MDC seeks public input on Davisdale Conservation Area in Howard County

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Published Date
08/01/2019
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NEW FRANKLIN, Mo. — The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) is in the multi-year process of updating Conservation Area Management Plans and is seeking public input on how conservation areas are important to Missourians.  A draft management plan for MDC’s Davisdale Conservation Area is available for public review through Aug. 31. To preview this draft management plan and share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans

Davisdale Conservation Area consists of 2,701 acres in Howard County. The area contains more than 800 acres of river hills woodland interspersed with old fields. Approximately 300 acres are planted in crop rotation, with some grain left unharvested as winter food for wildlife. The area features scenic limestone bluffs carved by the Missouri River, and offers public opportunities for hunting, fishing, trapping, camping, birdwatching, and hiking.

Statewide, MDC conservation areas cover almost one million public acres for the purpose of restoring and conserving forest, fish and wildlife resources, and for providing opportunities for all citizens to use, enjoy and learn about these resources. Most Missourians are within a 30-minute drive of an MDC conservation area.

Conservation Area Management Plans focus on natural resource management and public use on conservation areas. The plans do not address regulations on hunting, fishing, and other area uses, which are set by the Conservation Commission and enforced under the Wildlife Code of Missouri. MDC will consider all ideas received and will work to balance the issues and interests identified with the responsibility of managing areas for the present and future benefits to forest, fish, wildlife, and people. Decisions on which ideas to incorporate into area plans and on how to best incorporate them will be based on the property’s purpose, its physical and biological conditions and capabilities, the best roles of the property in its local, regional, and statewide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.