INVESTING IN YOUR CONSERVATION LEGACY

 

CONTACT US

Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation

P.O. Box 366

Jefferson City, Missouri 65102-0366

Tel: 573-634-2080 or 1-800-227-1488

Fax: 573-751-4467

mchf@MoCHF.org

NEW EAGLE LICENSE PLATE AVAILABLE

 

PURPOSE

The purpose of the Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation (MCHF) is to raise funds and to provide resources for the efforts of the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and other conservation groups, and to take a leading role in ensuring both the protection of Missouri’s conservation heritage and the provision of outdoor opportunities for future generations.

MCHF was founded in September 1997 to meet the increasing demand placed on Missouri's natural resources. Public demand for development of areas for outdoor activities simply exceeds the Missouri Department of Conservation's funding capability. The MCHF's priority is to stimulate partnerships where local and MCHF funds can provide the necessary resources to meet local conservation needs.

Our challenge is to provide funds where the need is greatest and where private support has made the critical difference in the success of protecting Missouri’s rich fish, forest and wildlife resources. Examples of how donations from private individuals working through the MCHF have funded conservation projects are provided in the Natural Gifts article from the Missouri Conservationist magazine.

The MCHF is governed by a Board of Directors comprised of business and community leaders. Directors serve staggered terms without remuneration. The Board of Directors' responsibility is to establish policies to be carried out by the MCHF, select projects and programs, and allocate resources to those projects and programs.

Contributions to the MCHF are fully deductible to the extent allowed by law. The MCHF is incorporated in the State of Missouri under the Missouri Nonprofit Corporation Act to assist the Missouri Department of Conservation in carrying out its authorized purposes. It holds Federal Tax Exempt Status under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service Code.

PROGRAMS

MCHF projects and programs fall in one of these areas of emphasis:
• Acquisition of lands important to natural resource conservation and management.
• Facility and construction projects to enhance public use of conservation areas.
• Conservation Education and Recreation including nature centers and support of conservation workshops, outdoor classrooms and Stream Teams.
• Forest, fish and wildlife management and restoration.
• Natural resource research projects.
• Wildlife enforcement and hunter education programs.
• Disabled user projects.

News
•Conservation Foundation names new Executive Director (PDF)

PROGRESS

Since MCHF's founding, more than $7 million has been raised or pledged for conservation projects statewide—including stream and watershed protection, the Kansas City Discovery Center, disabled and kids fishing clinics, a cold-water trout stream purchase, peregrine falcon reintroductions, quail habitat improvements among the many listed below. The MCHF also raises funds from the Missouri Conservation Heritage License Plate program and have several endowments and trust accounts with funds held for conservation programs.

Selected accomplishments to date:

• Invested more than $680,000 to acquire land in the LaBarque Creek Watershed in Jefferson County, to help production efforts in this priorty, highly biologically diverse watershed (as of May 2008).

• Provided funding for Stream Team water quality testing equipment, large-scale river cleanups and tire disposal (2007).

• Contributed funding for River Bends bottomland restoration project with minority-led team in southeastern Missouri (2007).

• Contributed funding for improvements to forest health and habitat in southern Callaway, Montgomery and Warren Counties on private land (2006).

• Provided matching funds to purchase broadcast seeding equipment for private land improvements for turkey, quail and other upland wildlife brood-rearing habitat in northwestern Missouri (2006).

• Funded statewide placement of Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Bins by Stream Team volunteers (2006).

• Purchased fiberglass fish models to improve aquatic education at Camp Geiger/Andrew County Boy Scout Aquatics Center (2006).
• Raised $3.5 million to match $4.6 million for Kansas City Discovery Center in partnership with Missouri Department of Conservation. Discovery Center opened in April 2002.
• Start-up of Cape Girardeau Conservation Campus capital campaign to raise $500,000 with local community for new center (opened in 2005).
• Helped purchase 391 acres around headwaters of Bryant Creek in southwest Missouri (Cedar Gap Conservation Area, $140,000) and cold water stream (Capps Creek, $50,000) in Newton County.
• Funded a suspension foot bridge and trail at Fountain Grove Conservation Area (Livingston County), a scenic view overlook (Boone County), Lewis & Clark signage (Buchanan County), and wetlands development (Lewis County).
• Established funds for endowing the Bronstein Flower Gardens at Powder Valley Nature Center (metropolitan St. Louis).
• Provided fishing equipment for disabled anglers and youth fishing clinics statewide.
• Received $200,000 for Western Greater prairie-chicken and prairie research and management in northwest Missouri from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and Phillips Petroleum.
• Received $150,000 for grassland management in partnership with the Grasslands Coalition from National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and FMC.
• Received more than $500,000 for conservation projects statewide including native landscaping in metro St. Louis, canebrake restoration in the Ozarks, bird monitoring in northeast Missouri, native plant nurseries, and streamside restoration.
• Provided fiscal oversight for outdoor recreation clinics such as youth hunts and kids fishing programs.
• Designed and implemented statewide Conservation Heritage License Plate program for unrestricted funds for Outdoor Classroom grants to schools ($35,000 annually to schools and other conservation projects statewide).

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Officers
Jan Phillips, Chairman of the Board, Glendale
Norman Stucky, President, Jefferson City
Julius Wall, Vice-President, Clinton
Chris Nattinger, Secretary, Springfield
Dave Murphy, Treasurer, Columbia

Directors
Stephen Bradford, Cape Girardeau

Jeff Churan, Chillocothe

Jack Garrett, West Plains

Cynthia Metcalfe, St. Louis

Davis Minton, Dexter

David Reynolds, Springfield

Howard Wood, Bonne Terre

Ex-officio Directors
John D. Hoskins, Director
Missouri Department of Conservation
William F. "Chip" McGeehan, Chairman
Conservation Commission of the State of Missouri

Executive Director
Richard Thom

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