Central Plains Projects

2005
Clay County Grassland and Savanna Restoration Project – $6,500.00 to Clay County to restore and recreate 2,500 acres of pastures and cropland to pre-settlement grassland and savanna landscape at Smithville and Rocky Hollow Lakes.  Objectives include converting existing rowcrop fields and fescue pastures to native grass and forb grasslands, erradicating sericia lespedeza and Johnson’s grass, preserving and enhancing degraded savannas by through management techniques, and utilizing patch burn/grazing  as methods to maintain restored areas.

Contact:  Vince Wonderlich :816/407-3413 or 816/935-0456 (cell)
Vwonderlich@claycogov.com

Revegetation of Wetland Natural Communities at the Edward “Ted” and Pat Jones Confluence Point State – $20,000.00 to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to restore native wetland communities including bottomland forest, shrub swamp, wet prairie and marsh.  Trees and prairie plugs will be planted by local school children as part of the Division of State Park’s urban outreach program.

Contact: Tim Vogt, 573/ 526-1590
tim.vogt@dnr.mo.gov

Wet Prairie Restoration in the Confluence Focus Area Phase II Lincoln County, Missouri – $10,000.00 to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Missouri Private Lands Office to work with local landowners to enhance wetland diversity by restoring prairie cord grass on private land located in the Confluence Focus Area to benefit waterfowl, shorebirds, large wading birds and songbirds during migration.

Contact:  Kelly Srigley-Werner, 573/234-2132 X112
kelly_srigleywerner@fws.gov

Tallgrass Prairie Restoration, Grand River Grasslands Prairie Remnants – $20,000.00 to The Nature Conservancy to restore Tallgrass Prairie habitat on critical prairie remnants on Conservancy owned lands and adjacent private lands in the Grand River Grasslands landscape of northwest Missouri.  When completed, extensive amounts of woody vegetation will be removed from draws and fence lines at Pawnee Prairie, Dunn Ranch, Perkins tract, and a privately owned tract of land in the corridor between the protected area preserves.

Contact: Blane Heumann,  573/323-8790
bheumann@tnc.org

2004

The Wet Prairie Restoration Project is focused on the Confluence Area, defined as the floodplain of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers within Pike, Lincoln, St. Charles and St. Louis counties, and is at the heart of one of the most important migration corridors for the suites of wetland dependent birds in North America. Historically annual flooding from these large and diverse river systems created a complex and shifting mosaic of bottomland forest, marshes, wet prairies and sandbars. It is estimated that more than half of the “bottomlands” were formerly wet and wet-mesic prairies. Through educational workshops, demonstrations and restoration on private lands, the partners involved in this project will work to enhance wetland diversity by restoring prairie cord grass on private land located in the Confluence Focus Area. The project is supportive and adds value to desired outcomes identified in the North American Waterfowl Management Plan, North American Waterbird Conservation Plan, and the U.S. Shorebird Conservation Plan. Other partners include the Missouri Department of Conservation and private landowners.

Contact:
Private Lands (St. Charles) in partnership with Ducks Unlimited and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:
Kelly Srigley-Werner, Missouri Private Lands Coordinator, USFWS, 573-234-2132, ext. 112, kelly_srigleywerner@fws.gov

The Clay County Native Grasslands Restoration Project will begin a conversion process of existing fields and former pastures from fescue, brome, and sericea lespedeza at the Smithville Lake and Rocky Hollow Parks to Missouri native grasslands with high forb density to provide improved habitat for ground nesting birds. High priority grassland birds that persist in some areas include the Greater Prairie Chicken and Henslow’s Sparrow, Dickcissel and Eastern Meadowlark. In addition, the Eastern Tallgrass Prairie Region where this project will occur has experienced Northern Bobwhite declines. This project will aid in providing high quality habitat for these species. The project will chemically treat approximately 278 acres of cool season grasses and other exotic weeds as part of the site preparation and maintenance for restoring approximately 1,000 acres (800 acres tall grass and 200 acres little bluestem type) to native Missouri grasslands. Partners include the Clay County Department of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Sites, Missouri Prairie Foundation, and the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Contact:
Smithville Lake (Clay, Clinton counties)
John Burk, Regional Wildlife Biologist, National Wild Turkey Federation, (573) 334-3366, jburknwtf@sbcglobal.net

 

2003

Missouri River Corridor Restoration provides an on-the-ground conservation focus in an area of the Missouri River targeted as a model Important Bird Areas (IBA) project.
Contact:
Private Lands (Platte, Buchanan counties)
Roger Still, Executive Director, Audubon Missouri, 573-444-2249, rstill@audubon.org

Northeast Missouri Prairie Land Acquisition funds the acquisition of a prime prairie tract in northeast Missouri by the Missouri Prairie Foundation.
Contact:
Northeast MO
Justin Johnson, Development Director, Missouri Prairie Foundation, 573-442-7512

B.K. Leach Wetland Restoration construction of levee in partnership with Missouri Waterfowl Association to enhance a wetland for marsh birds, and associated wildlife.
Contact:
Lone Tree Pond Wetland Development
B.K. Leach Conservation Area (Lincoln County)
Brian Loges, Wildlife Management Biologist, MDC, 573-898-5905, Brian.Loges@mdc.mo.gov

 

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