Fall 2007: Volume 28, Number 4 - Missouri Prairie Foundation

Photos Emily HOrnerMissouri Departmentof Conservation (MDC)staff worked withNature Conservancystaff to harvest and mixmore than 500 poundsof native prairie seed,which was then plantedon 282 acres of MDC andpartner-owned lands.This magnetic pictureframe is one ofseveral promotionalitems created by theMissouri Departmentof Conservation anddistributed in andaround Focus Areas, toreach landowner andyouth audiences.New Habitats Protected withinPrairie-Chicken GCFAs• Grasslands Coalition partners purchased 492acres and protected 400 more acres througheasements or land exchanges.• Existing long-term agreements protected1,740 acres of quality grassland habitats.• New USDA contracts will improve and protect1,800 additional acres for years to come.More Intensive Management of Public andPrivate Grasslands• More than 600 acres of fescue or croplandwere converted to beneficial grasses.• 4,700 acres were treated to control sericealespedeza and other invasive plants.• MDC crews burned more than 4,000 acresof public land.• More than seven miles of hedgerow wereremoved to reopen fragmented grasslands.• Scattered trees within fields were removedfrom 904 acres of public and private land.• 500 pounds of native seed were harvested toplant 282 acres of reconstructed prairie.• Patch-burn grazing and other grazingrotations improved brood-rearing habitaton 3,322 acres of MDC prairies. Newlyinstalled hydrants and fences will allow1,000 more acres of public land to be grazedbeginning next year.• Patch-burn or other wildlife-friendly grazingrotations were implemented on 1,500 privatelyowned acres within Focus Areas.28