Most of the 15,000 miles of streams in the Northwest Region have suffered extensive channelization, unrestricted livestock access and sedimentation. Streams considered good prospects for rehabilitation have been identified. Select streams needing additional frontage and access sites have also been noted. The Conservation Department is targeting development to increase recreational opportunities on Department of Conservation lands. Natural areas are lands designated as the best examples of biological communities in the state, permanently protected and managed for the purpose of preserving their natural qualities.
Examples are prairie, marsh, bottomland forest and savanna.
These communities may serve as the core for restoration of a large area and are prime sites for the education of school and youth groups. In intensely agricultural northwest Missouri, biological communities that qualify as natural areas should be identified and conserved. Over 98 percent of the land in the Northwest Region is in private ownership. The future of the region to support a healthy environment for fish, wildlife and forests belongs to private land owners. The Conservation Department hopes to continue to work closely with landowners who wish to improve fish, wildlife and forest resources on their land.