It may be a bold and difficult endeavor, but the Public/Private Lands Committee of the Conservation Federation of Missouri voted to support installing the eastern segment of the Rock Island Trail and the creation of four new state parks.
If the resolution passes a full membership vote, the federation will notify the Missouri governor and state Legislature that the Conservation Federation of Missouri and its affiliates and members support creating Ozark Mountain State Park, Bryant Creek State Park, Jay Nixon State Park, Eleven Point State Park and the Eastern segment of the Rock Island Trail.
The federation met for its 82nd annual convention Saturday at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. The resolution to support the new parks and trail projects was among many resolutions discussed in committees Saturday morning. Those approved by committees were to be voted on by the rest of the convention attendants this morning.
The Rock Island Trail would be a 144-mile state recreation and nature trail converted from the Rock Island Line railway, which is owned by Ameren Missouri. The company would like to donate the railway to the State Parks Department and conserve the railway to possibly be converted back into a railroad if the need arises in the future. The Department of Natural Resources has almost a year to decide whether to accept the donation and is evaluating the potential costs and risks of taking on such a massive project.
State Parks Executive Director Ben Ellis said installing the new parks and trail would mean pulling funding, staff members and other department resources from existing parks. He said the Rock Island Trail alone would cost $66 million-$80 million to construct, and the department would probably need to work with area communities to have the section near their municipalities completed in a timely manner. It will annually cost the state $100,000 to manage the land, even if the department doesn't begin constructing the trail initially.
Committee chairman Richard Orr said he understood the high cost of the project, but thought it was worth the investment because it was a very rare opportunity to create such a large trail in Missouri.
Alan Reinkemeyer, an Osage County farmer and former DNR disaster coordinator, was the only person who voted against passing the resolution through the committee. Other than the project's large price tag, he is also concerned trail users could disturb the endangered Indiana gray bats that often reside in the railway's tunnels and nearby caves.
Other federation resolutions included advocating for more fisheries education funding, raising Missouri's wildlife violation fines and strengthening the DNR mission statement.
The mission statement resolution requests DNR to rewrite its mission to include the language, "and to preserve our unique natural and historic places, while providing recreational and educational opportunities for all citizens." The resolution also indicates staff members should be included in developing a new mission statement.