Dear Editor: This month Missouri's Conservation Commission will meet to consider a plan that calls for a limited release of up to 150 elk into a "restoration zone" in southeast Missouri.
CFM, with 90,000 members across the state, has been a proponent of elk restoration, and I'm personally hopeful that we will see this majestic native species returned to our landscape.
For 75 years CFM has operated under the assumption that conservation works best when it reflects the will of our citizens. I want to commend the Department of Conservation for their thorough process, which has reached out to citizens, taken seriously each concern, and resulted in a plan that will deliver the recreational and economic benefits that our citizens want, without unwanted consequences.
By moving cautiously, Missouri has had the benefit of learning from other elk restoration efforts in Arkansas, Kentucky, and Tennessee. Each of these states has developed proven disease testing protocols -- with no known cases of diseases being introduced to livestock or wildlife. I'm confident that our stringent animal-health protocols developed in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Agriculture are up to the task.
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A great deal of work has gone into Missouri's proposed elk restoration plan, and issues related to habitat, herd management, public access and animal health have been addressed in detail. I encourage you to visit www.mdc.mo.gov, to learn more about of elk restoration in Missouri.