Editor: Jan Weaver

422 Tucker Hall, MU Campus

What You Get for the Money....

by Jan Weaver

A pair of jeans or

2 new release CDs or

A month of basic cable or

10 Frappuccinos or

A ticket to a college football game or

1/2 a tank of gas

or

The house where Scott Joplin composed "The Entertainer" and 5.6 tons of soil a year and habitat for over half Missouri's plant species and most of its vertebrate species and revegetation along Bear Creek and 55 other streams and 70,000 cultural and historial artifacts and up-to-date maps of 5000 soil types on 44 million acres and the place where the Cherokee crossed the Mississippi on the Trail of Tears and a relic plant community left over from the Pleistocene and downloadable maps of your county's soils and the cabin where Mark Twain was born and free programs on bats, birds, streams, insects and trees for thousands of Missouri school children and one of the largest acreages of tall grass prairie with Bison in the U.S. and 200 miles of equestrian trails and up to 75% of the costs of a grower's certified erosion control measures and ...... well, you get the picture.

The Missouri Parks and Soils sales tax funds these and hundreds of other programs, resources and state treasures for the equivalent of a month of basic cable. Amendment 1 on the August 8 ballot asks the people of Missouri to continue paying the 1/10 of one cent sales tax to provide $82 million to support parks ($41 million) and soils ($41) programs. This tax has been in place since 1984 so there is no extra cost above what has been paid for the last 22 years. This tax provides 75% of revenue for state parks (the rest is from special use fees and grants) and almost all of the revenue for soils programs (the rest is from grants). Neither of these programs receives any general revenue from the state. These tax funds cannot be used by the legislature for any other purpose. The tax expires in November 2008 unless renewed at the August 8 vote.

The money dedicated to parks goes to the Department of Natural Resources State Parks and Historic Sites Division. This money provides the majority of funds needed to maintain almost 140,000 acres at over 80 different sites. The sites preserve areas of historical and cultural significance - like the first Missouri State Capital in St. Charles and Thomas Hart Benton's studio in Kansas City; conserve areas of geological and ecological significance - like the collapsed cavern at Grand Gulf and the oxbow slough at Knobnoster; and develop areas for active outdoor recreation accessible to all Missourians - like the trout fishing at Montauk and the braille trail at Elephant Rocks. The $41 million invested in the state park system returns $410 million in direct spending associated with visiting state parks. More importantly, much of that money is spent in local communities, helping to support their local economies.

The money dedicated to soils goes to the Department of Natural Resources Soil and Water Conservation Program which distributes the funds to 114 Soil and Water Districts for locally designed programs; to cost share programs with landowners who install erosion controls; to the Agricultural nonpoint source Special Area Land Treatment (SALT) program which implements stakeholder developed programs in over 50 watersheds; and to a soil survey program and soil science lab that is one of the most effective in the nation. Before the funds for these programs were available, Missouri lost approximately 11 tons of soil per year on cultivated land to erosion. Since the tax went into effect, we have cut that amount by half and saved 148 million tons of soil. This is critical not just to our $ 5 billion agricultural industry, but also to the preservation of streams and rivers. Sediment from cultivated land carries pesticides and nutrients and is the number one pollutant of waterways in the nation. By reducing the amount of soil carried away from fields, we are not only preventing losses in crop productivity (3 to 15% depending on crop and soil type), we are also making our streams fishable and swimmable again.

This tax was first implemented in 1984, and was approved again in 1988 and 1996 with 2/3 majorities after initiative petitions got it on the ballot. The state legislature recently made voting on the tax automatic every 10 years (no more need for initiative petitions!) and the next vote is Tuesday August 8. Put the date on your calendar, check your voter registration status, educate yourself about the issue and then show up. Your vote will help decide if what we're all getting for the money is worth it.

historical perspective from Dr. Susan Flader, MU - parks.missouri.org/parksrev.htm

Missouri Farm Bureau - http://www.mofb.org/nr_Other/nr_0003_full.htm

Missouri Parks Association - http://parks.missouri.org/

BioRegional Quiz: The federally endangered Indiana and Gray bats can be found in which local state park?

JOB OF THE MONTH: Recycling Coordinator: Sheltered Workshop in Boonville. The workshop is seeking a Recycling Coordinator to begin the middle of July 2006. Responsibilities include: managing staff with disabilities, coordinating commodities with brokers, educating community organizations and businesses about recycling, and administering grants. Interested individuals should e-mail a resume to vicki@uoi.org. For inquiries, please call Vicki McCarrell at 660-882-5576 ext. 120.

Special Events/Programs/Classes/Talks

AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH: Friday June 30, 8 pm; Saturday July 1, 2 pm at the Missouri Theatre; thereafter at RagTag, check schedule at http://www.ragtagfilm.com/films.htm

BATS ON PARADE: July 22, Jul 29 (7:30 pm) or Aug 19 (7:00 pm). Bat Viewing and Cave Tours - Ages 8 to adult, Register: 573-449-7402

JUNIOR NATURALIST DAYS: Wednesday July 26 - Thursday July 28. Hiking, caving, wading in streams, service project. Kids 9 - 11 can earn a patch. Free but registration required, call 573-449-7402

DEVIL'S ICEBOX WILD CAVE TOURS: August 1 through October 10. One day adventure style guided tours through cave passages. Must be in good physical condition, able to carry 65 lb canoe, paddle 1/2 mile through low, tight spots, able tolerate cold, wetness, exertion, confinement and darkness. $25. For details visit http://www.mostateparks.com/rockbridge/cave.htm

YOUTH FISING TOURNAMENT: Saturday August 5, Finger Lakes State Park. Show-me State Games $20.

https://www.smsg.org/sports/sports_info.asp?Area=FI

MOUNTAIN BIKING: Sunday August 6, Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. Show-me State Games $20. https://www.smsg.org/sports/sports_info.asp?Area=MB

SHOW-ME YARDS AND NEIGHBORHOODS WORKSHOP: Wednesdays August 16, 23 and 30, 6:30 to 8:30 pm at the ARC -1701 West Ash. Adding nutrients without adding chemicals, rain gardens, solving moles, fungus and crabgrass, native plants, etc. To register, call 874-7616 or email flgordon@gocolumbiamo.com

Organization Meetings and Contact Information

AUDUBON SOCIETY: 874-3904 / columbia-audubon.missouri.org Meet 3rd Wed 7:30 pm, Unitarian Church, 2615 Shepard Blvd.

BOONE COUNTY SMART GROWTH COALITION: http://smartgrowth.missouri.org/, 1st Weds 7:15 Boone Co Govt Ctr.

CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVING: 875-0539 or http://peaceworks.missouri.org/

CHOUTEAU GROTTO: http://chouteau.missouri.org/, Meet 1st Wed, 7 pm, The Casteel Building, 1518 Business Loop 70 East

COLUMBIA FOOD CIRCLE: 882-7463 or email hendricksonm@missouri.edu for information.

COLUMBIA PUBLIC WORKS VOL. PROGRAMS: 874-6271 or http://www.gocolumbiamo.com/Volunteer/Opportunities/#PW

CITIZENS WATERSHED COMMITTEE: (573) 526-8916, Third Tuesdays, 6:30 pm, Daniel Boone Bldg

COMMUNITY GARDEN COALITION: 875-5995 or cgardenc@yahoo.com or http://cgc.missouri.org

ENV EDUCATION WORKSHOPS AND CONFERENCES: http://www.conservation.state.mo.us/teacher/workshops/

FRIENDS OF BIG MUDDY: friends@friendsofbigmuddy.org or www.friendsofbigmuddy.org

FRIENDS OF ROCK BRIDGE M. S. P.: 815-9255 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org/ Outdoors Bldg, 200 Old 63 S.

GREENBELT COALITION: 442-4789, gbelt@coin.org or http://greenbelt.missouri.org

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORE: 815-9836, drop off or buy gently used doors, windows, hardware, tools, cabinets, appliances, unopened paint, fixtures - Mon to Fri 8:30 to 3:30, Saturday 8:00 to 1:00 pm, 1906 Monroe St. Columbia

MISSOURI ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ASSOCIATION: www.meea.org

MO NATIVE PLANT SOC.: http://columbianativeplants.missouri.org/, 2nd Mon, odd months, 7 p.m., UU Church, 2615 Shepard

MISSOURI RIVER COMMUNITIES NETWORK: 573-256-2602 or www.moriver.org or moriver@coin.org

PEDNET COALITION: email: pednet@pednet.org or http://www.pednet.org

RIVER RELIEF: http://www.riverrelief.org/

ROCK BRIDGE MEMORIAL STATE PARK: 449-7402 or http://rockbridge.missouri.org

SHOW ME CLEAN STREAMS COALITION: (573) 751-4115 ext 3169 or www.mostreamteam.org

SIERRA CLUB: 875-2916 or http://sierra.osage.missouri.org Meet 3rd Tuesdays 7:30 pm Hillel Foundation, 1107 University Ave

WILD ONES: 573 882-9909, ext 3257 or email wildonesmo@yahoo.com, http://wildones.missouri.org Meetings 2nd Saturdays.

Answer to BioRegional Quiz - Rock Bridge Memorial State Park - 15 minutes south of downtown Columbia on Providence (as long as you don't drive during rush hour). The Indiana bat summers north of the Missouri River, roosting in the loose bark of large trees. At night it forages for insects along tree tops along major streams and rivers. In the winter it hibernates in caves with cool stable temperatures - like the Devi's Icebox. The gray bat uses the cave for both maternal colonies and bachelor roosts. Like the Indiana bat, the gray bat forages along streams and rivers. In the winter, the bats retreat to cooler caves. Because of the Indiana's use of the cave in the winter, and the gray's use of it in th e summer, the cave is closed during these seasons. However, the wild cave tours begin again August 1 (see events above for info).

Feedback - Got an opinion? If we have space, we will consider publishing it. Submit it by email (envstudy@missouri.edu), snail mail (Environmental Studies, 211 Lowry , MU, Columbia MO 65211), or call Jan Weaver to talk about it (882-7116). MU Environmental Network News is published by MU's Environmental Studies Initiative. All opinions expressed are the responsibility of the editor. Any part of this newsletter may be copied for distribution but please give us credit.