MISSOURI December 2004 Volume 65 Issue 12 Vantage Point True Measures of Conservation Success Successful conservation projects frequently take many years to bear fruit and, of course, require the cooperation of Mother Nature. During my three decades of work in conservation, I have learned the values of patience and dedication. Our agency is fortunate to have many patient and dedicated people as part of its past, present and future. For this, I am truly thankful. In the 1970s, a group of visionary lead- ers crafted “A Design for Conservation,” a detailed plan for our conservation future. The plan promised Missouri citizens spe- cific achievements in 19 program areas in Dr. Harry and Lina Berrier of Columbia pose with Conservation exchange for stable sales tax funding equal Department Director John Hoskins (middle). The Berriers have set up a to ⅛ of 1 percent. special trust account to donate proceeds from their Show-Me Barbecue The Conservation Department’s chief Sauce business to benefit conservation. photographer and writer at the time, Don Wooldridge, defined the motivation tionists and the impetus for the creation of this agency. behind the effort: “The Design isn’t for the benefit of the I am thankful that citizens continue to support Department of Conservation, it’s for Missourians. It’s for Missouri conservation efforts and the funding needed the future.” to pay for them. A recent Gallup survey reports that This sentiment captures the key to conservation— two-thirds of Missourians believe their Department creating meaningful change over decades for all future of Conservation is doing a “good” or “excellent” job. Missourians to enjoy. For seven decades, the hallmark of Conservation Today, we reap the benefit of the patience of those Commission leadership has been long-range programs, before us who kept their promises to expand and honest accounting and citizen involvement. improve a host of conservation services, public use I am thankful that Conservation Department employ- areas and public facilities. Our quality of life is better for ees have the courage to question whether our current it and, because of it, Missouri’s economy is bolstered. efforts are working and the innovation to choose the Expenditures on fish and wildlife recreation in Missouri most productive paths to success. generate a positive annual economic impact of $4 billion! Finally, I am thankful and inspired by the personal But we still face many conservation challenges that and financial commitment of extraordinary conserva- require patience and diligence. That is why I am espe- tionists like Dr. Harry and Lina Berrier. About 20 years cially thankful for the dedication displayed by so many ago, the Berriers created a special trust account to special people on behalf of our natural resources. dedicate proceeds from their Show-Me Barbecue Sauce I am thankful for the thousands of volunteers who business to benefit a special conservation need. Their freely give their time, energy and expertise for the annual holiday donations have accrued to a sizable gift benefit of conservation. Hunter education instructors, that will serve generations to come. nature center volunteers and Stream Team members Patience is concentrated strength. May we all be are great examples. The cost of providing these services, thankful this holiday season for our collective dedica- absent the volunteers, would be substantial. tion to Missouri’s conservation success. I am thankful for the nearly two million hunters and anglers who help to manage fish and wildlife popula- tions. Sportsmen and women were the original conserva- John D. Hoskins, Director Contents December 2004 Volume 65, Issue 12 4 PARTNERS IN RURAL FIRE PROTECTION —by Bill Altman The Conservation Department fights fire by partnering with rural fire departments. 8 THE BEAGLE BOOGIE —by David Urich Train your dogs through the year so they’ll be in peak form during rabbit season. 12 PUTTING NATIVE PLANTS TO WORK 4 —by Bonnie Chasteen Looking for a natural solution to your landscaping problems? 17 GRASSROOTS WORK FOR GRASSLANDS —by Sharron Gough People join together to reverse the decline of prairie lands. 22 NODAWAY VALLEY 8 12 —by Bryan Hendricks This conservation area offers plenty of ducks and lots of early-season waterfowl hunting opportunities. DEPARTMENTS Reflections 2 2004 Conservationist Index 27 News & Almanac 28 17 22 COVER Nodaway Valley Ducks— by Mark Raithel Printed on recycled paper with soy ink Contact Us: Web page: http://www.missouriconservation.org Subscriptions: free to adult Missouri residents; out of state $7 per year; out of country $10 per year. Send correspondence to: Circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0180. Phone: 573/522-4115, ext. 3856 or 3249 E-mail General Questions: [email protected] E-mail Magazine Subscriptions: [email protected] December 2004 1 Reflections CALLING OWLS to hunt. Their golden color and coral might be the tasty Clitocybe nuda, and The picture of the owl on the conserva- shape make them easier to spot. the tan-orange-umber mushrooms on tion calendar brought back memories We also find them easier on the the upper left look like something I’ve of a little owl that wintered in a tree up digestive system than the morel mush- eaten. the road from us. rooms we find in the spring. They don’t I’m an amateur mycologist who is still He arrived every year when it turned have as strong a flavor. We cook them alive after eating about 20 species grow- cold. We named him “Hootie.” the same way as we do morels, rolled in ing on the ½-acre around his home. On my daily walks, I would stop and egg and flour and fried golden brown. Carl Masthay, Creve Coeur talk to him if he was in the opening. Teri Ellison, St. Clair If not, I could usually coax him out by Editor’s note: We didn’t mean to imply calling to him. Saying that the nice bunch of mush- that all the mushrooms in the picture He stopped coming about two years rooms shown on page 2 of your are inedible. Instead, we meant to say ago, but we still look up at his hole, October issue “is a collection of colorful that they are not all necessarily edible. hoping he’ll still be there. mushrooms, not edible mushrooms” is Kathy Frazier, Anderson too defensive. SNEEZEWEED ADVENTURE The fact is that I’ve probably eaten I read where you are introducing Vir- MUSHROOM ROULETTE most of what types are portrayed. The ginia sneezeweed at two Conservation I was surprised to see what we always grayish violet ones to the left and right areas. I have seen similar enthusiastic referred to as fall coral mushrooms are probably Russula cyanoxantha, ed- write-ups on other plant introductions: included in a photo of inedible mush- ible uncooked, and very good! sericea lespedeza, kudzu and multiflora rooms in your October issue. The red ones are probably Russula rose. Each of those species proved My family has enjoyed this variety lepida, which can be eaten if the red to be invasive and overly aggressive for as long as I can remember. Not only cuticle is pulled off or simply boiled off. pests. Virginia sneezeweed is being are they delicious, they are also fun The violet one on the lower left introduced without even having a purported benefit. We should learn from our past mistakes. Jack Hall, Doniphan Editor’s note: We did not introduce Virginia sneezeweed into Missouri, only to two conservation areas in Howell County. It occurs in, and is considered native to other areas of south-central Missouri, and has been documented there since the 1950s. It has probably been in Missouri for hundreds, if not thousands, of years but was not recognized as a separate species from another of the more common Missouri sneezeweeds until recently. It has not become a problem in pastures, and it requires more moisture than the bitterweed, so it will not grow on droughty sites. WEE TURTLES THREE Margaret Summers of St. Louis sent in this photo of a trio of three-toed box BRAIN FOOD turtles her husband found while working in the raspberries in their garden late You printed a letter from a gentlemen last September. It’s hard to imagine that these newly hatched turtles might recommending the eating of squirrel have as much as 60 years of life ahead of them. brains. I was distressed that you would publish such a letter without noting a 2 Missouri Conservationist MISSOURI CONSERVATIONIST “warning” against such a practice. Did not a practice that should be continued. you not know of the numerous deaths Norma Rodeck, Kansas City, GOVERNOR Bob Holden in recent years in Tennessee, Kentucky THE CONSERVATION COMMISSION Stephen C. Bradford and Arkansas from people eating squir- Editor’s note: Neither the Center for Anita B. Gorman rel brains from diseased squirrels? Disease Control nor the Missouri Cynthia Metcalfe Lowell Mohler There were quite a few deaths and Department of Health and Senior Ser- DIRECTOR John Hoskins upon finding the cause of these, it was vices has issued cautions about eating DEPUTY DIRECTOR John W. Smith DEPUTY DIRECTOR Stephen J. Wilson determined that all persons practiced squirrel brains. A 1997 study reported ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR Denise Garnier eating of squirrel brains. It evidently is a possible link among five people in ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR Robert Ziehmer INTERNAL AUDITOR Nancy Dubbert considered quite a delicacy in some of Kentucky who had Creutzfeldt-Jakob GENERAL COUNSEL Craig Evans the Ozark mountain regions and lap- disease (CJD). All five had a history DIVISIONS ping over into Tennessee and Kentucky of eating squirrel brains. Subsequent ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES Carter Campbell FISHERIES Steve Eder mountain areas. studies, however, have not confirmed FORESTRY Bob Krepps HUMAN RESOURCES Debbie Goff I hope you will check this out and any causal relationship between OUTREACH & EDUCATION Lorna Domke print a comment or warning that this is eating squirrel brains and CJD. PRIVATE LAND SERVICES Lisa G. Allen PROTECTION Dennis Steward RESOURCE SCIENCE Dale D. Humburg The letters printed here reflect readers’ opinions about the Conservationist and its WILDLIFE Dave Erickson contents. Space limitations prevent us from printing all letters, but we welcome signed REGIONAL OFFICES Cape Girardeau/Southeast—573/290-5730 comments from our readers. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Columbia/Central—573/884-6861 Kansas City—816/655-6250 Kirksville/Northeast—660/785-2420 Springfield/Southwest—417/895-6880 Ask the Ombudsman St. Joseph/Northwest—816/271-3100 St. Louis—636/441-4554 West Plains/Ozark—417/256-7161 Q:H ow can I get a subscription for the kid’s CONSERVATIONIST STAFF EDITOR Tom Cwynar magazine for my grandson? MANAGING EDITOR Bryan Hendricks ART EDITOR Ara Clark ARTIST Dave Besenger A: Outside In is a youth-oriented publication that is in- ARTIST Mark Raithel PHOTOGRAPHER Jim Rathert serted into the February, May, August and November PHOTOGRAPHER Cliff White issues of the Missouri Conservationist magazine. If your STAFF WRITER Jim Low STAFF WRITER Joan McKee grandson’s parents are receiving the Conservationist, they are CIRCULATION Laura Scheuler also receiving Outside In. The supplement is not available as a The Missouri Conservationist (ISSN 0026-6515) is the official separate subscription. It is available to schools in bundles of monthly publication of the Missouri Department of Conservation, 2901 West Truman Boulevard, Jefferson City, MO (Mailing address: 30. Teachers interested in receiving Outside In or the Missouri P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102.) Subscription free to adult Conservationist can request them through their school librarian. Librarians should Missouri residents; out of state $7 per year; out of country $10 per year. Notification of address change must include both old contact our Circulation office to place school orders. Contact information is at the and new address (send mailing label with the subscriber num- bottom of each magazine’s contents page. ber on it) with 60-day notice. Preferred periodical postage paid at Jefferson City, Mo., and at additional entry offices. Postmaster: Send correspondence to Circulation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Q:I have some great nature pictures. Can I get them printed in the MO 65102-0180. Phone: 573/751-4115. Copyright © 2004 by the magazine? Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri. A:W e receive many more photos from readers than we could ever publish. However, we usually pick one reader’s photo per month to include in the magazine. If you would like yours to be among the group from which we choose, you can send it to Magazine Editor, at the address mentioned below. Sorry, but photos can’t be returned. If you would prefer to send your photo via e-mail, send it to me at <[email protected]>. I’ll relay it to the editor for consideration. Equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from programs of the Missouri Department of Conservation is available to all indi- viduals without regard to their race, color, national origin, sex, age Ombudsman Ken Drenon will respond to your questions, suggestions or complaints or disability. Complaints of discrimination should be sent to the Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO concerning Conservation Department programs. Write him at P.O. Box 180, Jefferson 65102, OR U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, 18th and “C” Streets NW, City, MO 65102-0180, call him at 573/522-4115, ext. 3848, or e-mail him at Washington D.C. 20240, Missouri Relay Center—1-800-735-2966 (TDD). <[email protected]>. Printed in USA December 2004 3 Partners in Rural FIRE PROTEC TION Rural volunteer firefighters sacrifice their time and safety, and deserve our sincere thanks. by Bill Altman, photos by Cliff White I n its infancy, the Missouri Department of Conservation faced serious challenges to its mission of conserving the state’s forest, fish and wildlife resources. Misuse of fire was so prevalent that Missouri’s state forester at the time said that protecting Missouri’s forests from the ravages of wildfire was impossible. Fortunately, efforts to control the spread of fire across Missouri did not cease. In addition to fighting fires, the Conservation Department helped the public understand the dangers of indiscriminate burning. 4 Missouri Conservationist December 2004 5 Although burning under specific parameters and in from the bare hills deposited this precious soil into suitable types of vegetation is a valuable management streams and rivers, where it was carried away forever. tool, uncontrolled, repeated fire in Missouri’s hardwood Because controlling wildfires was basic to establish- forests can cause great damage. ing healthy forests, the new Conservation Department Intense fires that occurred during the early days of made this its priority. It began by organizing forest-fire the Conservation Department killed or heavily dam- protection districts in southern Missouri to manage the aged the young trees that had regenerated after the suppression effort. It worked hard to teach the public old-growth forest was removed. Even if they survived, about fire prevention. The Department also built fire fire-damaged trees had little value for wood products. towers across the entire Ozarks to help detect fires. They were also susceptible to breaking and toppling The Conservation Department developed or obtained during wind and ice storms. new fire suppression tools, including crawler tractors Wildfires also consumed the protective duff and that pulled rear-mounted plows and gasoline powered humus layer of the forest floor, leading to erosion. leaf blowers. They also formed partnerships for fire sup- In many areas, erosion of the thin top layer of soil pression with the U.S. Forest Service and with the rural undermined an area’s ability to regenerate vegetation. volunteer fire departments that were emerging across Steep, barren hillsides and other areas where the forest the state. floor was unprotected were vulnerable to erosion. Runoff Through tenacious work, the Department began to gain some ground on the “impossible” task of wildfire suppression. Volunteer fire departments gradually became our most important partners in controlling fire in Missouri. A program developed in the 1960s allowed excess federal property, primarily from the military, to be used by rural volunteer fire departments. The Federal Excess Personal Property (FEPP) Program, as it is now called, loaned excess military property to rural fire departments. Jeeps, 4X4 and 6X6 trucks, and a variety of smaller items, like pumps, hoses, and water tanks, were valuable assets to local fire-fighting organizations. The Conservation Department provides valuable training The Conservation Department, the U.S. Forest Service to rural volunteer firefighters. and private forestry entities channeled federal match- ing grants to rural fire departments for purchasing fire fighting equipment. Later, funds from the Conservation Sales Tax began to supplement federal funds. While the amount of money for these grants varies greatly from year to year, both federal and state fire department grant programs still exist. All fire departments serving a population of less than 10,000 may participate in these two programs by entering into a mutual aid agreement with the Conservation Department. The value of the partnership among the Conservation Department, the Forest Service and volunteer fire departments was never more evident than in 1980. That summer brought heat and drought not seen in Missouri since the 1930s. The hot, dry conditions began that year in early June, turning the state’s woodlands into a tinderbox. Hardly any rain fell anywhere in the state. By mid-July, high temperatures often ranged between 105 and 110 degrees, but sometimes pushed as high as The Federal Excess Personal Property Program supplies 115 degrees. On many days the wind howled out of the rural fire departments with much-needed equipment. southwest at 20 to 30 miles per hour. 6 Missouri Conservationist From a firefighter’s (and a forester’s) perspective, the whole state seemed to catch fire. Majestic oaks and other hardwood trees that appeared to have green leaves often burst into flames that jumped from tree to tree. By October, when those torrid conditions finally relented, firefighters were exhausted. Without the assistance of the rural volunteer firefighters, losses of property and wildland acreage would have been much greater. The experience frightened many Missouri citizens. In response, rural communities across the state began to understand the value of properly equipping and training their local volunteer fire departments. In some areas, citizens voted for tax-supported fire protection districts. In other communities, people became supportive of their fire department through membership dues and fundraisers. Communities that had no fire protection formed local volunteer fire departments. Even when well funded, operating a rural volunteer fire department is not easy. It needs a dedicated fire chief who has the leadership qualities to organize and maintain what can be a complicated enterprise. Usually, this person is not compensated for the many hours it takes to keep a fire department functioning effectively. The chief also has to be able to attract and retain volun- teer firemen, who sacrifice their time to respond to fire calls and perform maintenance at the fire station. Firefighters also have to be trained to fight both structural and wildland fire, which require different techniques. They also have to learn how to drive emer- gency vehicles, handle hazardous materials spills, and perform motor vehicle accident extrication and trench entrapment extrication. Volunteer firefighters also must have “first responder” and EMT skills. Many rural fire departments now also respond to rescues of any type, as well as emergency medical response calls. These calls come at all hours. Volunteer firefighters are truly public servants. Improved training and equipment helps firefighters Since 1980, rural volunteer fire departments have battle wildfires that threaten Missouri’s forests. become “first responders” to wildfires in most parts of the state. The Conservation Department has a corps of response to a wildfire disaster occurring in the Lake of active fire fighters to support volunteer fire departments. the Ozarks area. However, the ability of rural fire departments to handle Rural fire departments are often unnoticed by the most wildfires has allowed the Department’s personnel residents of the communities they serve until an emer- to focus on other key forest management activities. gency arises. However, your local fire service needs your In addition to mutual aid agreements with the continued support. That support might be in the form of Conservation Department, most local fire service attending fire department fundraisers or campaigning organization also have agreements with neighboring for development of a tax-funded, fire protection district. fire departments. In times of fire disasters, a system of It can also be as simple as showing your appreciation for statewide mutual aid can bring help wherever needed. their dedication as public servants by giving them a pat In the fall of 1999, this system resulted in a coordinated on the back, a handshake or a sincere “Thank you.” ▲ December 2004 7 THE Nearly 14 years ago, I came B home from work one day eagle to find my oldest son, who was 10, sitting on the back porch petting a new puppy. We live on 40 acres in rural Moniteau oogie County, and stray dogs often find refuge at our house. I disapproved of this new puppy. We already had a Labrador and a Viszla, which I used for hunting waterfowl, upland birds and rabbits. We didn’t need another Steady training and practice turns mixed-breed dog, especially a mixed breed that appeared to have little hunting beagles into efficient rabbit dogs. potential. I sat down with my son and told By David Urich, photos by Cliff White him he had two choices. He could take the dog back to where he found it, or he could give it to me and I would… “take care of it.” He looked up at me with big brown, defiant eyes and said, “Dad, I think we should wait until Mom gets home to make that decision.” Needless to say, Mom fell in love with the puppy, and we added another dog to the Urich household. We named the dog Abby. As she grew, I paid her almost no attention. She was some kind of terrier-beagle cross. She had the solid tan color of a terrier, but the body shape of a beagle. The next winter, Abby tagged along as I hunted rabbits on our place with my Lab. Suddenly, a rabbit launched out in front of me. Abby raced after it, baying loudly. Soon the rabbit came back toward me. I shot it and the Lab retrieved it. It dawned on me that having more beagles might make rabbit hunting even better. I had three young sons that I planned to intro- duce to hunting. The thrill of follow- ing excited beagles, as well as the strong likelihood of success, would certainly capture their interest. Two years later we had six beagles. We trained them mostly through trial and error. I discovered that beagles 8 Missouri Conservationist