Projects and Research
Natural Resources Damage Assessment
The Missouri Field Office manages two very large mining sites, the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District and Tri-State Mining District, that encompass multiple Superfund sites, thousands of acres of impacted land, and hundreds of miles of contaminated streams. The two mining districts make up the number one historic lead and zinc production areas in the nation, respectively. Managing these cases requires extensive coordination and collaboration with state partners, Department of the Interior Office of the Solicitor, U.S. EPA and the Department of Justice.
Outreach and Education
The Missouri Field office is dedicated to supporting conservation education across the state. Staff members often volunteer with partners at events to share the importance of conservation work, research, and partnerships. You can find our table at events such as Columbia Earth Day, Arrow Rock Birds, Bees and Blooms Festival, and many more. In 2023, the Missouri Field Office partnered with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to produce educational videos about bats, crayfish, and freshwater mussels. Those videos can be located in the Missouri Ecological Services Video Library.
Working closely with biologists and researchers from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District, Missouri Department of Conservation and U.S. Geological Survey, we developed educational videos with several goals in mind.
- Introduce some of Missouri’s federally listed species
- Spotlight the people working to protect, conserve and recover federally listed species in Missouri
- Demonstrate how our agency and our partners study these animals
- Highlight conservation successes
- Share ways people can help protect and conserve species at home and in their communities.
The Trustees recently amended two Restoration Plans and an agreement in order to provide funding for third-parties to maintain, monitor and administer long-term stewardship of previously funded restoration projects using Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDAR) funds obtained through various settlement agreements and bankruptcy proceedings. The draft amendment was put out...
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service are seeking public input on two draft Restoration Plans for the Viburnum Trend and the Meramec Basin. These plans describe efforts to implement woodland and stream restoration on private and public lands in the Viburnum Trend, and to work with land owners in the Big River...
Bats across North America are in decline, scientists across the globe strive to protect them. Our agency actively collaborates with federal, state and non-governmental partners to conserve and restore listed bat species. The full video series on bat conservation in Missouri can be accessed on YouTube.
Missouri's bats: flight to survival:...
There are more than 600 species of crayfish in the world, and about 400 in North America. Invasive species are negatively impacting ecosystems across the world, including crayfish habit Our agency actively collaborates federal, state and non-governmental partners to study and protect these aquatic invertebrates. The full video series on crayfish...
Freshwater mussels across the world, including Missouri, are increasingly threatened by habitat loss and degradation. Our agency actively collaborates with federal, state and non-governmental partners to study and protect these essential species. The full video series on freshwater mussel conservation in Missouri can be found on Youtube
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