MDC seeks public input on plan for Helen K. Wiese Conservation Area in Chariton County

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Northwest
Published Date
04/02/2018
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Bosworth, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) wants to know what Missourians think about its nearly 1,000 conservation areas around the state. MDC is in the multi-year process of updating management plans for the Helen K. Wiese Conservation Area in Chariton County. The long-range management plan will be available for public comment through April.

To preview draft management plans and share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.

The 105-acre Helen K. Wiese Conservation Area has river bottom forest and borders the Grand River. The area has limited public access, as it is surrounded by private land and a portion is bisected by the river. Access is typically by boat on the Grand River or by permission of surrounding landowners. The Bosworth Access on the river is 1,900 feet upstream from the area. Deer and turkey hunting are two typical uses for the area.

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 state-wide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.