White River Balds Natural Area in Taney County. Photo by Jim Rathert.
Missouri
Natural Areas System
Website:
http://www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/naturalareas/
State Government Affiliation:
The Missouri Natural Areas System is governed by the Missouri Natural Areas Committee comprised of an interagency partnership between the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. Other partner agencies include the U.S. Forest Service (Mark Twain National Forest), the National Park Service (Ozark National Scenic Riverways), and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The Nature Conservancy is an advisory member of the committee.
Naural Areas:
182 sites totaling 62,360 acres
Funding:
A variety of sources depending on the agency or entity that owns and manages the designated natural area. The two lead agencies of the Missouri Natural Areas Committee, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, both have conservation sales taxes that provide a majority of the funding for the program in addition to lesser amounts of funding from federal grants, state general revenue and other sources.
Land Acquisition:
he pace of land acquisition has slowed tremendously for the Missouri Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources over the last decade. Current acquisitions are highly targeted based on Natural Heritage Database data and landscape scale analyses of land cover/land use. Most acquisitions are targeted at purchasing lands adjacent to existing natural areas to act as buffer or further capture natural features.
Protection:
Missouri natural areas on public lands are protected by administrative policy and not by a recorded deed. Privately owned natural areas only have a cooperative agreement to register the natural area with either the Missouri Department of Natural Resources or the Missouri Department of Conservation as a natural area.
Stewardship:
Missouri natural areas on public lands are managed by a variety of methods to restore and maintain ecological integrity. Typical practices include prescribed burning, hydrology restoration, invasive, exotic species control; deer control, mechanical thinning of woody species invasion, and allowing for appropriate public uses, such as hiking.
Current Events:
2007 marks the 30th anniversary of the Missouri Natural Areas System and a variety of publicity events are planned. In the last few years field surveys for the federally endangered Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly (Somatochlora hineana) have located new sites for this species on a number of designated natural areas in the Missouri Ozarks with fen natural communities. We are currently implementing the Missouri Comprehensive Wildife Strategy as part of Missouri’s requirement to obtain additional federal funds through the State Wildlife Grants Program. Missouri’s Natural Areas System is an integral part of Missouri’s Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy and State Wildlife Grants are used on a variety of research and management projects impacting state natural areas.