State & Local Programs
State & Local Programs
Missouri Programs
Missouri Department of Conservation
The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) provides several resources for landowners, ranchers, farmers, and land caregivers to improve their property to benefit wildlife.
Check the link below to get started or contact your county conservation agent at:
Grazing for wildlife management:
MDC has programs to assist farmers and ranchers to manage their pasture to benefit both livestock and wildlife. Information is available at the MDC website and your local conservation agent.
The Conservation Fund – Wildlife Mitigation
The Conservation Fund manages the “Range-wide Indiana Bat In-Lieu Fee Program” to provide practical mitigation options for impacts to Indiana bats from infrastructure projects. The program offsets adverse impacts to Indiana bats and promotes recovery of the species. Missouri is included for areas of the state with Indiana bats.
The mitigation program is approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under an approved biological opinion or Habitat Conservation Plan. See the link below for information.
www.conservationfund.org/projects/range-wide-indiana-bat-in-lieu-fee-program
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Nonpoint source stormwater runoff can contain pollutants harmful to aquatic wildlife. Increased volume of stormwater runoff is also detrimental to streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands plus the riparian corridor that support these natural resources.
Section 319 of the Clean Water Act allows EPA to fund nonpoint source water quality improvements on a watershed scale. Missouri applies these funds to community organizations for a variety of water quality improvement activities . This includes technical assistance, financial assistance, education, demonstration projects and monitoring to assess nonpoint source implementation projects.
Audubon Certified Beef
Audubon developed a Conservation Ranching Initiative to support grassland birds which are experiencing a large decline due to land converted to row crops and development. This program is a market-based approach providing financial incentives and technical support to ranchers for good stewardship practices.
Audubon Certified Beef meets consumer’s desire for sustainably raised that also benefits wildlife and conservation. Currently, Missouri has seven ranches with _Y__ acres enrolled in this program
www.audubon.org/conservation/ranching
For information on this program in Missouri, contact your county Private Lands Program manager at the Missouri Department of Conservation, www.mdc.mo.gov/contact-engage.
The Missouri Land Trust Coalition (MLTC), an unincorporated association of land trusts and their partners across Missouri.