Hunters Have Supported Conservation and Wildlife Management in Missouri and the United States Since 1937

The November National Geographic magazine came in the mail to my home today.

There is an article on page 112 about "Hunters for love of the land."

Hunters in the United States, and also in Missouri, have been strong supporters of conservation and fish, forest, and wildlife management since 1937.

In the article on page 126 is a chart that indicates that 75 percent of the revenue for state wildlife agencies comes from license sales and federal excise taxes. The excise taxes are from the Federal Aid in Sport Fish and Wildlife Restoration programs. The federal wildlife program began in 1937 to help states manage wildlife and to implement conservation management activities.

Many people talk about conservation or what should be done. Hunters have put their money on the table for over 70 years for fish, wildlife, and habitat management. In many states, hunters and anglers have been and continue to be the folks that pay for conservation.

Only Missouri and Arkansas have state sales taxes dedicated to conservation. Several other states have a variety of other methods to help fund conservation, including income tax check-off opportunities and other methods. In Missouri, no other general revenue from the state is used for the Department of Conservation.

Missouri was the first state, in 1976, to have a majority of the residents recognize the need to have long-term and stable funding for conservation activities. Healthy fish, forests, and wildlife benefit all Missourians with increased quality of life and economic benefits.

You can read the article online, or if you're like my family, we often look at the pictures first and the online article has a picture gallery.

National Hunting and Fishing Day Highlights Conservation Success

National Hunting and Fishing Day was September 22. The day designates the importance of the support from anglers and hunters to conserve fish, wildlife, and habitat and the personal benefits of being involved in the activities of fishing and hunting. Individuals and families can create a lifetime of memories by going fishing and hunting.

The Web pages have a wide variety of information about events held in most states, information about the history of the day, and facts about the participation and economic impacts of fishing and hunting.

Even if you don't fish or hunt, or if you missed the events on September 22 this year, the fall weather is a great time to be outdoors. Go outside!

You can learn more about a wide variety of outdoor activities and how you can be involved in conservation efforts on the Web pages of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Missourians Make Conservation History Happen Every Day

I watched conservation history happen on Thursday. Actually, I watch history happen every day, just like everyone does, except that on most days I don't really notice. The events of some days are more important than others, and it's not always easy to know until later.

Today I was careful to notice. I watched as the Chair of the Missouri Conservation Commission introduced and welcomed two new members to the Conservation Commission. This is important for conservation history, since both are new at the same time, and they will serve regular terms of six years. They will have six years to make conservation decisions that may last beyond my lifetime.

As an employee of the Department, it is inspiring to hear compelling words about conservation from the Missouri individuals that are Conservation Commission members.

As a Missouri citizen, it is even more inspiring to see the interest of the Commissioners and their obvious passion for the fish, forest, and wildlife resources of Missouri. This makes me feel that we surely have the best team of citizens and professionals to make conservation history happen every day in Missouri.

You can read more about the Conservation Commission and the beginnings of the Department in 1936 on the Department of Conservation's Web pages.

An excellent article about the role of private citizens, the start of the Conservation Federation of Missouri, and how Missourians made conservation history in the 1930s is in the January, 2005 issue of the Missouri Conservationist magazine.

Another article about Missourians and how they made conservation history in the 1970s is in the September, 2006 issue of the magazine and is about the role of Missourians to establish the Conservation Sales Tax in Missouri.

And if you want to see today's conservation history, you can read the current issue of the magazine, look at what is happening on the new Department Blog, see the current news of the Department, or simply start at the Department's home page.

The First Fifty Years of Conservation in Missouri

If we read the signs correctly, we might learn something about what is up ahead.

Human dimensions, the social and economic aspects of fish, forest, and wildlife conservation, is very useful in trying to understand the past and present. The insights about the past and present can then be used like informational highway signs to make informed decisions about the future.

Past events can guide our thinking about change and provide much insight into the future.

Winston Churchill said “The further backward you look, the further forward you can see” and Harry S. Truman said “The only news you haven’t heard is the history you haven’t read.”

I often turn to a book called The First Fifty Years by James F. Keefe to learn about the past events of the Missouri Department of Conservation and to gain insight into what conservation workers were thinking and the decisions they made in the years before I was even born. I like to think that understanding more about the past can help me, and other Department of Conservation staff, interpret and determine how the information we have available today can help us make more accountable and reliable decisions that will certainly affect the future.

I was fortunate to meet and visit many times with Jim Keefe before he died in 1999.

An article in an All Outdoors news release from 1999, available at http://www.mdc.mo.gov/news/out/1999/091799.htm#2 had the following about Jim:

"Starting as an information writer for the Conservation Department in 1951, Keefe served as managing editor of Missouri Conservationist Magazine from 1955 until 1985. During that time the magazine's monthly circulation increased from 20,000 to nearly 400,000. He penned hundreds of articles and monthly editorials in which he articulated the Conservation Department's philosophy and explained its policies to millions of readers. Conservation Commissioner Ron Stites once called Keefe "Missouri's conservation conscience."

In 1958 the Conservation Commission promoted Keefe to head its Information Section. He continued in that capacity for 27 years, building a public information program that won national and international acclaim for its magazine, books and nature films.

In 1985, the Conservation Commission assigned Keefe to write a history of the Conservation Department's first five decades. The First 50 Years, begins with voter approval of a constitutional amendment in 1936 giving the Conservation Department autonomy in administering science-based conservation programs. It continues through full implementation of the state's conservation program with a dedicated conservation sales tax approved by voters through another constitutional amendment in 1976.

Keefe himself was instrumental in convincing voters of the need for stable funding for conservation programs. At the same time, he also was active in national conservation information efforts. He served as president of Association for Conservation Information and the Missouri Outdoor Communicators and was active in the Outdoor Writers Association of America, earning that group's highest conservation honor, The Jade of Chiefs Award, in 1980.

The Conservation Commission named him a Master Conservationist in 1998, and the Conservation Federation of Missouri honored Keefe with its Conservation Communicator of the Year Award in 1970."

The entire text of The First Fifty Years is available at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/about/50_yrs/

Read a bit, look backward, and use the information to think about the future. I do.

The current issue of the Missouri Conservationist magazine, and archives of past issues, is available at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/conmag/

The magazine is free to adult Missourians that request it, and more information about how to subscribe is available at: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/applications/conmag/conmag.aspx

Economic Activity Generated by Missouri Anglers

Fishing catches more than just a fistful of dollars in the Missouri economy.

Using data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, all fishing in Missouri by anglers 16 years and older generates $772,090,940 in retail sales each year.

The expenditures have an economic impact of $1,561,999,764 (that’s over $1.5 billion) support 13,870 jobs with $340,274,506 in earnings, and generate $38,755,026 in state sales taxes.

Black bass fishing has the largest economic influence at over $560 million ($560,823,740) in overall economic impact, followed by crappie fishing with $242,102,174, then trout fishing with $240,096,201, and fishing for catfish with $156,831,989.

Nonresident anglers contribute $130,435,326 to the overall fishing expenditures, and their expenditures generate $254,296,023 in overall economic impact. The expenditures of nonresident anglers support 2,438 jobs and $7,318,285 in state sales taxes.

On the average, each angler in Missouri spends $635.49 each year. Resident anglers spend more each year per person, at $680.82, than do nonresidents, who spend $478.71 per person.

Missouri resident trout anglers spend the most per person each year, on the average, at $662.92, followed by black bass anglers with $537.89. Panfish anglers spend the least amount per person each year, at $144.51.

When I was a boy, $144.51 would have purchased quite a pile of cane poles, bobbers, and worms. Instead, I often used my grandfather’s cane pole, or sometimes just a long stick, with a cotton twine line and a steel hook. The bobber might have been relatively new. I pulled a bunch of bluegill from a farm pond with that type of rig.

When my own boys were young, we managed to spend more for the same kind of fun, using child-sized Zebco rods and reels, plastic PowerBait, and cool-colored bobbers. With two boys, they kept me pretty busy keeping hooks baited, lines untangled, and rods pointed towards the water. Our trips to the store certainly helped the Missouri economy, one bobber at a time.

Obviously, current generations of Missouri anglers are also making trips to the store for poles, line, bobbers, and bait, with a positive effect on the Missouri economy.

More information about the economic impacts of fishing, hunting, and wildlife-related recreation, in addition to participation and demographics information, is in a report entitled "The 2001 Economic Benefits of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching in Missouri" available at: http://www.southwickassociates.com/freereports/default.aspx

Economic Activity Generated by Missouri Wildlife Watchers

Wildlife viewing is an important economic activity in Missouri.

Using data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, all wildlife watching activities in Missouri by those 16 years of age and older, generates $448,755,690 in retail sales each year.

These expenditures have an economic impact of $937,795,501, support 7,850 jobs with $200,070,083 in earnings, and generate $22,095,502 in state sales taxes.

It is interesting to note that the retail sales, economic impact, and state sales taxes generated by wildlife viewing activities are slightly higher than for the activity of hunting in Missouri.

Nonresident wildlife viewers contribute $117,792,624 to the overall wildlife viewing expenditures, and generate $229,607,674 in economic impact. The expenditures of nonresident wildlife viewers support 2,030 jobs and $6,575,202 in state sales taxes.

On the average, each Missouri resident wildlife viewer spends about $80.91 annually on wildlife watching near the home, and $401.46 each year for wildlife watching away from home. Nonresident wildlife viewers spend slightly more per year in Missouri, on wildlife watching away from their homes, than Missouri residents, at $537.81.

More information about the economic impacts of wildlife-related recreation, hunting, and fishing, in addition to participation and demographics information, is in a report entitled "The 2001 Economic Benefits of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching in Missouri" available at: http://www.southwickassociates.com/freereports/default.aspx

Economic Activity Generated by Missouri Hunters

Hunting is really "cooking" in the Missouri economy.

Using data from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, all hunting in Missouri by hunters 16 years and older generates $437,194,608 in retail sales each year.

The expenditures have an economic impact of $853,390,343, support 8,007 jobs with $191,169,148 in earnings, and generate $18,074,340 in state sales taxes.

Deer hunting has the largest economic influence at over $445 million ($445,403,674) in overall economic impact, followed by turkey hunting with $248,146,380, then small game hunting with $89,966,991, and migratory bird hunting with $66,044,839.

Nonresident hunters contribute $72,982,053 to the overall hunting expenditures, and their expenditures generate $148,267,468 in overall economic impact. The expenditures of nonresident hunters support 1,360 jobs and $3,471,380 in state sales taxes.

On the average, each hunter in Missouri spends $894.77 each year. Resident hunters spend slightly more each year per person, at $900.33, than for nonresidents, who spend $868.01 per person.

More information about the economic impacts of hunting, fishing, and wildlife-related recreation, in addition to participation and demographics information, is in a report entitled "The 2001 Economic Benefits of Hunting, Fishing, and Wildlife Watching in Missouri" available at: http://www.southwickassociates.com/freereports/default.aspx

Missouri: Hunting and Fishing

In Missouri, there are about 489,000 hunters each year, that are of age 16 years and older. There are an additional 92,000 hunters that are of age 6 to 15 years.

Of the total hunters 16 years and older, 405,000 are state residents and 84,000 are nonresidents. Deer hunting is the most popular in terms of hunter numbers and days spent hunting. There are over twice as many deer hunters as turkey hunters and deer hunters spend over twice as many total days hunting as turkey hunters.

Each year, hunters spend an average of about 15 days hunting. Migratory bird hunters spend the most days on average, at about 13 days. Rabbit hunters spend the fewest days hunting, at about 9 days.

Overall, hunters spend over 6.6 million days hunting each year.

In Missouri, there are about 1.2 million anglers each year, of age 16 years or older. There are an additional 321,000 that participate that are of age 6 to 15 years old. Of the total freshwater anglers in Missouri, age 16 years and older, 942,000 are state residents and 272,000 are nonresidents. Most fishing activity, in numbers of anglers and days spent fishing, is for black bass.

Each year, anglers spend an average of about 11 days fishing. Catfish anglers spend the most days, at about 11 days, and trout anglers the fewest, at about 6 days.

Overall, anglers fish a total of over 13.2 million days each year.

Hunters and anglers in Missouri spend over $1.2 billion each year in retail sales, support 21,877 jobs, and generate $57 million in state sales tax. The total sales and income taxes generated is $77 million. The total economic impact each year from the retail sales is over $2.4 billion. That is $2.4 billion of economic impact.

Put into other terms, more Missourians hunt or fish than the number who attend St. Louis Rams or Kansas City Chiefs games.

One of every four Missouri residents hunts or fishes.

Annual spending by hunters and anglers is more than the cash receipts for cattle production in Missouri.

The amount of sales tax generated from fish and wildlife recreation and the forest products industry is well over the amount of sales tax received by the Missouri Department of Conservation from the Conservation Sales Tax; in other words, conservation pays its way in Missouri.

More information is available from the 2001 National Survey report for Missouri which is available at: http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/01fhw/fhw01-mo.pdf and the economics report for Missouri is available at: http://www.southwickassociates.com/freereports/default.aspx

A fact sheet on Missouri hunting and fishing is on page 13 of the 2005-2006 Annual Report of the Missouri Department of Conservation available at: http://mdc4.mdc.mo.gov/Documents/13141.pdf

Conservation for the Next Generations

When I was in graduate school in the late 1980s, while working in a Forestry and Natural Resources computer lab at Purdue University somewhere near midnight, a fellow student asked me a philosophical question. It's often easy to be philosophical around midnight, especially if you are tired and beginning to look for something else to do rather than whatever you have been working on or studying about for the last 16 hours. He asked something like, "What do you think will be your most significant impact on the future?"

My sons at that time were 4 years old and 2 years old. My response was immediate; my children. The other student seemed not to understand, since he had been thinking about what impacts would result from our efforts in the field of resource management and he did not have children to consider.

I did not know then, and may never know completely, what differences my children will make for others and in the future. However, they impact the lives of others every day in some way. And the actions that they take, the example they set, how they vote or don't vote, and how they influence the views of others about natural resources, regardless of their career choices, to either contribute to the sustainability of fish, forest, and wildlife resources or to diminish those resources, may have greater impacts for their children and future generations than whatever I accomplish in the field of resource management.

I do think my efforts can make a difference for conservation in some way for the future. But I have no doubts that it is our combined efforts, and the efforts of our children and future generations of Missourians, that will determine the success or failure of conservation in Missouri, in the United States, and in the world. It's been up to me to provide opportunities for my children to understand the natural world and their place in it. It's been their choice to experience those opportunities and then consider what the outdoor world and the next generation of conservation means to them. To have positive impacts, they can certainly follow the examples provided by Missourians of the past that supported conservation, were aware of the natural world, and took actions to ensure that resources were managed both for the present and the future.

Perhaps the information I provide in these postings can help increase awareness about fish, forest, and wildlife resources in Missouri and the conservation efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation. Then, fish, forests, wildlife, and the quality of life for all Missourians might continue to be improved for many of the next generations.

More information about conservation and opportunities to experience the outdoors of Missouri is available at: http://www.missouriconservation.org

Conservation education information is available at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/teacher/ and information about education opportunities and events, from beginning archery and dutch oven cooking, to shooting and hunter education, to tree education and more, is available at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/applications/events/teacher.htm

Five Facts About the Missouri Department of Conservation

1. Missourians are Satisfied with the Job of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Over 60 percent of Missourians believe the Missouri Department of Conservation is doing an excellent or good job of providing services to themselves, their family, their community, and the State of Missouri: 64 percent believe that the Department is doing a good job of providing services to themselves; 63 percent to their family; 61 percent to their community; and 67 percent to the State of Missouri.

2. Missourians are Interested in Missouri’s Fish, Forests, and Wildlife, and Want to Protect Missouri’s Conservation Heritage.

Most Missourians (93 percent) report that they are interested in Missouri’s fish, forests, and wildlife. Most Missourians (91 percent) agree that “It is important for outdoor places to be protected even if you don’t plan to visit the area.” Most Missourians (84 percent) agree that natural areas should be designated “to protect Missouri’s best examples of forests, prairies, marshes, and glades.”

3. Missourians Approve of Acquiring Land for Conservation.

Almost three-quarters (73 percent) of all Missourians agree that “Land should be acquired for fish, forest, and wildlife conservation.” When asked about the less than 2 percent of Missouri’s acres that are owned or managed by the Department, only 2 percent said that amount is “Too much.”

4. Less than One Percent of the State of Missouri Budget is Spent on Conservation.

The total budget for the Missouri Department of Conservation is less than one percent of the total State of Missouri budget.

Health and Social Services - 37.8%
Education - 28.1%
Government Services - 20.1%
Transportation - 10.4%
Natural and Economic Resources - 2.8%
Conservation - 0.8%

5. Conservation Pays Its Way in Missouri.

"Conservation Pays Its Way in Missouri" since the sales tax revenue generated each year from the retail sales related to fish and wildlife recreation and the forest products industry is well over the amount that is received by the Missouri Department of Conservation from the one-eighth of one percent Conservation Sales Tax. Each year, fishing, hunting, wildlife recreation, and forestry activities have an economic impact of over $7 billion in Missouri.

More information about the Missouri Department of Conservation is available in the 2005-2006 Annual Report available at: http://www.mdc.mo.gov/about/annual/
Included in the annual report is a 2-page summary on pages 4 and 5.