Conservation

The Dust Bowl led to the creation of what is now called the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Just as it celebrates a major milestone, the agency is dealing with job losses, massive proposed budget cuts and talk of consolidation.

The Conservation Reserve Program incentivizes farmers to take environmentally sensitive land out of production. Project 2025 says the Trump administration should champion its elimination.

Dry conditions and high winds have led to wildfires across Missouri. So far, there have been no reported injuries, but structures and vehicles have burned.

A federal freeze on certain USDA programs has held up billions of dollars for conservation and caused layoffs at a nonprofit in Iowa that supports soil and water quality.

After a historically warm winter last year canceled several events, Michigan’s sturgeon season came back in full swing earlier this month. It broke records with the most participants and the fastest timing, for what’s already known as the shortest fishing season in the state.

The monarch butterfly population continues to shrink due to factors such as climate change. People working to help the species say proposed federal protections could boost existing efforts.

The University of Missouri Extension and the Department of Conservation are enlisting landowners to plant and care for white oak seedlings. The tree species is essential for wildlife and industry, but it's struggling under climate change.

Many Midwest states and outdoor organizations are now trying to reach groups that haven’t historically participated in hunting — including women. But while women make up about a third of new hunters, many face barriers to break into and continue with the sport.

Since 1990, the St. Louis Zoo has played an instrumental role in bringing Tahitian snails back from the brink of extinction.

A grant from the Missouri Department of Conservation helped local educators create a grassland prairie for students to learn about conservation at an Oakville elementary school.

Artificial floating wetlands naturally filter water from contaminants and excess nutrients. There are about a dozen in the state, and the Missouri Department of Conservation wants to add more.

Decades of data show nitrate levels in rivers often drop during dry years and spike when rain returns. Experts say more conservation practices in and around farm fields could help smooth out the sharp peaks to protect drinking water and downstream impacts.