The Missouri Department of Conservation is in the multi-year process of updating Conservation Area Management Plans and is seeking public input on how conservation areas are important to Missourians.
A draft management plan for the Department’s Locust Creek Conservation Area and Sears Community Lake is available for public review through Oct. 31. To preview this draft management plan and share comments online, visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.
Locust Creek Conservation Area contains 3,451 acres of woodland, forest, grassland, open field, old field, wetland, savanna, and open water in Sullivan County. The area offers five fishing ponds, and one ADA accessible privy available for public use.
Sears Community Lake offers 19 acres of open water within the 83-acre property, which also provides forest, old field, and woodland in Sullivan County. Sears Community Lake contains one concrete boat ramp and one fishing lake available for public use.
MDC manages these areas to provide diverse habitat for fish and wildlife species, protect soil and water quality, and provide recreational and educational opportunities for the citizens of Missouri.
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 statewide context, and on the professional expertise of MDC staff.
