management goals and objectives for these sensitive natural communities.

Butterfly Surveys

Volunteer Lou Dersch initiated a butterfly survey of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Dersch spent 45 hours capturing and mounting representative species from across the refuge. Dersch presented the refuge with 3 boxes of pinned specimens and intends to continue the project in 2013.

6 Go Zero

In 2010, breeding bird points were established in 12 Go Zero tracts and on 4 farm unit fields for baseline information. These sites were monitored using breeding bird surveys in June of each year. WB Pendley and interns completed 3 surveys per site each summer.

Tree survivorship was monitored from 2010-2012. A total of 13 tree survivor plots were placed in Go Zero Fields. Survivorship was high in 2010, but a drought during the summer of 2010 followed by flooding in the spring of 2011 impacted the trees. Overall, tree survival is still high (55.5% in 2012) compared to many other Go Zero tree planting efforts that were performed in the same time period as Mingo’s (i.e., sites in the south experienced two years of drought with no survival).

100

50 2010 % Survival 2011 % Survival 40 2012% survival 30

20 Ditch 2 Ditch 4 McGee SE McGee NE Wak West McGee SW McGee NW Battleshell S Lick Cr. South Cow Cr. South Company Farm Company South Boundary South

Cow Creek Central 2010-2012 Go Zero Tree Survival

Wilderness Character Monitoring

A guide for wilderness character monitoring was developed by the USFWS, NPS, NFS, and BLM, for areas designated as Wilderness Areas. Across the country, Wilderness Fellows were assigned to Wilderness Areas needing updated plans and monitoring efforts. During the fall, Steven Zweber, a Wilderness Fellow, was tasked to describe the wilderness character monitoring program for Mingo NWR’s Wilderness Area and provide a baseline assessment with the monitoring efforts already occurring on the refuge. With staff input, a total of 25 measurements and its indicators were identified. Measurements include field surveys, management policies, documented uses, and professional judgment. The intent is to record subsequent monitoring in an online database maintained by the National Park Service. Mingo NWR’s Draft Report on Wilderness Character Monitoring was completed in November and awaiting final edits and changes from the Regional Biologist, Patricia Heglund, and the National Wilderness Monitoring Character Team.

7 HABITAT RESTORATION

2a. Wetland Restoration

On-Refuge:

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, in partnership with Ducks Unlimited, Inc. (DU) and the Missouri Department of Conservation, submitted a North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) Proposal in 2011. The proposal highlighted wetland restoration projects that were designated as Phase II priority projects for the Mingo Basin Partnership. The proposal was accepted and project planning commenced in 2012. Refuge staff met with DU engineers throughout the year to determine what type(s) of water control structures (WCS) would be ideal to replace the Spillway radial gate structure at Ditch 11/15 and the Ditch 10 screwgate structure.

The objectives of the new structure were to have the ability to: 1) leave WCS at static elevation at ~332.0 (current elevation); 2) hold water at higher elevation at ~339.0 (current elevation); 3) draw water from bottom to pass sediments; 4) release entire water column in flood event(s); and 5) release additional water in flood event(s) with a low water crossing (remove Ditch 10 screwgate). The WCS also had to support vehicles and heavy equipment crossing to access the Ozark Highlands Auto Tour Route. A Section 106/Cultural Resources investigation is pending. Construction is slated to begin in 2013.

North view of the Ditch 11/15 Spillway radial gate South view of the Ditch 11/15 Spillway radial gate structure. structure.

Upstream view from Spillway. Downstream view from Spillway.

View of the radial gate flowline (open). View of the Spillway “bridge” which leads to the Ozark Highlands Auto Tour Route.

Upstream view from the Ditch 10 screwgate. Downstream view from Ditch 10 screwgate.

View of the Ditch 10 screwgate silted in. View of the outflow culvert.

Off-Refuge: Two Partners for Fish & Wildlife (PFW) projects were completed in FY12. ARM Landowski met with Gail King of Stoddard County to replace his collapsed corrugated culvert pipe in a former PFW wetland. Mr. King partnered with Mingo NWR and PFW in 1994 to create a wetland on his property, which he farms. He leaves a share of his crops (corn, wheat or soybeans) for wildlife, maintains the levee, and leaves a buffer strip for deer, turkey, quail, and other wildlife. The collapsed corrugated pipe and concrete WCS was replaced with a smooth steel pipe and fabricated steel WCS. With the drought, the wetland never flooded to full pool. Another PFW contract purchased 100 trees to be re-planted on an FmHA easement (Spradling). Of another note, the Regional Office Survey Team selected the Spradling FmHA easement to correctly survey and stake corners on the property.

ARM Landowski and LE Seward made 8 FmHA easement check contacts on the east side of Missouri. Minor issues with trash and mowing incidences were recorded. Based on a complaint and to honor the easement deed language, Landowski and MW Clint Beasley visited the Nuding easement to erect a cattle panel crossing the stream to prevent cattle from entering the easement upstream and downstream of the crossing. The fencing has failed due to flooding. One SUP was issued to trim back easement trees from a private landowner’s property fence on the west side (Blaser). One SUP was issued to clean up debris/trash on an easement on the east side (Moore).

PFW Project with Gail King wetland, replaced PFW project on FmHA easement (Spradling) – to replant collapsed culvert. Wetland did not to flood full pool. trees in the understory.

10 2b. Upland Restoration

Autumn olive and multiflora rose were treated using basal bark spray techniques around the Hartz Pond Environmental Education Area (see figure). Initial treatment results were positive and the project will be continued in 2013. Cub Scouts from Advance helped remove Autumn olive along the trail. Staff and other volunteers treated the cut stumps after they were cut. Habitat brush piles were made with the cut trees (aka “rabbitat”). This effort was part of National Public Lands Day (see Chapter 5).

Map of autumn olive and multiflora rose treatment areas around Hartz Pond and the Visitor Center.

11 HABITAT MANAGEMENT

3a. Water Level Management

2012 was a year of drought. Historic drought conditions occurred with the below average rainfall amounts occurring through all but one month of the year. Moist soil drawdowns occurred mostly through rapid evaporation during the spring months. No Green tree units were flooded in the winter of 2012 due to lack of water. Monopoly Marsh and Rockhouse Marsh were well below normal levels throughout the year with Rockhouse being completely dry after June and Monopoly being 25% flooded through most of the summer and fall.

2012 Monopoly Marsh Gauge Readings

In 2012, Mingo NWR was awarded a $1,000,000 grant to the Mingo Basin Partnership II North American Wetlands Conservation Act (NAWCA) for wetland restoration and enhancement work. In partnership with Ducks Unlimited, MDC, Friends of Mingo Swamp, Audubon Society of Missouri, Conservation Federation of Missouri, Conservation Employees Credit Union, Missouri Conservation Pioneers, Missouri Bird Conservation Initiative, Mississippi Valley Duck

12 Hunters, and United Country Realty; they committed funds to replace the old Spillway structure on the south end of Ditch 11. The screwgate on Ditch 10 will also be replaced with a low water crossing just above the flow line on Ditch 11. The radial gate structure is undersized, ageing, and positioned 6’ higher than what is needed to prevent sedimentation of the ditch system at Mingo NWR (see Chapter 2).

Hydrology

Regional hydrology staff worked at Mingo throughout the year to measure and monitor hydrologic parameters across the refuge. A NOAA-type monitoring station was established in Monopoly Marsh in January of 2012 to provide continuous stage monitoring of Monopoly.

The water management database was updated periodically throughout 2012. The Service Water and Impoundment Monitoring (SWIM) database was developed by the Biological Monitoring Team. However, the database does not allow for other ancillary data such has wildlife observations or abiotic conditions other than salinity.

3b. Moist Soil Management

Below normal rainfall during the growing season had minor impacts on moist soil management during the summer; many of the units were at or above average for desired plant conditions. MSU 2S, 4N, 9S, 8W and 5 were drawn down early (March) in anticipation of farming for 2012. All units experienced typical slow drawdowns except for units planted by cooperative farmers. Pierman and MS pool 6 (east) were planted in millet and MS 9N was and planted in milo by refuge staff.

MS 4W with rice planted. WB Pendley prepping MS 4 W for rice planting.

Due to our dry summer, many of the units were dry through July and August. Units 2N, 3, 9N, 4W, 1 and 8E were all flood irrigated during the summer and showed positive results from the effort.

MS 3 – excellent production of millet, chufa, and Ammannia auriculata.

Monopoly Marsh

Monopoly Marsh remained low through most of the growing season. There was some desirable plant production, but the marsh dried rapidly and had fair to average production. Utilization was normal in 2012 due to the average levels and production. That said, Monopoly still played an important role for migrating waterfowl as a loafing and resting area. The American lotus control area from 2010 remained open and substantially free of lotus coverage. The non-treated area seemed to be thicker than ever. Aerial treatment in the non-treated area will continue during the next draw down cycle. A few large patches of giant cut grass established in the treated area. These areas will need to be monitored.

Monopoly Marsh – May 2012

14 Rockhouse Marsh

Rockhouse Marsh remained dry through most of the summer and fall. Production was average to above average in some spots. All of Rockhouse East and South experienced mechanical and/or chemical disturbance to enhance the area for wildlife viewing, moist soil plant production, and waterfowl use. Mowing occurred in June due to the abnormally dry conditions and additional dozer work to move old slash willow piles into the trees.

Rockhouse South – great production of redroot flatsedge and chufa.

SCEP Cody Wigg mowing Rockhouse. MW Matt Fox moving willow slash piles in Rockhouse.

Ditch 1 & 3 Maintenance

Ditch 3 South from the Ditch 3 slide gate through Rockhouse was scheduled to be dipped out in

15 2011 but was postponed to 2012 due to the flood and was too wet. MW Matt Fox and contractor Doug Siler, a former Mingo NWR equipment operator, worked tirelessly and went above and beyond to keep the clean-out ahead of schedule and with no equipment failures or incidences. Ditch 1 south of the radial gate to the Ditch 1 bridge was also dipped out. A rental excavator was used while awaiting the arrival of the new Komatsu PC360-LC 10 (see Chapter 7 – New Equipment for 2012). Approximately 4 - 5 feet of silt was taken out of the ditches. This will improve water management on the refuge to protect forested wetland habitats from prolonged flooding in the spring and restore bottomland hardwood forests on the refuge.

MW Fox dipping out Ditch 3 South.

Ditch 1 about to be dipped out.

Ditch 1 cleaned out, with a coffer dam, south of the radial gate.

Moist Soil Management Off-Refuge

In May, Great Rivers/Clarence Cannon NWRs hosted a moist soil management workshop in which many different state offices, refuges, nonprofit groups, and private landowners attended. Refuge staff from Clarence Cannon showed a “new” tool for moist soil manipulations – rolling. Typical manipulations involve drawing down a unit, drying it out, performing the manipulation, and then re-flooding the unit, followed by another draw-down to promote desired vegetation. With rolling, it can be a time and cost savings tool, by eliminating many of these steps.

For their manipulations, they used a large 36”x1”x10’ Grahl “Big Guy” smooth drum roller (the drum is empty for wet manipulations), pulled behind their tractor. They typically rolled 3 passes in water that is fairly shallow in the units, ranging from saturated soil to 6 inches deep and stayed away from holes that are continuously wet. The pressure from the roller displaces the soil and pushes up the soil along with any vegetative material – such as a monoculture of Eleocharis spp., Polygonum hydropiperoides, P. coccineum, and Leersia spp. Clarence Cannon NWR refuge staff also left some patches of monoculture vegetation for cover for shorebirds and other species. The refuge also flood irrigated their fields to combat the drought and produced ideal waterfowl food in their units.

Roller demo at Clarence Cannon NWR.

Tractor and roller making a pass.

Moist Soil Unit Structures

Typical levee maintenance projects were completed throughout the year. Some levee work to fix ruts occurred at MS 8 and 9S. None of the water control structures were replaced or needed to be rehabbed.

The table below summarizes mechanical or chemical actions performed in each of the moist soil units on the refuge.

18 Moist Soil Management Unit Summary Unit # Size 2012 Management 1 46 acres sprayed 2,4-D (May) offset disked (May), Flushed (May) Production above average, Ammannia

2 North 45 acres Disked (July), fair production

2 South 56 acres Corn, poor production

3 51 acres Sprayed 2,4D, irrigated, excellent production

4 North 41 acres Milo, Average production

4 West 9 acres Sprayed spike rush, disked and planted in rice (May), flushed 4 times over summer, Excellent production

4 South 84 acres Mowed cocklebur, marsh mallow August, average production

5 30 acres Corn, flushed in June, fair

6 24 acres Sprayed 2,4-D cocklebur, red vine (May), flushed (July), above average

7 North 10 acres No Activity fair production

7 South 12 acres No Activity, fair production

8 East 28 acres Sprayed portions w/ 2,4-D (July), flushed (July), above average production

8 West 38 acres Soybeans, no production

9 North 28 acres Milo, flushed 20% (July), poor production

9 South 51 acres Soybeans

12 30 acres No Action

Pierman 14 acres Mowed and disked (June), millet planted (July)

Pool 8 32 acres Sprayed 2,4-D cocklebur (June)

Pool 6 60 acres East ½ sprayed 2,4-D (June),Disked and planted in millet (July). West ½ mowed/ ¼ sprayed 2,4-D (July)

Charlie’s Thicket 51 acres Mowed (July) Rockhouse/Monopoly 3,000 acres Mowed (June-July) spot spray cocklebur, willow, buttonbush in Rockhouse

19 Green Tree Reservoirs

In 2012, all GTRs were drawn down slowly throughout spring with no issues. Mast production was average for overcup oak, below average for pin oak and above average for willow oak. No GTR were flooded due to lack of water in the fall/winter of 2012. Refuge staff removed beaver dams and blockages from various moist soil and GTR water control structures and culverts from sites around the Refuge (see Chapter 4d).

A low water clearance was created just north of the Ditch 1 structure to help water exit the system in the spring, to help alleviate prolonged flooding on the trees in Pool 8 and to prevent beavers from continuously blocking water exiting the system in this area.

Before and After: View of the low water clearance in Pool 8, north of Ditch 1 radial gates.

3c. Graze/Mow/Hay

Mowing

During the fall, all roadsides, levees, and wildlife viewing areas were mowed (see table above for MS unit mowing).

3d. Farming

The primary purpose of the farming program is to provide foraging habitat, wildlife viewing, and control of some undesirable noxious and/or invasive vegetation. The open fields provide good viewing areas for waterfowl, deer, and other wildlife and the crop fields are utilized by wildlife in the winter. Farming is done in a traditional manner using corn/milo/soybean rotation. When soybeans are planted, the permittee receives all the soybeans and the refuge receives in exchange additional planted acres of corn/milo/Japanese millet in more desirable locations. Permittees are required to cover all expenses for fertilizer and weed and pest control.

WB Pendley completed Cooperative Farming Agreements for the two permittee farmers and met with each individually in January and February to discuss and sign annual farm agreements.. Farming permittees cooperatively farmed and planted approximately 419 acres. During 2010,

20 369 acres of prior farming, food plots and open grassy areas were reforested under the Go Zero Program. This reforestation project significantly reduced the number of farmable acres but was carried out in accordance with the CCP.

COOPERATIVE FARMING SUMMARY Acres Unit Permittee Corn/Milo Soybeans Jap. Millet Farmed T8993 field 4 Chuck Stewart 34.96 34.96 0 0

T8993 field 6 Chuck Stewart 42.16 42.16 0 0

T8994 field 1 Chuck Stewart 37.98 37.98 0 0 Goosepen Chuck Stewart 20.88 20.88 0 0 Egypt Gate Chuck Stewart 15.18 15.18 0 0 MS5 Chuck Stewart 34.36 34.36 0 0 T9551 field 2 Ed Stoops 34.8 34.8 0 0 T9551 field 4 Ed Stoops 48.2 48.2 0 0 MS 2S Ed Stoops 31.13 56 0 0 MS 4N Ed Stoops 34.6 34.6 (m) 0 0 MS 9S Ed Stoops 24.5 0 24.5 0 MS 8W Ed Stoops 36 0 36 0 Totals 419 359.3 60.5 0

FOOD PLOT ACRES PLANTED BY MINGO SWAMP FRIENDS Unit Acres Crop Planted Spillway Field (East of 10.2 Wheat Binford) Flat Banks 8.3 Wheat

Triangle Field 3 Wheat

Lagoon 1.0 Wheat

WB Pendley completed the food plot plan for the Mingo Swamp Friends and met with Friends members to discuss. The Refuge has decreased the amount of annual food plot acres and resources have been focused on wildlife viewing areas along the auto tour routes. In addition,

21 some historic food plots sites were planted to trees under the Go Zero Program. Some larger food plot areas have in recent years been planted by refuge cooperative farmers in lieu of crop share on other farm units.

3e. Forest Management

In November of 2011, RM Mense, ARM Landowski, and WB Pendley met with MDC foresters in Pool 8 to discuss treatment and monitoring of oak regeneration in the understory of the unit. MDC staff demonstrated a “hack and squirt” technique they have been utilizing to control soft mast species in the under and mid-stories. The goal is to release the understory of oaks by removal of the soft mast trees currently blocking out light. Over 300 points were identified for treatment in 2012. Over 120 points were treated using this method in Pool 8 during 2012.

Oak seedling regeneration in Pool 8.

CDIP Marina Rodriguez working on hack n’ squirt in Pool 8.

SCEP Anna Weyers completing a hack and ready for squirt.

24 3f. Fire Management

No burn plans were completed for FY12.

3g. Pest/Plant Control

WB Pendley and interns sprayed approximately 24 miles along the roads to control Johnson grass starting at Redmill and traveling to company farms, then to McGhee and west to the bridge. A total of 96 acres of invasive plants were treated in 2012.

Feral hog sightings were up throughout the refuge in 2012 (see Chapter 4). Cameras were placed in multiple places on the refuge. Hogs were filmed at multiple locations on the entire refuge. Sign was over a large area of the refuge. During the managed hunts, 16 hogs were shot with more than 50 sighted.

The Refuge received funding through a grant proposal for invasives with volunteers to fund a feral hog camera trap project in coordination with SEMO University. WB Pendley and volunteers continued to implement an autumn olive control program. Control efforts were focused in and around the refuge entrance road to the visitor center, around refuge housing, and along Bluff Road.

25 FISH AND WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT

4a. Bird Banding

No banding was conducted in 2012.

4b. Disease Monitoring and Treatment

Disease monitoring continued through 2012. One deer was collected and sent for testing where it was confirmed it died from Epizootic Hemorrhagic Disease (EHD). Two other dead deer were discovered and suspected of dying from EHD. All of the deer were found near or lying in shallow water. There were numerous reported cases overall in the state of Missouri where many deer died from EHD due to the biting flies brought on from the drought where they hatched from exposed mudflats from either wetlands, rivers, ponds, or lakes.

4c. Reintroductions

No reintroductions were performed in 2012.

4d. Pest, Predator, & Exotic Animal Control

Beaver Beaver remain a major nuisance on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge by undermining roads, girdling trees, and plugging culverts and water control structures. Many acres of bottomland hardwoods can be damaged or lost by small dams built in flat terrain. These dams cause water to back up and inundate trees in areas that are not usually prone to periodic and long term flooding events. This flooding eventually leads to die - back in the native bottomland hardwood forests. MW Beasley and refuge staff preparing to detonate beaver dam on Cow Creek.

26 On March 29, 2012, MW Clint Beasley, the explosives technician, set charges to blow one beaver dam at Cow Creek and one beaver lodge on Ditch 2 by Pool 8. The Cow Creek dam was re-built almost instantly overnight because the beaver lodge was located just inside the Wilderness Boundary. Due to Wilderness Policy, the lodge was left alone and will be addressed in a Minimum Tools Analysis. Several options to this problem have been discussed as the Refuge staff continues to work on the most sensible solution to this ongoing problem. Ditches, water control structures, and culverts were constantly cleaned out by hand or backhoe. No trapping was performed on the refuge in 2012.

Nutria Although there have been no confirmed sightings of nutria (Myocastor coypus) in the past year it is believed that they continue to reside on the Refuge. Their presence has not been considered to be a major problem at this time.

Asian Carp There have been a few reports and sightings of the invasive Asian carp (Hypophthalmichthys molitrix) in the Mingo River and ditches. No action was taken.

Feral Hogs Feral hogs have become a concern and have taken priority in exotic animal control on the Refuge in the past several years. Feral hog sightings were up throughout the refuge in 2012. Studies on feral hog habits (i.e., rooting/wallowing activities and behavioral patterns) have documented negative impacts on vegetation, vertebrate and invertebrate fauna, soil, and water quality. Feral hogs are omnivores and their diets include oak mast, soft mast, grasses and forbs, fungi, roots and tubers, and animal matter. They often compete with native wildlife such as waterfowl, white- tailed deer, wild turkey, bears, bobcats, and squirrels for food. Their means of obtaining food by rooting alters the forest floor habitat, increases soil erosion, and are detrimental to native communities by inadvertently introducing vegetative invasive species in exposed disturbed areas. Feral hogs can act as reservoirs of the pseudorabies virus and swine brucellosis, and potentially could infect domestic swine and people.

Refuge game cameras were placed on the north side of the refuge where the most sign were found. Hogs were sighted or filmed at multiple places on the refuge. The entire refuge had hog sign reported in 2012. Sign was noted along Ross’ Bottoms, Sandblow Ridge, Gum Stump, Ditch 4, Ditch 6, Flat Banks, and near Ditch 1. Because of the drought, lots of sign was noted on the western part of Monopoly Marsh and in Rockhouse Marsh. WB Pendley attempted to trap with panel traps and cable restraints (snares) between Monopoly Marsh and Fox Pond. Hogs ceased

27 coming to the area after the panel trap was installed. One hog was snared. Trapping was halted for deer season to prevent baiting issues. A Special Use Permit (SUP) was issued to a hog tracker with chase dogs and was unsuccessful. LE Seward accompanied the tracker.

During the months of July and August, Mark McLain from the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) brought in 12 MDC employees from around the state for feral hog training. On Mingo, they learned how to set up three-panel traps with a lifting head gate, set up and check snares, and learn about hog sign. They spent around 150 hours on Mingo, in a 4-week period. Two traps were set in the Gum Stump/Ditch 4 area and one trap was set in Rockhouse Marsh. Cable restraints (snares) were set on the north side of the refuge by the pine trees. Snares were also set in the small trees by the Gum Stump/Monopoly culverts and also right off of Ditch 4. No hogs were caught in any of the traps or in the snares in this effort. As part of a MDC Feral Hog Task Force, Mark McLain brought a local tracker with his four catch dogs to track and kill hogs for one day. Two hogs were shot on the refuge. One 200 lb. boar was shot near Ditch 5 by Monopoly Marsh, and a 400 lb. boar was shot 0.3 miles from Ditch 4.

Photo 1: MDC staff with CDIP Marina Rodriguez setting up a hog trap in Rockhouse Marsh. Photo 2: L to R – Marina Rodriguez (CDIP), Mark McLain (MDC), and Anna Weyers (SCEP) with 400 lb. boar taken with catch dogs.

In October, Anna Weyers, Master’s student from Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau started a feral hog monitoring project on the refuge. Funds from the NWRS Invasive Species with Volunteers were used to purchase supplies and cameras for this project. Trail cameras were used to monitor seasonal changes in habitat usage across the refuge for the feral hogs. Thirty trail cameras were placed across the refuge. Fifteen points were stratified random points selected through ArcGIS, which made two transect lines across the refuge. The cameras were placed 0.30 miles apart. The remaining fifteen cameras were placed in areas that had sufficient sign of scat, rooting, wallows, etc.

Hog rooting sign in the bottoms. Hog scat.

Hog rooting damage in Rockhouse Marsh.

Hog rooting damage at Sandblow Ridge.

29 The figure below shows a map of Mingo NWR with the established camera points. The linear points are the random cameras and the spread out points are the cameras placed near sign. This project will continue for one full year with results expected in 2013-14.

Map depicting game camera points established to track seasonal patterns of feral hogs (Sus scrofa).

30 PUBLIC EDUCATION AND RECREATION

5a. Provide Visitor Services

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge provides a number of great opportunities to enjoy the habitat and wildlife of southeast Missouri. For the year of 2012 an estimated 116,000 visits were made at the refuge. Visitor activities ranged from hunting, fishing, wildlife observation and photography to interpretive programs and environmental education. Overall, the 116,000 visits was a slight decrease from 2011 and is probably a result of the Visitor Center still being closed for construction. The lack of a true Visitor Center provided a number of challenges to the Visitor Services program, particularly with environmental education, and can be seen in the numbers for 2012. Despite the Visitor Center remaining under construction, there was much progress made to the building during 2012 (see picture below). The Hartz Pond Trail, Bluff Trail and the Overlook were also refurbished during 2012 but remained closed due to their proximity to the Visitor Center construction site.

Some of the highlights for the Visitor Services program for the year included the hiring of a new Park Ranger, Peter Rea. Peter was a former SCEP student within Region 3 and transferred to Mingo from DeSoto NWR in Missouri Valley, IA. His first day at the refuge was June 18. Other highlights for 2012 included the start of Swamp Saturday Programs, a new refuge website and the initiation of a new draft hunt plan. The following sections in this chapter will go into detail about these accomplishments.

View of the Visitor Center progress.

31 The annual visitation to the Refuge during the past 5 years averaged 122,134 visits per year.

Fiscal Year Visitation 2012 116,000 2011 119,000 2010 105,388 2009 136,825 2008 133,458

The Ozark Highlands Auto Tour Route during the spring and fall and Bluff Road/Red Mill received the largest number of visitors. Events during bird migration, National Public Lands Day, National Wildlife Refuge Week and archery hunting season attracted many visitors. The Swampwalk Nature Trail also remained a popular spot for visitors to the refuge.

Hunting

This was the third full year of collecting hunter harvest data under the new OMB-approved hunter survey collection system. The system consists of survey cards for small game and large game and collection boxes located at the exit kiosks. These measures increase safeguards for the protection of hunter information. Hunters continue to sign in but perhaps not all report on their hunting experience so the data collected is questionable.

The year 2012 also continued the process of a draft hunt plan proposal for Mingo National Wildlife Refuge. Some of the highlights for the proposed changes included expanding the public hunt area to Ditch 6 through the end of October and opening up Pool 7 for waterfowl hunting through the Duck Creek draw three days a week. On September 17, 2012 a thirty day comment period for the draft Hunt Plan and Environmental Assessment opened to the public. Within this thirty day comment period, a Public Meeting was held on September 25 at the Puxico VFW from 12 p.m. – 8 p.m. Few people attended the public meeting and limited comments were turned into the refuge during this commenting period. The public comment period was re-opened on December 14, 2012, and remained open through January 4, 2013, to allow the neighboring landowners to comment. Letters were sent out to the neighboring landowners to ensure that they got their opportunity to comment on the draft hunt plan. Once their comments were compiled, the refuge went forward to submit the Hunt Plan package to the Regional Office to hopefully initiate the changes beginning in the 2013-14 hunt season. RM Ben Mense discusses proposed hunt plan changes to a Puxico citizen.

31 Deer (Archery) Archery deer was open on the refuge from September 15th through January 15th (refer to harvest data below). As in past seasons, archery hunters could harvest two deer and two turkeys during the season with no point restrictions on the harvest of bucks. Concurrent with state regulations, archery hunters were allowed to purchase and fill any number of Archery Antlerless Deer Hunting Permits during the archery season as indicated on the map. Refuge land in Wayne County was included in this stipulation but refuge land in Stoddard County was not. During the State firearms deer season in November, hunters with a valid firearms deer permit could archery deer hunt on the refuge. Harvest rate decreased this year.

Deer (Archery) Harvest Data

Hunt Bucks Does Total # Hunter Deer Harvested Season Deer Visits /100 visits 2012-13 43 31 74 2023 3.66 2011-12 55 32 87 2645 3.30 2010-11 25 15 40 1334 3.00

2009-10 42 36 78 2901 2.69

2008-09 31 27 58 2650 2.19

Deer (Annual Muzzleloader Hunt) The application and draw process was coordinated through the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) as in previous years. There were 2,294 applicants and 150 hunters were drawn; and 138 hunters checked in. Five hunters with mobility impairments were also drawn for the hunt and were placed in hunting blinds within the Special Hunt Area of the refuge. Of the five disabled hunters drawn, three of them checked-in for the weekend. Hunter briefings were presented on Friday, November 30, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The complete muzzleloader hunt results are listed below.

A nice 8-point buck being weighed at the check station. 31 This year’s Managed (Muzzleloader) Hunt occurred during the first weekend in December (Dec 1-2). Hunters were allowed to hunt west of Ditch 4 and north of Ditch 11, with the exception of the Special Hunt Area (handicapped area). Hunters could harvest two deer of any sex, except only one buck, without having to check the first deer until both deer were harvested. During the hunt week, hunters were met with less than ideal conditions as both days reached the sixties along with a strong wind. Despite the poor hunting conditions, the weekend hunt still produced a total harvest of 55 total deer; 27 does, 20 bucks, and 8 button bucks. Along with the bucks an astounding thirteen feral hogs were harvested.

One of the thirteen feral hogs harvested.

Deer (Antlerless Muzzleloader Hunt) For the first time, Mingo National Wildlife Refuge hosted a second Managed Deer Hunt for the season, with this second hunt being an antlerless-only. The application and draw process was coordinated through the MDC. There were 162 applicants and 70 hunters were drawn; and 59 hunters checked in. Four hunters with mobility impairments were also drawn for the hunt and were placed in hunting blinds within the Special Hunt Area. Of the five disabled hunters drawn, one of them checked-in for the weekend. Hunter briefings were presented on Friday, December 14, 2012 from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. The complete muzzleloader hunt results are listed below.

The antlerless-only hunt took place on the weekend of December 15-16. Hunters were allowed to hunt west of Ditch 4 and north of Ditch 11, with the exception of the Special Hunt Area. Hunters could harvest two antlerless deer, without having to check the first deer until both deer were harvested. According to the MDC Hunting Regulations, a legal antlerless deer is any doe, a button buck and a buck with spikes less than 3 inches long. During this weekend the hunters were again met with poor conditions. Saturday was windy and it rained off and on throughout the day. On Sunday the rain stopped but for most of the morning the refuge was covered in a thick fog making visibility poor. These poor conditions made for a tough hunt as only 5 does and 4 button bucks were harvested. No feral hogs were harvested during this hunt.

Deer (Annual Youth Rifle Hunt) The application and draw process was coordinated through the MDC. There were 258 youth applicants and 50 hunters were drawn; and 49 youth hunters checked in. Hunter orientations

31 were presented on Saturday September 22, 2012 from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. and on Friday October 26, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

This year, the refuge offered the third annual Youth-only Hunt, which was the second ever rifle hunt on Mingo NWR. This hunt occurred on the last weekend in October (October 27-28) and they were allowed to hunt west of Ditch 4 and north of Ditch 11. Hunters in the Youth-only hunt could only harvest one deer of either sex. Weather conditions were on the warmer side for both days. Many youth and their mentors experienced a hunt of a lifetime where 33 out of the 49 youth were successful in harvesting one deer (8 does, 24 bucks, and 1 button buck). Three feral hogs were also harvested. One of the highlights for the refuge staff was getting to see a father, who was part of the Wounded Warrior Program for injured Military Members, and his son have a successful hunt in getting a nice 10-point buck. Refuge staff collected data on all checked deer (i.e., number of points, age, weight, sex, which county it was taken in, total deer seen, and total number of hogs seen). All hunts occurred without any reports of accidents.

A father, who was part of the Wounded Warrior Program for injured Military Members, and his son showing off their buck during the Youth-only Managed Hunt.

A youth hunter checking her deer in.

31 Managed Deer Hunts Harvest Data

Hunt Bucks Button Does Total Hogs Quota/ Number of Success Season Bucks Deer Applied Hunters Rate (%) 2012-13 (Dec 15-16) - 4 5 9 - 70/162 59 15% Antlerless 2012-13 20 8 27 55 13 150/2294 138 40% (Dec 1-2) 2012-13 (Oct 27-28) 24 1 8 33 3 50/258 49 67% Youth-only 2011-12 18 12 28 58 5 150/2218 137 42% (Dec 3-4) 2011-12 (Nov 5-6) 26 5 7 38 2 50/134 47 81% Youth-only 2010/11 30 14 54 98 - 165/2122 154 64% (Dec 4-5) 2010/11 (Dec 11-12) 3 1 1 5 - 50/63 44 11% Youth-only

2009/10 15 22 56 93 - 165/2135 153 61% (Dec 5-6)

2008/09 21 * 26 47 - 135/2022 117 40% (Jan3-4)

* -- Recorded as antlerless. A review of the records may show biological information.

Squirrel Squirrel hunting season on the refuge spans from the Saturday before Memorial Day through September 30th. During the 2012/13 season, squirrel hunters reported a total harvest of 55 fox and 266 gray squirrels from 244 hunters during 668 hunting hours. The harvest rate remained about the same as the 2011/12 season where a total of 318 squirrels were harvested.

Turkey In the spring season, turkey hunters harvested 8 turkeys with 117 hunters dedicating a reported 356 hours hunting. The number of hunters remained about the same as 2011 but the turkey harvest declined from 16 turkeys harvested in 2011.

Waterfowl Pool 8 waterfowl hunt area consists of 2,000-acres of Green Tree Reservoir and is managed as a wade-in hunt area through a cooperative agreement with Duck Creek CA. Due to an extremely dry year with a long drought, Pool 8 never received water from Ditch 1. Water was held back to

31 fill up Pool 1 at Duck Creek CA. Pool 8 is the only place on the refuge where waterfowl hunting is permitted so due to the dry conditions, Pool 8 remained closed and no waterfowl were harvested this year on the refuge.

Pool 8 Waterfowl Harvest Data

Hunt Ducks Geese # Hunters Birds/hunter Season 2012/13* 0 0 0 0 2011/12 2,120 1 1,102 1.92 2010/11* 11 0 18 .61

2009/10 222 10 316 .73

2008/09 56 0 217 .26

2007/08 1708 0 783 2.18

2006/07 1634 2 681 2.4 * 2010/11 Pool 8 never reached full pool and it was a very dry year which limited number of hunters and reduced hunt days. *2012/13The drought caused refuge-wide low water levels and Pool 8 did not receive water to open for waterfowl hunting.

Fishing

In FY12, approximately 4,662 angler visits were recorded. Fishing remained popular along the ditches, Mingo River, Stanley Creek, and May Pond. During November and December, crappie fishing was very popular in Ditch 11 along Red Mill Drive. Refuge staff put 1,200 pounds of Rice Bran fertilizer into Fox Pond to enhance the fish growth/population. Trees were also fallen along the bank of Fox Pond to enhance the fish habitat structures. Mingo National Wildlife Refuge established a Christmas tree drop-off on the refuge. The trees collected will be sunken in Fox Pond to provide fish habitat. Another highlight was getting the pier at Hartz Pond secured using posts that will allow the structure to move up and down with the water levels. This small pond will be used more for educational purposes and pond studies.

Wildlife Observation

This past year 61,053 wildlife observation visits occurred with peak visits during the waterfowl migration periods in the spring and fall. The Ozark Highlands Auto Tour Route (ATR) received approximately 8,203 vehicle visits and was open daily for vehicle travel in April, May, October, November, and one week in August for the Puxico Homecoming Celebration. Bluff Road and the Red Mill ATR accounted for the remainder of the 53,723 ATR visits on the refuge.

With the Refuge Visitor Center still closed, along with Hartz Pond Trail and Bluff Trail, foot trail visits declined slightly from 2011. However, the ATR Visits were up slightly.

Year Foot Trail Auto Tour Boat Launch Total Wildlife Visits Visits Visits Observation Visits FY 2012 7,080* 53,723 250 61,053

FY 2011 7,200* 50,000* 200* 57,500*

FY 2010 10,059 35,745* 246 56,098*

FY 2009 11,765 44,306 376 73,168

FY 2008 8,516* 38,621* 194* 47,331*

*Significant events impacting visitation: FY10: closing of the Refuge Visitor Center for construction; FY08 & FY11, record flooding events during the peak season with closing of key facilities, including Ozark Highlands ATR and Swampwalk Nature Trail; FY12, the Visitor Center along with Bluff Trail and Hartz Pond Trail remained closed for the year.

Photography

In FY12, approximately 6,168 photography visits occurred on the refuge. Two photography blinds along Red Mill Drive at Goose Pen and Pool 6 were available. A reservation system was maintained using the free refuge special use permit system and signage at the site. Both blinds are in key wildlife habitat areas and offer excellent year-round photography opportunities.

Mingo National Wildlife Refuge and the Mingo Swamp Friends sponsored their seventh annual Mingo Swamp Flora & Fauna Photography Contest. The contest was open to adults and youth under 17 years of age and had five categories in each age division: Mingo Landscape, Native Wildlife, Native Plant, Artistically Enhanced, and People in Nature. A sixth category, Professional, was offered for the adult division. A total of 128 photographs were submitted with 58 winning entries. Prizes and ribbons were awarded. The winning photos became a part of a traveling exhibit to Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, MO, various Missouri Department of Conservation state offices, Sikeston Depot Museum, and USFWS National Conservation Training Center (NCTC). The River Hills Traveler contributed to the contest.

Best of Show entitled “Cypress and Swamp Flowers” by John F. Doskey.

Wildlife Photography Visitation Data

Year Visits Year Visits FY 2012 6,168 FY 2009 6,841

FY 2011 5,950 FY 2008 4,402

FY 2010 5,269 FY 2007 5,967

Environmental Education

The lack of a true visitor center had the most impact on the refuges Environmental Education Program. Without proper facilities on the refuge, on-site school visits was again extremely low this year. However, many improvements were made this year to the facilities to set the foundation for a good Environmental Education Program for the future. The new visitor center, when completed, will feature an environmental education classroom along with an interpretive exhibit on the plants, animals and habitat of the refuge. The Hartz Pond Education Trail was also refurbished to better accommodate to school visits in the future. The trail was cleared of autumn olive and the outdoor theatre areas along the trail were cleaned up. An abandoned eagle nest (received from the Missouri Department of Transportation) was placed along the trail to offer a great place for Bald Eagle Programs. Also, the pier at Hartz Pond was secured so that pond study

39 programs can now be done at this site. On top of all this, the arrival of Park Ranger Peter Rea gives the refuge a staff member who can devote time to the Environmental Education Program.

Even though the Environmental Education numbers low, there were still some highlights for the year within the program. PR Peter Rea visited a Girl Scout Troop in Poplar Bluff and provided six environmental education programs for roughly 100 Girl Scouts on the adaptations of waterfowl. Another presentation was done for the Girl Scouts on the adaptation of the bald eagle. An off-site environmental education visit was also made to the Puxico Elementary School where a program about National Wildlife Refuges was presented to 80 fourth graders. During the Managed Youth Hunt Orientation in September and October 2012, refuge staff offered an insight into the refuge’s history, management aspects, rules and regulations, safety, and deer biology to the youth participants. In September 2012, the annual mushroom foray had more than 70 members of the Missouri Mycological Society Chapter participating in the event. Educational programs included field surveys with members of the Missouri Mycological Society Chapter and microscope views of specimens and slide presentations at Latonka Girl Scout Camp in the evening. The society has recorded more than 527 species of mushrooms on the refuge alone. WB Pendley also led five programs which focused on the biology and management of the bottomland forest habitat and moist soil management. These programs were done for Biology/Wildlife Management Majors from visiting colleges and averaged about twenty students per program.

Park Ranger Peter Rea providing an Environmental Education program on bald eagle adaptations to an area Girl Scout troop.

40 Refuge Environmental Education Program Data

Year On-Site Visits Off-site Participants Total EE by Students in Refuge EE Participants in and Teachers Programs Refuge Programs FY 2012 200 300 500 FY 2011 40 250 290

FY 2010 1,152 425 1,577

FY 2009 3,390 973 4,363

FY 2008 2,620 332 2,952

Interpretation

This year saw some great improvement in providing interpretative programing to the visitors of Mingo NWR. The arrival of Park Ranger Peter Rea allowed for a staff member to dedicate more time to provide programs in interpreting the resources of the refuge to the public. In order to best provide interpretation to the public, refuge staff felt that it was necessary to offer free monthly programs that cover a variety of topics on the plants, wildlife, and habitat of the refuge. To accomplish this, PR Rea initiated the Swamp Saturday Programs. These monthly Saturday programs kicked-off with National Public Lands Day where Maxine Stone (author of Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms) did a presentation on the Mushrooms of Mingo. Following the presentation, refuge staff had scopes set-up at Monopoly Overlook to provide bird viewing opportunities to the participants. Another highlight of the Swamp Saturday Program was a guided paddle ride down the Mingo River during the peak fall colors in October. This paddle ride coincided with National Wildlife Refuge Week and was a great activity to highlight the tremendous beauty and importance of Mingo NWR and the NWRS. Other Swamp Saturday programs for 2012 included: Wonderful Waterfowl: a program learning about waterfowl identification and Orienteering: a program in which participants got practice using a compass and a hand-held GPS. Overall the Swamp Saturday Programs were a great way to get the public interested in exploring Mingo NWR and learning about the wildlife and habitat of the refuge. One gentleman said after the Mingo River paddle ride that “…[he] had no idea the Mingo River was even available for paddling.” Hopefully these programs will continue to share ways for visitors to enjoy the refuge. The refuge will continue these Swamp Saturday Programs and already have a schedule for the 2013 programs.

Maxine Stone, member of the Missouri Mycological Society and author of Missouri’s Wild Mushrooms, during her Swamp Saturday Program on the Mushrooms of Mingo.

Another highlight in interpretation was improving refuges connection with the “virtual visitor.” This improvement was done Region-wide by updating refuge websites to a new Content Management System (CMS)-based program. The new website is picture heavy and is standardized throughout the Fish and Wildlife Service so that there is uniformity from website to website. The new CMS website also allows for refuge staff to make updates daily without going through the regional office. This makes the website a great tool for updating information about the refuge on a timely basis.

A screen shot showing the homepage of the new Mingo NWR website.

42 Refuge staff also continued to maintain an interpretative presence online with the refuge Facebook page, which began in fall 2010. As of December 29, 2012, 1,595 people “liked” Mingo NWR on Facebook, which was among the top within Region 3’s active station Facebook pages. Refuge staff post upcoming events, bird counts, pictures of the wildlife and habitat of the refuge and any other refuge happenings on Facebook. The Facebook page has been a great tool in providing information to the public and allows the public to ask refuge staff questions or comments. It is a way for the non-local public to keep up-to-date on Mingo NWR.

New wayfinding signs at the Bluff Road Kiosk, Visitor Center Circle, and Swampwalk Boardwalk were installed in the fall of 2012. Interpretation panels at off-site exhibits were successfully maintained at Mel’s Diner in Puxico. Refuge staff maintained a table and interpretive panel at the annual Southeast Missouri (SEMO) District Fair with reportedly 100,000 visitors. This exhibit was set up in partnership with MDC. Refuge staff, along with the Friends Group, staffed a booth during the Puxico Homecoming. The booth received a number of visitors and was a good way to participate in the local festivities. The refuge also hosted bird survey events during the Great Backyard Bird Count and Christmas Bird Count.

One of the new refuge signs to orient visitors to the Swampwalk Boardwalk.

5b. Outreach

Friends Group

In FY12, the Mingo Swamp Friends continued to support the mission of the NWRS and Mingo NWR in the conservation of wildlife and wildlife habitat and provided public outreach, volunteered for maintenance projects, provided funding support, and other means. New officers were elected with Sharon Tuschhoff as President, Brad Watkins as Vice-President, Bruce Beck as Secretary/Reporter, and Gary Beachum as Treasurer. The Friends again planted winter wheat for the food plots in viewing areas for visitors to have good viewing opportunities of deer and turkey. The Friends Group also formed a bookstore committee to begin the process of ordering items to have in the new Visitor Center Swamp Friends Bookstore when the building opens.

43 Regina Mense, Bruce Beck, and Gretchen Pendley agreed to be on the committee for the bookstore and began organizing and ordering items for the store. The Friends Group also applied for a $5,000 grant to help with the start-up cost of the bookstore. A new fund raising project that the Friends Group began this year was selling pavestones. Purchasers of these pavestones can get them engraved with their family name or memoriam which will then be placed at the Rockhouse Overlook by the new Visitor Center. The Friends again partnered with the refuge to promote the seventh annual Mingo Flora & Fauna Photography Contest to promote conservation efforts and photography on the refuge. The contest has gained entrants every year since its inception. The group continues to be a primary source of volunteers for the refuge by contributing several thousand hours each year. Many of the Friends members have participated and assisted in the Swamp Saturday Programs on the refuge.

The Mingo Swamp Friends initiated a new fund raising opportunity by selling pavestones to the public.

Volunteers

In FY12, 105 refuge volunteers contributed 2,585 hours in conservation activities on the refuge. Dave Harris continued to be the most consistent volunteer as he came in two days a week for four hours each day. Dave’s duties include answering the phone, assisting refuge visitors, selling refuge permits and maintaining a refuge scrapbook for newspaper articles on the refuge. Dave is now nearing the 5,000 hour mark for his lifetime volunteer hours. A new weekly volunteer that started this year was Gretchen Pendley. She came in once a week and has helped greatly in organizing the herbarium, designing new interpretive signs for the boardwalk trail, assisting in refuge bird counts, answering visitor questions, and getting the Friends Group Bookstore organized.

In 2012, the refuge hosted two volunteer work days for the public. On March 3, approximately 40 volunteers from Mingo Swamp Friends, Stoddard & Dunklin County 4-H Rodeo Clubs and Mingo Job Corps spent part of the day picking up trash left from the flood on Mingo National Wildlife Refuge, as part of the MODOT NoMO Trash initiative. The volunteers targeted high use areas such as the popular Swampwalk boardwalk, refuge roads, Highway 51, and on the Mingo River.

4-H Rodeo Club participants cleaning up by the Mingo River. Volunteers cleaning up fishing lines & bobbers caught in trees on Mingo River.

For National Public Lands Day roughly 25 volunteers, including a Cub Scout Troop from Advance, participated in Autumn olive removal along the Hartz Pond Trail. The enthusiasm shown by the Cub Scouts helped to keep things fun for all that participated as the volunteers completed more than double what was expected.

Scouts from the Advance Cub Scout Troop showed much enthusiasm for conservation during the volunteer project for National Public Lands Day.

45 Friends Group members continue to provide a number of volunteer services by maintaining food plots, working refuge booths at fairs, and assisting with refuge programs/events. At least one member from the Friends Group participated and assisted in each Swamp Saturday Program. Other refuge volunteers have contributed a number of hours assisting in a wide variety of projects which include grant writing for Friends Group bookstore, performing field studies and recording biological information of waterfowl, songbirds, and snakes, water level/rainfall monitoring, administration of the photography contest and judging, Great Backyard Bird Count, Christmas Bird Count, and identifying mushrooms on the refuge. The volunteers truly help refuge staff in carrying out and accomplishing the mission of Mingo National Wildlife Refuge.

Youth Conservation Corps

This year’s Youth Conservation Corps at Mingo National Wildlife Refuge consisted of four enrollees. The hard-working crew consisted of Ben Lambert from Lilbourn, Missouri, Cole Griffith, and Grace Adams both sophomores at Puxico High School, and Samantha Fraga, a sophomore at Twin Rivers High School. Their ages ranged from 15 to 18 years old. Recruitment efforts consisted of public announcements sent to local high schools and posted in the local newspapers. Refuge staff checked progress with phone calls to high school principals and guidance counselors.

YCC accomplishments in 2012 include rehabilitation and maintenance of the 0.5 mile Bluff Nature Trail in order to prepare it for the new Visitor Center; scraping and re-painting gates and sign posts throughout the refuge; installing new mailboxes; assisting with remodeling and painting the interior of maintenance shop; stripping and weatherproofing decks and porches at the temporary office, bunkhouse, and residence #1; and power washing buildings and outhouses. The crew also installed speed limit signs, weight limit signs on bridges, and stop signs on the refuge. All of these projects aided in teaching the crew carpentry and teamwork skills. Lawn maintenance, facilities clean-up, kiosk maintenance, re-stocking brochures, collecting traffic counter information, collecting trash, and detailing vehicles were weekly duties. The crew assisted the biological team with eradicating autumn olive in the environmental education circle close to the Visitor Center, helped bait for feral hogs in their traps, and look for hog sign on the refuge. The crew also spent several days with the biological team in Pool 8 where they performed “hack n’ squirt” procedures on soft mass trees like maple, ash, and sweet gum (only youth older than 18 were allowed to use chemical, the rest either used a hatchet to “hack” into the tree or broke saplings for another person to “squirt” the chemical into the cut) to promote growth of bottomland hardwood seedlings (i.e., oaks and hickories) by opening the canopy to allow sunlight to reach the forest floor.

Educational programs included weekly safety meetings, Mingo’s history and management objectives and strategies, forest management and invasive plant techniques, and feral hog control. YCC also received a tour of the new Visitor Center. YCC enjoyed an informative canoe/float trip down the Mingo River, and a day trip to Cape Nature Center and Trail of Tears State Park. They wrapped up the productive summer with a day at Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge where they cleared vegetation on the interior of the fence, learned about Indiana bats then cooled off in front of the cave opening after having lunch on top of the mountain overlooking the

46 historic town. To thank them for their hard work the refuge gave each member a certificate of appreciation, a Mingo Nalgene bottle, and a CD with pictures of the summer activities. This was the hardest working team we’ve had, bar none. The appraised values estimated on the accomplishment reports does not reflect their hard work, effectiveness to work together as a team, and their determination to finish the job quickly and safely (and in HOT weather too). They exceeded our expectations and went beyond their value. They’ve made new friendships with each other from this summer. We have posted some of their work and thanked them for their work on Facebook.

YCC crew at work on Bluff Trail.

YCC takes on the invasive autumn olive – prepping for spring planting of seedlings in the understory in the Hartz Pond Environmental Education area.

YCC on top of Pilot Knob Mountain (Pilot Knob NWR) L-R: Samantha Fraga, Grace Adams, Cole Griffith, Ben Lambert.

It’s fun to be a Y.C.C!! c’mon, sing it now!! L-R: Grace Adams, Ben Lambert, Samantha Fraga, Cole Griffith @ Pilot Knob NWR.

49 2012 YCC Projects: Days - Cumulative

1) Mowing and Trimming (2 days each week)……….………………………………….16 days 2) Bluff Trail rehab (4 days)……...…………….…………………………………...... 20 days 3) Paint gates, mailboxes, sign posts around refuge (3 days)…..………………..…...... 23 days 4) Install speed/weight limit and stop signs (2.5 days) ………………….……....….…..25.5 days 5) Autumn Olive removal at Hartz Pond(2.5 days)………………...... 28 days 6) Pool 8 hack & squirt (4.5 days)…………………………………………………...... 32.5 days 7) Paint maintenance shop interior (3 days)……………………………….………...... 35.5 days 8) Weatherproof/seal decks at Temp. office/residence house #1 (3.5 days)……….…….39 days 9) Pilot Knob NWR fence clearing (1 days)……………………………….……….…….40 days 10) Vegetation clearing on signs, roadways, and trails (3.5 days)……………………….43.5 days 11) Power washing outhouses and buildings (2 days)……………………………………45.5 days 12) Feral hog project (1 days)…………………………………………………………….46.5 days 13) Weekly Duties (4.5 days)…………………………………………………………….51 days 14) Education Days- float trip and Nature center (2 days)……………………………….53 days 14) Washing vehicles and cleaning equipment (1/2 day weekly)

Youth Interns

Student Career Experience Program (SCEP) We had three SCEP interns that worked for us throughout the summer. Anna Weyers, a SCEP biology trainee, Cody Wiig and Charles (Chuck) Shier, both SCEP maintenance trainees. Anna had previous experience at Illinois River NWR and Rydell NWR. She is currently pursuing a graduate degree in Wildlife Management at Southeast Missouri State University and researching hog seasonal movement patterns on the refuge (see Chapter 4). Cody had previous experience at Litchfield Wetland Management District (WMD) and was involved with many of the moist soil and wetland manipulations during the summer. He also had two MAT details to Windom WMD and Seney NWR. Chuck came halfway through the summer from Squaw Creek to complete his SCEP requirements and was converted full-time permanent at Mingo to replace Clint Beasley, who left for Cypress Creek NWR. This is the last year of the SCEP program as it converted to the Agency-wide Pathways Programs for students and recent graduates to federal careers. Both Anna and Cody will be placed at permanent stations once their degree requirements are fulfilled.

Career Discovery Internship Program (CDIP) The CDIP program was created in partnership with the Student Conservation Association (SCA) and is geared towards introducing culturally and ethnically diverse college freshman and sophomores to careers in natural resource conservation like the USFWS. Our CDIP intern, Marina Rodriguez, came from San Antonio, Texas. She had just completed her freshman year at Colorado State University, with an emphasis in Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. Marina and Anna worked together during the summer and worked closely with WB Pendley. They both conducted Breeding Bird Surveys, hog trapping efforts, snake mortality surveys, cleared beaver activity around WCS, sprayed invasive species, and continued the Pool 8 forest management techniques with “hack n’ squirt” (see Chapter 3).

Wilderness Fellowship A guide for wilderness character monitoring was developed by the USFWS, NPS, NFS, and BLM, for areas designated as Wilderness Areas (see Chapter 1). This fall, Steven Zweber, a Wilderness Fellow, was tasked to describe the wilderness character monitoring program for Mingo NWR’s Wilderness Area and provide a baseline assessment with the monitoring efforts already occurring on the refuge. Prior to coming to Mingo, Steve worked on Crab Orchard NWR’s wilderness character monitoring plan and after completing Mingo’s, he left to assist with Horicon NWR’s wilderness character monitoring plan. Steve also assisted with some of the Visitor Services programs and projects such as Swamp Saturday programs and trail work.

L to R: Marina Rodriguez (CDIP), Cody Wigg (SCEP), and Anna Weyers (SCEP).

Steven Zweber, Wilderness Fellow, in the Mingo Wilderness. Funding

In FY 2012, refuge staff collected $13,378.61 in fee money. Fees were collected at the temporary refuge office and four self-pay iron range located at the major entrances (Bluff Road, Job Corp and Rabbit Ridge) and one walk-in entrance (McGee Gate). Expenditures for FY12 were $7,985.87. The refuge utilized fee monies to purchase refuge general brochures and the hunt brochures for the 2012-13 season (4,582.20). The fee money also helped to pay for STEP employee Emily Schaffer’s salary. Emily’s duties included maintaining trails, stocking brochures, cleaning refuge facilities, working the front desk, assisting visitors and collecting hunter harvest report cards. The unobligated balance at the end of September was $10,130.38.

Annual Fee Totals for Mingo National Wildlife Refuge

FY 2012 Receipts: $13,378.61 Expenditures: $7,985.87 FY 2011 Receipts: $12,111 Expenditures: $6,330 FY 2010 Receipts: $13,991 Expenditures: $10,365 FY 2009 Receipts: $14,774 Expenditures: $8,384 FY 2008 Receipts: $11,802 Expenditures: $10,955

52 FY 2012 Fee Schedule

Area Type of Fee Amount Mingo NWR Entrance Fee $3.00/vehicle Mingo NWR Refuge Specific Annual Pass $12.00/vehicle/year Mingo NWR Interagency Senior Pass $10.00/Lifetime Mingo NWR Interagency Annual Pass $80.00/year Mingo NWR Interagency Military Pass Free to active military and dependents/year Mingo NWR Duck Stamp (not deposited $15.00/year into this account)

53 RESOURCE PROTECTION

6a. Law Enforcement

Summary of Law Enforcement Violations

Violation Type Citations / Warnings Hunting / Firearm 1 Fishing 0 Trespass 3 Entrance Fee 1 Other 4 Total 9

Summary of Law Enforcement Incidents

Incident Type Incidents Educational 3 Citizen Assistance 3 Agency Assistance 2 Timber Fire 1 Suspicious Circumstances 5 Wildlife Related 2 Littering 3 Special Regulations 1 Traffic 2 Property Damage Govt. 4 Property Damage Visitor 1 Theft of Personal Property 15 Theft of Govt. Property 1 Total 43

54 6b. Permits and Economic Use Management

There were 29 Special Use Permits issued in 2012.

6c. Contaminant Investigation

In 2012, Brittany Kussman, a SEMO graduate student, finished her study to evaluate and compare sediment loads in red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans) in response to the 2012 USFWS Environmental Contaminants Program report. The report documented environmental contaminants present on the refuge and public notices signs were placed around the refuge advising anglers of the fish consumption advisory and potential health risks. A brief synopsis is available in the FY10 annual narrative and full report in refuge files. The herpetofauna study is a follow-up to the 2010 environmental contaminants report and will compare turtle tissue samples with soil, sediment, and tissue levels from other species.

Ms. Kussman’s study indicated mean concentrations of mercury were 0.526 ppm dry weight and 0.135 ppm wet weight in her samples. These were twice as high for the same measurements for the control specimens from Clarence Cannon NWR.

In additional to continuing air quality sampling on the refuge, Mingo NWR staff began sampling litterfall for mercury as part of a larger USGS study. WB Pendley established a collection plot for leaf litter to the northwest of the air quality station. Nine sample trays were randomly placed in a grid to capture leaf litter. Samples were gathered once per month and sent to the USGS Lab in Indiana.

6d. Contaminant Cleanup

6e. Water Rights Management

6f. Cultural Resources Management

In partnership with NCTC, the Regional Office offered Cultural Resource Training at Minnesota Valley NWR during 2012. ARM Landowski attended the training. Refuge staff worked with regional archaeologist, James Myster, to obtain cultural resource clearance for the NAWCA Spillway replacement project. All procedures were followed and areas are awaiting clearance for the project to be initiated in 2013 (see Chapter 2.)

6g. Land Acquisition Support

55 Planning and Administration

7a. Planning

During 2012, the Hunting Plan was initiated. An environmental assessment, hunting plan, compatibility determination, and other pertinent documents were completed by refuge staff during the year. Refuge staff held a scoping meeting with MDC (October 2011), public scoping meeting (December 2011), and a public listening session (September 2012). Final drafts of all documents were finalized and submitted to the Regional Office the first part of January 2013.

Several changes are being proposed in the hunt plan. The refuge is proposing to expand the archery deer/turkey, spring turkey, and squirrel hunting boundary to include the area between Ditch 4 and Ditch 6. This area would be open to archery deer/turkey from the start of the state season until October 31. Another change is opening waterfowl hunting in Pool 7. This area would be managed similar to Pool 8, however, the area would only be hunting 3 days per week for a maximum of 25 hunters.

The proposed changes would not take effect until the fall of 2013 at the earliest.

7b. General Administration

Personnel

EOD TYPE OF NAME TITLE GRADE YEAR APPT. Ben Mense Refuge Manager GS-13 2007 PFT

Lindsey Landowski Assistant Manager GS-12 2011 PFT

Brad Pendley Wildlife Biologist GS-12 2009 PFT

Peter Rea Park Ranger GS-7 2012 PFT

Judy Plunkett Administrative Technician GS-7 1985 PFT

Ryan Seward Refuge Officer GS-9 2008 PFT

56 Matt Fox Maintenance Mechanic WG-8 2008 PFT

Clint Beasley Maintenance Mechanic WG-6 2009 PFT

Chuck Shier Maintenance Mechanic WG-6 2012 PFT

Anna Weyers Wildlife Biologist – SCEP GS-5 2012 SCEP

Cody Wiig Maintenance Mechanic – SCEP WG-5 2012 SCEP

Sean Lofgren SCEP – R.O.S. GS-5 2010 SCEP

Emily Schaffer YCC Crew Leader - STEP GS-4 2010 Temp.

Personnel actions during the year included:

• Clint Beasley transferred to Cypress Creek NWR as a Maintenance Mechanic in April • Chuck Shier (SCEP) transferred from Squaw Creek NWR in August and PFT converted to WG-6. • Peter Rea (SCEP) transferred from Desoto NWR in August • Sean Lofgren (SCEP) transferred to Agassiz NWR in May

2012 Mingo NWR Staff

L to R: Chuck Shier, Brad Pendley, Lindsey Landowski, Matt Fox, Judy Plunkett, Ben Mense, Peter Rea, Ryan Seward

57 Funding

FY 2012 Funding (126X) for Mingo NWR was as follows:

450,000

400,000

350,000

300,000

250,000

200,000 Base 150,000

100,000

50,000

0 1261 1262 1262 3ANN 1263 1264

Base Budget and Additional Funding in FY 2012 included:

1. 1121 – Private Lands $3,200 2. 1261 – Wildlife Base $436,740 3. 1261 – Biological Network Funding $5,000 4. 1262 – Maintenance Base $125,135 5. 1262 – New Komatsu Excavator $259,785 6. 1262 – Annual Maintenance $128,000 7. 1262 – YCC $15,000 8. 1263 – Visitor Services Base $26,856 9. 1264 – Law Enforcement Base $98,862 10. 8610 – Quarters $4,292 11. 7201 – Contributed Funds $9,365

TOTAL FY 2012 Budget $1,112,235

Significant 2012 Projects:

Office/Visitor Center

The Refuge received approximately 4 million dollars as part of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act to replace the headquarters and visitor center facility. The project includes the demolition of the current facility and construction of the new building. The project was awarded

58 to Arrowhead Construction in late December 2009. Construction is approximately 60% complete as of the end of the year. Numerous complications and delays have been experienced throughout the year. Completion date is scheduled for June of 2013.

View of the Visitor Center from old well house viewpoint (April 24, 2012).

View of the Visitor Center progress (January 9, 2013).

59 Roof on Visitor Center Overlook

Refuge maintenance staff replaced the deteriorated roof on the visitor center overlook. Work included taking off the old roof structure, installing new trusses, plywood, and shake shingles. This overlook will be connected to the new facility via an accessible sidewalk. This overlook wasn’t accessible from the old visitor center; therefore, this should be a big draw for visitors and provides an excellent view of the refuge. Three trees (sweetgum and maple) were removed for better visibility of the landscape.

Visitor Center Overlook with new roof and cedar shakes. Bluff Road Kiosk Roof

The original roof on the kiosk was not installed properly which was causing the structure to twist and sag. Refuge maintenance staff redesigned the roof structure, constructed the structure and installed it on the kiosk. The new roof enhances the look of the kiosk and was installed in a way to avoid the past issues.

Bluff Road Kiosk roof structure with welded angle brackets. 60 Flat Banks Guard Rail

A wooden guard rail was installed by refuge maintenance staff at the intersection of Flat Banks Road and Bluff Road. In 2011, Bluff Road and Flat Banks Road was asphalted and the culvert at that point was replaced. It was noted there was a steep drop-off so a guard rail was constructed.

MW Fox and Beasley installing two wooden guard rails at Bluff Road and Flat Banks intersection.

Bluff Road Rip-rap

After Bluff Road was re-paved from 2011, MW Fox maintained the ditch along Bluff Road. Fox and MW Beasley worked together to line portions of Bluff Road with rip-rap for stability.

MW Fox placing rip-rap along portions of Bluff Road.

New Roof on 8-stall Storage Building

The refuge has spent the last couple of years rehabilitating the 8-stall building. Past projects included replacing the garage doors, replacing all soffit/trim, and painting the building. The building had thirty year old shingles which were deteriorating and starting to show signs of

61 leaking. Replacing these shingles was the last project in completing the rehabilitation. A contract was awarded to Holloway Lumber for $9,840 to replace the roof on the building. The project was completed in June.

Crew working on removing the old shingles.

8-Stall roof completed.

Maintenance Office Rehabilitation

The maintenance office was showing signs of deterioration from years of use. Refuge staff completed a rehabilitation of the office during the year. Work included installing new drywall, painting, new floor epoxy, installing new cabinets/sinks, and installing efficient windows/doors. The only part of the project left to complete is the installation of a drop ceiling and new lights which will be completed in early 2013.

SCEP maintenance trainee Cody Wiig removing wood paneling for new drywall.

Carpentry Shop Windows

The refuge had the carpentry shop re-painted last year. The next step in the rehabilitation of this building was replacing all of the windows. Energy efficient windows were installed in July.

L: Old carpenter shop windows with anti-theft rebar on the inside. R: New energy efficient windows installed.

Quarters/Facility Projects

New gutters were installed on both quarters during the year. During installation of the gutters, rotten soffit corners were replaced. The new gutters and soffit corners will allow water to drain

63 properly from the building. Trees were also trimmed away from the buildings and around the perimeter.

Gutters and soffit corner being replaced on Residence #2.

Gutters and soffit corner replaced on Residence #1.

64 New Equipment for 2012

500 gallon stationary double wall diesel fuel tank: Property #1231.

2013 Ford F-150 truck: Property #: 302807.

300 gallon Boomless Sprayer for herbicide use : Property #1230.

2012 Komatsu PC360LC-10 with a fire suppression system: Property #302808.

Part of the fire suppression system on the excavator.

67 Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge

Ozark Cavefish National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1991 with the purchase of a 40-acre tract twenty miles west of Springfield in Lawrence County, Missouri. This property contains Turnback Creek cave spring which is the outlet of an underground stream known to contain a population of threatened Ozark Cavefish. Access to the stream is gained via the Turnback Cave opening located on adjacent property (i.e., Paris Springs Access) owned by the Missouri Department of Conservation. Purpose of acquisition was concern over potential development of the property.

No trips by refuge staff to Ozark Cavefish NWR were made in 2012. An associate professor from Northwest Missouri State University submitted a proposal to solicit funding to support a pilot study to analyze heavy metal chemistry of cave sediments in the Springfield (MO) Plateau. The professor and a graduate student would have sampled cave sediment at the mouth of the cave at Ozark Cavefish NWR and surrounding caves to test for heavy metal accumulation in the sediment. Cave ecosystems are highly sensitive to physical or chemical disturbances. Cave isopods, which spend the majority of their life cycle in sediment, are one of the sources of food for the endangered Ozark Cavefish. This study would have provided baseline data on heavy metal accumulation and pinpoint impacts from point or nonpoint source pollution from the surrounding watershed. It could lead to additional funding to help with watershed clean-up. It did not receive support after the final round late 2012 but it is planned for re-submission in 2013.

View of Turnback Creek.

68 Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge

Pilot Knob National Wildlife Refuge is a 90-acre tract on top of Pilot Knob Mountain in Iron County, Missouri. It was acquired by donation from the Pilot Knob Ore Company on July 22, 1987 for conservation purposes. More specifically, it contains some iron mine shafts created in the mid-1800's which are critical habitat for the Federally endangered Indiana bat. A Memorandum of Understanding with the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) signed by the Regional Director, August 25, 1987 calls for sharing of law enforcement and land management responsibility.

No surveys of bats were conducted by MDC this year.

L to R: SCEP Anna Weyers, Cole Griffith, Samantha Fraga, Grace Adams, Ben Lambert, Emily Shaffer, ARM Lindsey Landowski, CDIP Marina Rodriguez, and PR Peter Rea on top of Pilot Knob near the elevation marker.

This summer, the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew, along with Career Discovery Intern (CDIP), Marina Rodriguez, Student Conservation Experience Student (SCEP) biology trainee, Anna Weyers, ARM Landowski, and PR Peter Rea visited Pilot Knob NWR to clear vegetation and small trees off the fence. The fence had been compromised by the 2009 ice storm that toppled trees onto the fence and also from trespassers cutting the fence in an attempt to access the mine and/or mountain top. Materials were ordered to fix the fence and scheduled to Staff and YCC crew working on clearing the interior be fixed in FY13. of the Pilot Knob NWR fence.

In November, a volunteer interested in writing about Pilot Knob’s history about Fort Davidson soldiers on guard on top of the mountain, joined ARM Landowski and PR Peter Rea to try to locate name carvings or engravings in the rock. We discovered 5 different locations where initials or partial names and the company they served with, carved into the rock. GPS points and pictures were taken and filed. It was decided there was not enough material to produce a publication but was still interesting to record for historical interest.

Four of the five name carvings or locations on rocks from Fort Davidson soldiers that were found.