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

Pure PrairieCoyne Acquisition CompletedApproximately a year and a half after the Missouri Prairie Foundation(MPF) board voted to devote $98,000 of its resources to the acquisitionof an 80-acre tract in Dade County known as Coyne Prairie, the campaignis complete. Members from all over the state donated approximately$45,000 in amounts ranging from a few dollars to $1,500. This pastsummer, the William T. Kemper Foundation – Commerce Bank Trustee,awarded MPF with a $25,000 challenge grant to complete the transaction,provided that matching funds could be raised within an acceptableperiod. MPF would like to acknowledge the following individuals andorganizations that helped to raise the matching funds for the KemperFoundation grant:Frank OberleDoris and Bob SherrickWayne Morton, M.D.Paul D. CoxU.S. Bank employee matching programProAction FoundationEdward K. Love Conservation FoundationOn October 16, MPF received the matching $25,000 check alongwith a note from Kemper grants manager Beth Radtke, which reads inpart, “William T. Kemper, Jr.’s generosity and planning have made thisgrant possible through his foundation. Commerce Bank, as trustee, ispleased to continue the spirit of his philanthropic vision with this award.Please accept our best wishes for your continued success.”Of particular note was a $500 contribution from the ProActionFoundation of Pleasanton, California. ProAction is an employee-runnon-profit associated with ADP National Accounts, a company thatprovides human resources services such as payroll and health benefitsadministrations to companies with more than 1,000 employees. Thegift was made to MPF in general and the Coyne campaign specificallyafter Janet McAnnally, the foundation’s lead representative for animalsand the environment, read about Pat Jones and prairie conservation inPeople magazine this past summer.A very special thank you is also due to Andrew S. Love who is themost consistent and most generous supporter of MPF’s efforts to restoreand protect our native prairie heritage. My sincere thanks go out to allwho contributed to the Coyne Prairie acquisition campaign and to allof you who continue to support our land protection, management,education and research projects.Sincerely,Prairie Protection NetworkIn the previous issue of the Journal, the MissouriPrairie Foundation (MPF) introduced the concept ofthe Prairie Protection Network. MPF intends to assistany individual or group of investors interested inpurchasing native prairie or restorable acres withinkey Grasslands Coalition Focus Areas. In addition, MPFwould like to hear from any landowner with prairieproperty or other land within the Grasslands CoalitionFocus Areas (map on page 4) who is interested in sellingproperty, or who would like management adviceor information about assistance programs. Already acouple from Lake Saint Louis and an individual fromthe St. Louis area have contacted MPF about acquiringimportant grassland property. Here’s to reportsof successful land deals in 2008! To reach MPF, calltoll free 1-888-843-6739 or e-mail missouriprairie@yahoo.com.New Seasonal Order for the JournalIn 2008, the first issue of the Journal that memberswill receive will be the spring issue, due out inMarch. In years past, the first issue of the yearhas been the winter issue, published in January.Next year, the winter issue will be the last issuepublished instead of the first. This current issue,the fourth for the year, combines fall and winter tocarry readers over until next spring.36