“The Chat” Newsletter | Columbia Audubon Society

Newsletter of the Columbia Audubon Society | Summer 2026

Sat. Jun. 13, 2026

August 4 Election: Amendment 1 to fund Missouri state parks and soil and water conservation

by Allison Vaughn

Columbia Audubon Society is informing membership of an important election on August 4, the renewal of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is up for renewal. When it was last on the ballot 10 years ago, it overwhelmingly passed by 80% of the vote. Long gone are the days of state parks employees holding petitions in grocery store parking lots to collect signatures to get the sales tax on the ballot.

From the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Newsroom:

The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is a statewide one-tenth-of-one percent sales tax. It provides dedicated funding for Missouri state parks and historic sites along with soil and water conservation efforts. Missouri citizens have shown strong support for soil and water conservation and state parks by first approving it in 1984, as a constitutional amendment.

The tax was reapproved by two-thirds of Missouri voters in 1988, 1996, 2006 and 2016. In 2016, the tax was approved by approximately 80%, passing in every county. The tax now appears on the ballot every 10 years to reaffirm the voters’ support of the park system and soil and water conservation efforts.

The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is set to expire in 2028, if not approved by voters in 2026.

The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax – PUB3098

It was cultural anthropologist and academic Margaret Mead who once said, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” This is certainly true when it comes to the efforts behind the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax and the Conservation Sales Tax. And in telling the story of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, it is indeed a story of just a handful of people, working to obtain funding to address soil erosion in Missouri, though it eventually was accomplished by the coordinating efforts of thousands of people throughout our great state.

Once upon a time, there was significant soil erosion in this state. In fact, Missouri had the second highest erosion rate of any state in the Union. In order to address this plight, Representative Jerry Burch introduced a House bill in 1982, to take half of the 1/8 cent conservation tax to address soil erosion problems. Many believed the bill was doomed from the start; however, the bill passed on the floor of the house.

At that time, there was a gentleman by the name of Merle Doughty (pronounced “DOUGH-tee”) from Livingston County, who was asked to testify before the Senate on this House bill. Doughty had testified many other times in Washington D.C. and Missouri in his quest to gain funding and support to address soil erosion in Missouri. As the story goes, immediately following the failed senate vote, which drew quite a crowd, Representative LeRoy Braungardt approached Doughty and said “Merle, if you will get in and work as hard to help me as you did on this bill, I will introduce a 1/8 cent sales tax of our own to address the erosion problems in Missouri.” This was a much better plan than using half of the critical funds that Missouri citizens already had determined they wanted to go toward forest, fish and wildlife conservation efforts in Missouri.

Also, during this time, our beloved state parks system was reeling from tremendous federal budget cuts and the inability to fill the gap of the reduced funding. Building and equipment maintenance were the first to go with the reduced budget, and our beautiful parks and sites were falling into disrepair.

Soil conservation and state park operations may have seemed like the proverbial odd couple, until you examine their common but double-edged challenge. Both serve the entire population of the state of Missouri. Both encourage greater use of their respective natural resources. Yet both are required to protect those same resources from overuse, damage or potential depletion. Dividing the tax between the two efforts seemed to make the most sense.

A Citizens Committee for Soil, Water and State Parks was established in summer 1983. This group would be responsible for raising funds and gathering support for the sales tax that was placed on the August 1984 ballot as the Soils and Parks tax — Constitutional Amendment No. 2. How did the committee share information about the proposed amendment? You name it, they did it: brochures, displays, booths, fairs and festivals, billboards, yard signs, flyers, newspaper, radio and TV ads, stories and editorials, presentations to service clubs, civic groups, chambers of commerce, slide shows displayed at local movie theaters, bumper stickers, caps, t-shirts, mailings and special events. Marlin Perkins, host of the then-popular Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom television program, even agreed to be the honorary chairman of the committee and produced two public service announcements.

The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax was approved by Missouri voters in 1984 as a constitutional amendment, Article IV, Section 47(a).

Sun. Feb. 1, 2026

The Nominating Committee Wants YOU!

by Lottie Bushmann, President

Lottie Bushmann, CAS President, has appointed a Nominating Committee composed of Lisa Schenker who is chair, Nancy Bedan, and Bill Mees. This committee is charged with recruiting individuals who will serve on the Board of Directors of Columbia Audubon Society. The Board is composed of a President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer each serving a two year term. Also serving on the board are at least three “at large” board members each serving staggered three year terms.

The Board meets monthly September – May with occasional special meetings called by the President as circumstances require. Members of the Board must be a member of Columbia Audubon Society and have an interest in the ongoing activities of the Society as it endeavors to fulfill its mission: To preserve the natural world and its ecosystems focusing on birds, other wildlife, and the earth’s biological diversity through education, environmental study and habitat restoration and protection.

The Nominating Committee is inviting members of Columbia Audubon Society with an interest in serving on the Board of Directors to please contact Lisa Schenker (lisaschenker107 at gmail.com) by February 20th. Interested members can find the CAS bylaws on the website for information about the responsibilities of the various board positions. (https://www.columbia-audubon.org/columbia-audubon-society-bylaws/)

Thank you for considering this invitation to become a more active and involved CAS member. The nominating committee will present a slate of nominees at the March 18th CAS membership meeting.

Wed. Oct. 1, 2025

Background on a Growing Issue at Gans Creek Recreational Area

by David Diamond

Gans Creek Recreation Area Fact Sheet

Gans Creek Recreation Area shares a common border with Gans Creek Wild Area within Rock Bridge Memorial State Park. These public lands together form an important, core natural habitat that has been recognized by national and statewide organizations. No other City Park land is so ecologically important based on connectivity and landscape context.
1. The area is at the northeast edge of an Important Bird Area designated by the American Bird Conservancy and The Audubon Society.
2. The area is within a Conservation Opportunity Area designated by Missouri Department of Conservation.
3. Gans Creek is designated an Outstanding State Resource Water by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources immediately downstream within Gans Creek Wild Area.
The area contains natural features, including the creek, karst topography (cave and sinkholes), highly erodible soils, and steep slopes that are recognized as sensitive to development and disturbance by the City’s Natural Resource Inventory (2023) and Columbia Imagined (2013).
City plans in 2010 and 2018 included a 87.5-acre natural preservation area along Gans Creek and adjacent steep slopes, but these plans were ignored by the 2024 development plan.
Despite the area’s natural ecological significance and highly sensitive features, and in opposition to the City’s own 2010 and 2018 development plans, the City proposed a high density of mountain bike trails for development. Bike trails north of Gans Creek were approved for development in late 2024. A trail south of Gans Creek was put on hold by the City Council due to advocacy of environmental groups. That trail originally crossed Gans Creek, had switchbacks that crossed a steep upland drainage 4 times, and consisted of high density in sensitive uplands with karst features and highly erodible soils.
Mountain bike trail construction and use is inherently destructive to the environment compared to nature trail development, causing removal of native vegetation and increased levels of soil erosion and sedimentation of Gans Creek.
Development of mountain bike trails would effectively exclude other recreational users who favor a nature trail system due to competition between mountain bikers and hikers as has occurred in other communities with dual purpose trails.
Environmental groups propose to designate Gans Creek Nature Preserve (about 140 acres) within Gans Creek Recreation Area (about 320 acres) and limit development to uses that are compatible with the sensitive natural features, such as nature trails, and preserve and improve the core connectivity with Gans Creek Wild Area. Ecological restoration should be a focus of future management plans.

Tue. Apr. 1, 2025

Note from the President

by Lottie Bushmann

Spring has finally sprung! I love seeing the daffodils and crocuses, along with all the buds on the trees. Bird activity has certainly picked up, and the migrants are continuing to drop in. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for another migratory season of confusing and exhilarating bird song. Every year it takes me a few times to remember the migrants from last spring, but every year it comes back a little quicker. Don’t be daunted—pull out your Merlin and start hunting. You’re sure to find a jewel among the branches.

I hope that you’ll plan to make CAS events a part of your spring. We have a very different April general meeting. It will be held at Ellis Library, adjacent to the Museum of Art and Archaeology, where Dr. Alicia Dissinger will talk to us about her research into bird imagery on ancient pottery. We can test our skills with a visit into the museum immediately after her talk. She will be here on campus for two talks, and you’re invited to both! Check out the details (including where to park) on our website and in this month’s Chat.

We have fabulous field trip birding opportunities available as well, and I hope you can join us for one or all of them. Nothing improves birding skills quite like hanging out with an expert that can zero you in on the important details to notice. It’s also a great way to meet like-minded folks and perhaps meet a new friend that you might enjoy birding with.

We had a fantastic March meeting, with Isaac Breuer sharing with us all the native plant work they have done at the A. L. Gustin golf course on the MU campus. Plans are in the works for an evening field trip to bird the golf course with Isaac. Watch the Chat next month for details.

You may have noticed a lot of emails from Audubon asking for volunteers to help with invasives control at Wild Haven. We have a young man working with us (using funds from a donation for this purpose) and more folks makes for greater coverage. Wild Haven is a jewel of a property and looking better by the day. Thanks to all who’ve participated, and I want to encourage you to check it out if you’re so inclined.

Happy Spring! Hope to see you on the trail!

Mon. Mar. 3, 2025

Article with CAS Representing on the Big Business of Birding

by Allison Vaughn

Here’s a nice article several CAS members contributed to last year on the economic impact of birding:

https://www.missouribusinessalert.com/industries/booming-birding-business-spurs-spending-encourages-conservation-in-missouri/article_921f6230-e8c8-11ef-a458-3314da13ea2f.html

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