MDC private land conservationist brings wealth of experience to new job

SPRINGFIELD Mo. – Forrest Summers brings a wealth of conservation-related experience to his new job in conservation.

Summers is the Missouri Department of Conservation’s (MDC) private land conservationist for Barry, McDonald, and Newton counties. In addition to making one-on-one contacts with landowners in his counties who are seeking conservation advice, Summers will work with other MDC staff, University of Missouri Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and other natural resource agencies to deliver resource management information to landowners through workshops, training programs, and special events. He replaces Mike Petersen, who retired earlier this year.

Though Summers is new to his duties as a private land conservationist, he has a done a variety of work with MDC. The Columbia native and College of the Ozarks graduate held volunteer, hourly, and full-time positions at MDC’s Shepherd of the Hills Hatchery, at MDC’s Southwest Regional Office in Springfield, and at MDC’s Bois D’Arc Conservation Area from 2016 up to when he accepted his current position in February of this year. These diverse work experiences helped Summers learn about a variety of habitats, which is knowledge he will be able to put to good use in his new position.

“I’m excited to serve this area where there is a lot of potential for habitat implementation or restoration,” Summers said. “Missouri’s privately owned land is where habitat work can make a big and lasting effect on Missouri wildlife.”

Summers will work out of the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) office in Cassville, located at 3202 Country Farm Road, Cassville. He can be reached at 417-847-2862, ext. 3 or Forrest.Summers@mdc.mo.gov. Conservation information for landowners can also be found at http://mdc.mo.gov/your-property.