Missouri Conservation Commission meets Friday

/ MO State News, News

JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri Conservation Commission will meet Friday for its regular open meeting.

 

The tentative agenda:

 

Thursday, April 3, 9:30 a.m. – Workshop and Closed Executive Session

Friday, April 4, 8:30 a.m. – Regular Open Meeting

All activities will be held at MDC Headquarters, 2901 W. Truman Blvd. in Jefferson City.

Background documents related to open meeting agenda items are available for public viewing at Conservation Department Headquarters, Jefferson City, for eight calendar days prior to the meeting. Any person who would like to comment to the Commission about a specific agenda item must make a written request to the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting. The time allotted for public comment and the number of speakers will be at the Commission’s discretion. Recording the open meeting is permissible, pursuant to any guidelines established by the Commission to minimize disruption to the meeting. Individuals wishing to record the open meeting by audiotape, videotape, or other electronic means should notify the Director at least four calendar days prior to the meeting so accommodations for such recording can be made.

To view live streaming of the open meeting, or to watch recordings of past meetings, go to http://on.mo.gov/2nodPJU.

April 3 at 9:30 a.m. — Workshop and Closed Executive Session

  • Commission Workshop
    • Budget
    • Regulations Pipeline
    • Share the Harvest
  • Vote to close meeting.
  • 1 – Approval of minutes of previous executive session(s) (610.021 RSMo.).
  • 2 – Consideration of supporting documentation related to recommendations to suspend or revoke hunting, fishing, and trapping privileges (621.021(1), 610.021(14), 454.440.9, 211.321 RSMo).
  • 3 – Consideration of confidential or privileged communications between the Commission and its Internal Auditor regarding work product (610.021(18) RSMo.).
  • 4 – Consideration of negotiated contracts (610.021(12) RSMo.).
  • 5 – Consideration of legal actions, causes of action, or litigation and attorney-client privileged communications as provided for in 610.021(1) RSMo.
  • 6 – Consideration of potential real estate transactions/negotiations (610.021(2) RSMo.).
  • 7 – Consideration of recommendations relating to the hiring/firing/disciplining/promoting of personnel (610.021(3) RSMo.).
  • Adjourn closed session.

 

April 4 at 8:30 a.m. — Regular Open Meeting

Call to order — Margaret F. Eckelkamp, Chair

Administration:

  1. Director’s Comments — Jason Sumners, Director
  2. Presentation: March Fire and Weather Response — Bryan Canaday, Statewide Resource Management Branch Chief; John Tuttle, Regional Resource Management Branch Chief; and Travis McLain, Protection Branch Chief
  3. Public Comment: Ben Martin, Pacific, Missouri, to comment on Lone Hill Onyx Cave
  4. Action Item:Consideration of items on the Consent Calendar (to be approved with a single action unless any Commission member requests an item be removed and taken up separately). Items removed will be addressed as the last action item on the meeting agenda.

Regulations Committee:

Laura Conlee, Deputy Director and Chair, Regulations Committee

  1.     Action Items:Report of the Regulations Committee, orders of rulemaking to finalize changes initially approved during the December Commission meeting and one proposed amendment.
  2. a) Presentation/Action Item:Recommendations for 2025 black bear season dates and quotas — Presentation by Nate Bowersock, Black Bear and Furbearer Program Coordinator, and Action by Laura Conlee, Deputy Director and Chair, Regulations Committee
  3. b) Presentation/Action Item:Recommendations for 2025 elk season quotas — Presentation by Aaron Hildreth, Cervid Biologist, and Action by Laura Conlee, Deputy Director and Chair, Regulations Committee
  4. c) Presentation/Action Item:Recommendations for 2025 dove season dates and limits, and 2025-2026 migratory bird season dates and limits — Presentation by Reid Viegut, Migratory Game Bird Coordinator, and Action by Laura Conlee, Deputy Director and Chair, Regulations Committee

Administration – Budget:

  1. Presentation: Financial Report — Melanie Crane, Chief Budget Officer

Human Resources Branch:

  1. Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Update — Tom Neubauer, Human Resources Branch Chief

Infrastructure Management Branch:

  1. Presentation: Major Construction Projects Status Report — Jacob Careaga, Infrastructure Management Branch Chief

Realty Committee:

Aaron Jeffries, Deputy Director and Chair, Realty Committee

  1. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to purchase 15 acres in Jefferson County as an addition to LaBarque Creek Conservation Area.
  2. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to purchase 160 acres in Dade County from The Nature Conservancy and will continue to be named Niawathe Prairie Conservation Area.
  3. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to purchase 26 acres in St. Clair County from The Nature Conservancy and will continue to be named Little Lichen Glade.
  4. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to purchase 80 acres in Vernon County from The Nature Conservancy and will continue to be named Little Osage Prairie.
  5. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to dispose of a 13.6-acre tract known as Capitol View Access in Callaway County, via competitive bid process to the highest bidder.
  6. Action Item:Recommendation for approval to dispose of a 20-acre tract known as Clark Conservation Area in Clark County via competitive bid process to the highest bidder.    

Statewide Resource Management:

Michael Bill, Forestry Section Chief

  1. Action Item: Recommendation for approval to advertise and sell an estimated 2,025,598 board feet of timber located on 388 acres of Compartment 2, Logan Creek Conservation Area in Reynolds County.

Administration:

  1. Action Item:Consideration of items removed from the Consent Calendar, if any.
  2. Action Item:Recommendation for approval of nomination of Ken Babcock for induction into the Missouri Conservation Hall of Fame — Laura Conlee, Deputy Director
  3. Action Item:Recommendation for approval of nomination of Dr. Susan Flader for recognition as a Master Conservationist — Laura Conlee, Deputy Director
  4. Legislative Update — Aaron Jeffries, Deputy Director

.           Other matters of interest      

.           Adjourn

 

FUTURE MEETING DATES

  • May 15-16, 2025
  • July 17-18, 2025
  • September 11-12, 2025
  • October 30-31, 2025
  • December 11-12, 2025

 

CONSENT CALENDAR: 

Items on the following Consent Calendar either require Commission Action (if noted) or may be written reports presented for Commission information only.

The Consent Calendar covers routine items to be taken up by the Commission as the first order of business and approved with a single action.  Any Commission member may request an item be removed from the Consent Calendar to be addressed individually.  Any Commission member may abstain from voting on an item without removing it by specifying the item number and his/her desire to abstain prior to the vote.  Items removed from the Consent Calendar are taken up in numerical order as called for by the Commission Chair or as listed on the regular meeting agenda.

C.1 Action Item:  Approval of minutes of previous open meeting(s)

C.2 Action Item: Recommendation for approval to suspend or revoke one or more hunting, fishing, or trapping privileges of individuals for cause — Chad John, Internal Auditor

C.3 Action Item: Recommendation for approval of revision(s) to the Conservation Employees’ Benefits Plan Trust Agreement — Kyle Atkinson, General Counsel

C.4 Information Technology Projects Status Report — Douglas Fees, Information Technology Branch Chief