START WITH THE ‘WHY’

Why are we doing this? Why is this issue so important? Why should you care?

Because Missouri’s model of protecting fish, forests and wildlife faces imminent challenges that could compromise our state’s natural resources forever.

In the years leading up to 1935, with the Great Depression, terrible drought, the Dust Bowl, massive unemployment and the Works Progress Administration (WPA), America demanded tremendous resources from our state. Sprawling railroads consumed Missouri’s trees with little or no regard for regrowth or replanting, which polluted streams and decimated wildlife. The land was being gained cheaply, used without responsible management, and left in ruin. These times demanded drastic measures to save Missouri’s natural resources.

New, breakthrough ideas emerged from conservationists like Dr. Aldo Leopold, often named the father of the science of wildlife management, and others concerned about the alarming condition of wild game populations and how they were managed across the nation, including Missouri.

In December 1930, The American Game Policy was presented and adopted at the American Game Conference in New York City. A forward-thinking policy, it included the belief that fish and wildlife agencies need to have freedom from politics, enough authority to govern its own work, and the powerful idea that the cost of conservation should be carried by all citizens because the work of conservation results in “public betterments.”

Recovery and restoration were becoming part of a common national goal. And so, as the story goes, in one of the most unlikely of places, the Missouri Model of Conservation would emerge.

On September 10, 1935, the Restoration and Conservation Federation was created for the purpose of leading a petition drive to establish a non-political conservation commission. Mr. E. Sydney Stephens, a Columbia, Missouri businessman and avid sportsman was named president of the Federation and the first order of business was to form a committee to write and advance a constitutional amendment which would create the Conservation Commission as we have come to know it.

Certainly, many individuals and organizations from around the state were involved in the initial meeting, but ultimately, no other organization had a greater or more significant role in the creation of the Conservation Commission than the Federation. Under Mr. Stephens leadership, history would be made. On November 3, 1936, Amendment No. 4 passed by a whopping margin - 71%.

On June 23, 1937, Governor Stark assembled a meeting of interested conservationists to discuss the constitutional language and the appointment of commissioners. He further reiterated the intended role of politics in conservation when he stated “…politics must be completely barred…we must carry out the spirit, as well as the letter of the law.”

With those considerations, Mr. Stephens was appointed to and became chairman of the first Conservation Commission, and wasting little time, the new Commission further defined its purpose in the form of several objectives. Perhaps the most important was the first objective:

“To protect, as far as legally possible, the administration of the state’s wildlife resources from the influence of partisan politics.”

But the first year after the Amendment passed, there were motions made disputing control of the new commission and its authority. Many times, those politicians and legislators seeking to dismantle the Conservation Commission were only defeated by earnest efforts of individuals enlightened enough to understand the importance of our separate conservation body.

Dr. Leopold, when speaking at Mr. Stephens’ testimonial dinner on September 15, 1947 summed up the importance of this point when he said, “It is incredible how much harm can arise over a period of years from even ten percent bad selections. Appointments can average no better than the governors who make them, or the legislators who confirm them, or the voters who elect both.”

40 years later, in 1976, voters passed the dedicated funding source for the Missouri Department of Conservation, a sales tax shared by all citizens. This enables conservation to maintain more than 1,000 public use areas, career scientists, biologists and educators - dedicated to Missouri’s outdoors and wildlife.

During those 85 years, there would be numerous attempts to de-construct the model. In recent years, the attempts have been frequent and hostile, but when the political veneer is scratched away, the reasons for the attacks always come down to a desire to politicize and control the Department of Conservation. This is why the mission of the Alliance for Missouri Conservation is so important.

Another new challenge on the political landscape is Missouri’s recent adoption of term limits. While term limits may be seen by many as a positive development, they also increase the frequency of legislator turnover, creating more need for the Alliance of Missouri Conservation to build relationships with these newer legislators, as they may not have the wealth of experience regarding the importance of conservation in our state.

The Alliance for Missouri Conservation supports other organizations devoted to protecting Missouri Conservation, but as a political action committee, it is structured differently, so it is able to react and engage more swiftly and decisively to challenges.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Nearly 90 years ago, Missouri voters had the wisdom and foresight to create an independent conservation agency, entrusting it with the stewardship of our state’s fish, forest, and wildlife resources. Almost 50 years ago, the people doubled-down on their commitment to conservation when they approved financial support in the form of a dedicate one-eighth cent sales.

By any measure, the Missouri Department of Conservation is recognized nationally as a leader in conservation, and the Missouri Model of Conservation is considered the gold standard, a standard only partially achieved by a very few other state conservation agencies.

The model of a conservation agency, governed by a non-political commission operating independently of the legislature is the envy of almost every state in the country. Unfortunately, this structure renders it DEFENSELESS to political attacks. And over these many years, the Conservation Commission and the Department of Conservation have been repeatedly under attack by legislators and politicians. So far, these repetitious skirmishes have been won, but often by the thinnest of margins.

Some of our political leaders have stood tall in support of the Missouri Model, yet we find ourselves in never ending battles with the General Assembly as they attempt to withhold funds, re-direct money to pet projects, and otherwise put their thumb on the scale of decision-making so wisely and deliberately designed to be independent of the political process.

We urge you to join us as part of the Alliance for Missouri Conservation helping to protect and defend the Missouri Model of Conservation, its underlying principles and its non-political nature, constitutional authority, and dedicated funding.

Join us in the fight and thank you for caring!