Strategies for Successful Priority Forest Landscapes, Wildlife Management Cooperatives, and Conservation Opportunity Areas.

Moderator:  Dennis Figg, Wildlife Program Supervisor, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, MO 65102. 573-522-4115 ext. 3309. Dennis.Figg@mdc.mo.gov

Over time, it has become obvious that professional resource managers can not conserve our natural resources alone. Although the technical knowledge is there and keeps getting better, we do not have the money, manpower, or land resources to do enough. In order to be successful in our work, we must engage partners, politicians, and the general public to make a significant impact. In Missouri, a recent push has been to focus efforts in certain geographical areas rather than using the “shotgun” approach and scattering management all across the state. Whether it is an MDC quail focus area (QFA), a priority forest landscape (PFL), or NRCS’s conservation security program (CSP), many recent efforts have focused on a priority landscape or watershed. The risk of focusing all your efforts into one small area is that landowners and constituents will not buy into the idea and you will have spent all your efforts on a losing cause. The goal of this workshop is to highlight some successful partnerships, cooperatives, and priority landscape projects, and discuss what made these projects work, as well as some of the struggles encountered along the way. Resource managers and scientists who work in, or could work in priority landscapes are our target audience.

Workshop Organizing Committee: Ted Seiler, Private Land Conservationist, MDC, 36114 Montana Pl., Macon, MO 63552. 660-385-2616 ext. 118. ted.seiler@mdc.mo.gov
and Gus Raeker, Project Leader, MDC, 103 Wheatly Ct., Washington, MO 63090. 636-221-7379. Gus.Raeker@mdc.mo.gov

Presentations:

1:00-1:20 pm	Introduction to the session Dennis Figg – Wildlife Program Supervisor, MDC, Jefferson City, MO
1:20-1:40 pm	Implementing riparian restoration - Marketing priority landscape projects Adam Boman – Fisheries Biologist, MDC, Sullivan, MO
1:40-2:00 pm	Developing partnerships Jeff Esely – Private Land Conservationist, MDC, Troy, MO and Kevin Meneau – Fisheries Management Biologist, MDC, St. Louis, MO
2:00-2:20 pm	Funding your project – Grants, etc. Gus Raeker – Forest Resource Assessment and Strategy Project Leader, MDC, Warrenton, MO
2:20-2:40 pm	Using volunteers to accomplish common goals Ted Seiler – Private Land Conservationist, MDC, Macon, MO
2:40-3:00 pm	Coops – What are they and how to use them John Pinkowski – Private Land Conservationist, MDC, Edina, MO