NWTF Missouri Commits $240K to Mission Delivery in 2024

EDGEFIELD, S.C. — The NWTF Missouri State Chapter recently met in Columbia to review Hunting Heritage Super Fund project proposals for the 2024 Fiscal Year. After the reviewing and ranking process, the Missouri State Chapter approved $240,000 to mission-related activities across the Show Me State, including $162,092 for priority conservation projects and $77,908 for hunting-heritage-related projects, such as education and outreach events, chapter scholarships, 4H Shooting Sports, mentored hunts and more.

NWTF awarded funding will be matched with almost $740,571 in partner funds for the approved projects in Missouri.

“Our volunteers in Missouri are steadfast in both raising funds for the mission and delivering the mission,” said John Burk, NWTF district biologist for Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. “Through our volunteers and dedicated partners, we are addressing some of the biggest conservation challenges in our state while also ensuring future generations get the opportunity to enjoy our natural resources.”

The Super Fund is a funding model where NWTF volunteers raise money at banquets and other types of fundraisers and then allocate a significant portion of those funds back into meaningful conservation and outreach projects in their respective states. For Missouri 2024 Super Fund allocations, projects include:

$56,000 as an unrestricted gift to the conservation program for use in Missouri. 

$30,000 to the Missouri Department of Conservation to develop a video series on the importance and creation of brood-rearing habitat as part of the Turkey Habitat Initiative.

Partners: MDC

$13,000 to purchase no-till drills for Bates, Cape Girardeau and Randolph counties. 

Partners: Soil, Water and Conservation Districts in each county

$13,100 to provide equipment to a five-person habitat strike team that will be targeting MDC priority geographies in central Missouri.

Partners: Quail and Pheasants Forever, MDC

$10,000 to conduct nonnative invasive species control on the Mark Twain National Forest.

Partners: USFS

$10,000 to provide cost-share assistance, primarily for control burns, timber stand improvement and native warm-season grass conversion on private land in northeast Missouri.

Partners: United States Fish and Wildlife Service and MDC

$10,000 to provide the Missouri Prescribed Burn Association with funding to cover operating expenses, member training reimbursements and funding for PBA equipment grants.

Partners: MPFC, MDC

$8,169 to assist with an equipment purchase for the Upper Meramec PBA.

Partners: Upper Meramec PBA

$4,435 to assist with installation costs of Clearfield sunflowers for mentored dove hunting program.

Partners: Conservation Federation of Missouri and Friends of the National Rifle Association

$2,888 to assist with purchasing equipment needed to treat invasive species on public and private land.

Partners: Scenic Rivers Invasive Species Partnership, Missouri Prairie Foundation

$2,500 Native Warm Season Grass restoration at the Mark Twain Lake.

Partners: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

$2,000 to assist with the purchase of a firing torch to conduct control burns in the Bryant Creek District of the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Partners: MDC

The announcement of the 2024 projects in Missouri come on the heels of a laser-focused 2023 Fiscal Year for the NWTF in the Show Me State, including 96,528 acres conserved or enhanced through active conservation projects from August 2022 to August 2023.

About the National Wild Turkey Federation

Since 1973, the National Wild Turkey Federation has invested over half a billion dollars into wildlife conservation and has conserved or enhanced over 22 million acres of critical wildlife habitat. The organization continues to drive wildlife conservation, forest resiliency and robust recreational opportunities throughout the U.S. by working across boundaries on a landscape scale.

2023 is the NWTF’s 50th anniversary and an opportunity to propel the organization’s mission into the future while honoring its rich history. For its 50th anniversary, the NWTF has set six ambitious goals: positively impact 1 million acres of wildlife habitat; raise $500,000 for wild turkey research; increase membership to 250,000 members; dedicate $1 million to education and outreach programs; raise $5 million to invest in technology and NWTF’s people; and raise $5 million to build toward a $50 million endowment for the future.  Learn how you can help us reach these lofty goals.