Our Opinion: Celebrating Missouri Conservation: 80 years of good stewardship

We join in the celebration of the Missouri Department of Conservation's 80th anniversary.

Last Thursday, the Jefferson City-based agency held an open house at the Runge Nature Center to thank area residents for their support and to receive feedback on future improvements.

We believe the department constantly strives to fulfill its mission "to protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife resources of the state; to facilitate and provide opportunity for all citizens to use, enjoy, and learn about these resources."

In 1976, Missouri voters entrusted the agency with a 1/8-cent sales tax to be earmarked for conservation. The department has responded by solidifying its reputation as a top-notch conservation agency - one of the best in the nation.

What does that mean for you? For one, it means that the department has worked to ensure Missouri hunters can boast some of the best fishing and hunting in the country.

It has taken seriously problems such as chronic wasting disease, performing extensive testing and resisting efforts by begrudged lawmakers to transfer jurisdiction of "captive deer" to the Missouri Department of Agriculture. The captive deer industry lets people hunt deer in enclosed areas rather than the wild - sort of akin to shooting fish in a barrel.

The regulation of the industry is needed to prevent the spread of CWD, a neurological disease.

The department operates on principles of sound science, and we appreciate that it operates more openly than many public agencies.

Among those present to greet people on Thursday were Director Sara Parker Pauley, three of the four department commissioners, and Brandon Butler, executive director of the Conservation Federation of Missouri.

"This is where I started my career 24 years ago, and it's a special year to come back," Pauley said in a Friday News Tribune story. "This whole strategic planning process is a part of looking at how we engage the next generation of Missourians to make sure that they value forest, fish and wildlife, just as much as the crowd tonight."

The Department of Conservation sometimes has to make tough decisions, but it has a reputation of working with everyone who has an interest in those decisions - including farmers, land owners, fishers, hunters, etc. - toward the best solutions.

We commend the department for being good stewards of our land, and hope they succeed in getting the new generation of kids and young adults excited about the outdoors.