ROLLA – The U.S. Forest Service, serving as a trustee for Missouri’s natural resources, along with co-trustees the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, are seeking public input on a draft restoration plan to address ecological impacts to natural resources in the Viburnum Trend Lead Mining District, located within Iron, Reynolds, Washington and St. Francois counties.
Trustees invite the public to review and comment on the document titled, “Natural Resource Restoration in Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District: Feral Hog Removal for Ecological Restoration within Iron, Reynolds, Washington and St Francois Counties Draft Restoration Plan” now through July 28, 2022. A U.S. Forest Service representative will be available by phone or email to discuss the proposed restoration project described in the plan. The proposed project targets the control of nuisance feral hog populations in the mining district.
Feral hogs are destructive invaders who destroy sensitive plant and animal communities, out-compete native wildlife for food resources, and depredate nests of ground-nesting birds. The project’s goal is to improve or protect water quality, the quality of terrestrial and riparian habitats, and the species and communities dependent on those habitats in the headwaters of the Big River and Black River Basin watersheds.
To minimize the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health and safety of the public, employees and partners, the department has provided a presentation with information about the proposed natural resource project in lieu of a public meeting.
To review the draft restoration plan, presentation and press release by the U.S. Forest Service visit: fs.usda.gov/detail/mtnf/landmanagement/?cid=FSEPRD629017.