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Taum Sauk Settlement Approved

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  Ameren-UE has agreed to pay the state 180-million dollars in cash and property to settle the lawsuit stemming from the Taum Sauk Reservoir collapse two years ago. Lengthy negotiation mixed with quantities of political sniping between the Governor and the Attorney General have ended with a Reynolds County judge approving the settlement. The suit had been filed by Attorney General Jay Nixon. The natural resources and conservation departments also filed claims. DNR Director Doyle Childers says the 180-million dollar settlement begins with the 50-million dollars-plus that Ameren already has spent fixing up Johnson Shut-ins State Park, which was devastated by water from the reservoir.

The settlement also establishes a scholarship program for Reynolds County students, pays for development of a new state park on the Current River, and for development of segment of the KATY hiking and biking trail that links the western end of the cross-state trail at Windsor with Kansas City. It does not include the tens of millions of dollars Ameren will spend to rebuild the reservoir. A separate lawsuit by the Missouri Parks Association is trying to keep Ameren from doing that.

Download Bob Priddy’s story (:60 mp3)

Settlement Reached in Taum Sauk Case

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A $177 million settlement has been reached to rebuild the Taum Sauk reservoir and restore the Johnson’s Shut-Ins State Park heavily damaged in the late 2005 breach of the reservoir’s dam.

AmerenUE owns the Taum Sauk hydroelectric power plant. Spokesman Susan Gallagher says the settlement with the state clears the way for the rebuilding of the plant. She says the utility needs its generation to ensure reliable electric power. The power plant is expected to go back on line by 2009.

The settlement reached with the state is complicated. It has been signed by Ameren, the Attorney General’s office, the State Conservation Commission and the Department of Natural Resources. It is subject to approval by the Reynolds County Circuit Court.

The biggest chunk of money, $103 million, will go toward rebuilding Johnson’s Shut-Ins which took the brunt of damage resulting from the dam’s breach. The dam broke on December 14, 2005. A billion gallons of water burst forth and flowed down Proffit Mountain, knocking the home of the park superintendent off its foundations. The family suffered injuries, but survived. The flood heavily damaged the park which re-opened for limited use this past summer.

Money from the settlement goes to a number of agencies and projects. More than $69 million will pay for natural resources damages, including money for the state parks system, the Department of Conservation, an extension of the Katy Trail and educational programs in Reynolds County. The settlement also includes $2 million in compensatory damages to the state and $3.1 million to offset the cost of responding to the disaster.

Download/listen AmerenUE spokesman Susan Gallagher (:30 MP3)

More Than 100,000 Deer Dead On First Weekend

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The first weekend of the firearms deer hunting season produces more than 100,000 dead deer.  That’s down from last year’s opening weekend total of 124,000.  A Missouri Conservation Department spokesman suggests the warm weather is to blame for the reduced kill, because hunters don’t want the meat to spoil before they get it out of the woods.

14 Arrested in Conservation Department Investigation

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A joint enforcement effort involving conservation agents from Missouri and Kansas has led to the arrest of 14 people accused of possessing, selling, or disposing of wildlife taken illegally.

The investigation has gone on for 19 months. Seven of those arrested are Missourians. The Missouri Conservation Department expects to make other arrests in other arrests in other parts of the state.

New State Park Being Created Along Current River

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Canoeing Current River More than 16 million people visit Missouri’s 83 state parks and historic sites each year. And, they’ll soon have an opportunity to visit an 84th. The Department of Conservation and the Department of Natural Resources are working together to create a new state park along the Current River, north of Eminence, in Shannon County.

Governor Matt Blunt (R-MO) says the two departments are now joining forces to design a plan to make the new park, in an area currently controlled by the Conservation Department, a reality for visitors to enjoy for generations to come.

Conservation Department Director John Hoskins says the work begins in short order, but adds it’s difficult to say when the park will actually open to visitors. It’s going to be developed on the site of the historic Alton Club / Jerry J. Presley Conservation Education Center. The Alton Club was built in the 1930s as a corporate retreat for the Alton Box Board Company.

DNR Director Doyle Childers says it’s going to take some work to get this area ready for visitors regarding such things as safety standards and sewer and water issues.

Missouri has not had a state park along the Current River since 1968 when Big Spring, Round Spring, and Alley Spring state parks were transferred to the National Parks Service to serve as the cornerstone of the Ozark National Scenic Riverways . Missouri’s state park system currently has an annual economic impact of $534-Million. [ Photo by Steve Walsh ]

Governor Matt Blunt, Conservation Department Director John Hoskins, DNR Director Doyle Childers (6:00 MP3)

Spring Turkey Season Sets Record

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 The numbers are in for the spring turkey season. The Conservation Department says accidents from the spring turkey season came in at a record low. Spokesman Arleasha Mays says this year there were just two accidents.  Mays says that figure is a 35-year record and both accidents were non-fatal.  Mays says the department has seen a continual drop in accidents since it began requiring a hunter education program in 1988.

The department reports another drop – a drop in the turkey harvest. The number of turkeys checked came in at about 45,000, or 8 or 9 birds per square mile.  That’s about 10 percent lower than last season. Spokesman Jeff Berenger says the combination of a poor hatch of turkeys in 2005 and the unusual cold snap in April were the biggest factors in the drop. Berenger says the state is home to between 500,000 and 600,000 turkeys.

AUDIO: Laura McNamara reports (:60 MP3)

State Providing Millions of Trees For Youth

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In celebration of National Arbor Day, the state has announced its commitment to provide 2.5 million trees to Missouri youth over the next five years. The departments of Transportation and Conservation have teamed up to increase the state’s tree population through the new Trees for Tomorrow program. The program will supply more than 60 varieties of trees to various youth groups, including Girl Scouts, Boy Scouts and 4-H groups.

MODOT Director Pete Rahn says the program will enable his department to replenish tree populations affected from road construction. Rahn says MODOT is one of the state’s largest landowners, owning close to 400,000 acres. He says the Trees for Tomorrow Program enables his department and the Conservation department invest in the beautification of Missouri.

Conservation Director John Hoskins says the $150,000 annual investment pays for than just trees. He says the program replenishes an important resource that provides clean air, increases property value and enhances recreation.  He adds that trees also offer psychological value, including relief from symptoms of attention deficit disorder and higher scores on self-discipline and concentration for girls.

 

Democrats Question Which Votes Republicans Are Hunting

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It seems a simple bill to register more Missourians to vote wouldn’t cause much of a stir at the Capitol, but it seems Democrats don’t trust majority Republicans pushing the plan.

Missourians who apply for a hunting or a fishing permit who aren’t registered to vote would get a voter registration card in the mail from the Secretary of State’s office under HCS HB 845 sent to the Senate by the House.

Assistant Minority Floor Leader, Rep. Paul LeVota (D-Independence), wonders about what motivates the sponsor, asking how he would explain the purpose of the bill. Rep. Bob Dixon (R-Springfield) responds that that’s easy; he wants to expand the voter registration lists. Dixon says he also hopes that prompts more people to get involved in the political process.

But who that might lure into the political process is the contention between members of the two political parties. Democrats question whether Republicans are simply targeting potential voters friendly to the GOP. Republicans deny the charge, stating the "hunter-voter" should be viewed the same as "motor-voter", which allows people to register to voter when they get their driver’s licenses.

House debate got tense at times, with a few heated exchanges. Democrats wanted to broaden the bill, but Dixon kept it narrowly focused on hunters and anglers. Despite the sniping, it passes on a 118-to-39 vote, and moves for the Senate’s consideration.

Download/listen Brent Martin reports (:60 MP3)

Hunter Education Program Talked up as Turkey Hunting Season Begins

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Missouri’s regular Spring Turkey Hunting Season begins Monday. And, as the hunters take to the woods, the State Conservation Department is talking up the successes of one of its safety programs. The Department’s Laurna Domke says the Missouri Hunter Education program has helped to cut down on the number of hunting accidents and deaths.

Starting in 1988, the state has required anyone born after January 1st, 1967, to successfully complete a mandatory hunter education course to qualify for purchasing firearm permits. Before the training was introduced, Missouri averaged approximately 100 firearm hunting accidents a year. Today, Missouri averages about 30 accidents each year. The program is taught primarily by about 2,000 volunteer instructors, who teach and certify about 26,000 students a year.

Turkey hunting season runs through May 6th.

Download/Listen: Steve Walsh report (:60 MP3)

Conservation Department Making More Aggressive Effort to Eradicate Wild Hogs

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The Conservation Department is getting more aggressive with eradicating wild hogs. Spokesman Bill Heatherly says the population of feral hogs has been growing under the department’s old hunter-based strategy. So, he says the department is taking a different approach. He says the department will use helicopters, sharp shooting and baiting and trapping techniques in an effort to eliminate free-ranging swine from the state. These tactics might seem extreme, but Heatherly says the department is committed to eliminating feral hogs from Missouri land.

Heatherly says the "destructive pests" need to be eliminated because they pose a threat to human and animal health and to the state’s economic and ecological well-being. He says just one wild hog is one too many. The Department estimates there are between 5,000 and 10,000 hogs currently in the state.

AUDIO: Laura McNamara reports (:60 MP3)