CONSERVATION POLICY
Missouri Legislative Wins in 2021 Supporting policy that protects our planet
and other debris that can contribute to unnaturally intense wildfires. The Prescribed Burning Act (House Bill 369) sets a negligence standard as it relates to prescribed fire, which helps remove current barriers that individuals and contractors face when obtaining insurance coverage to utilize prescribed burning as a conservation land management tool. “Missouri was one of five states in the country that didn’t clearly define who has liability as it relates to prescribed burning,” says Holly. With near-unanimous support from both sides, the bill passed the Senate in a 31-2 vote and the House in a 150-1 vote. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Mike Bernskoetter, R-Jefferson City and Rep. Tim Taylor, R-Bunceton. Floodplains Beginning January 1, 2022, Senate Bill 22 will be put into action. Sponsored by Sen. Andrew Koenig, R-Manchester, this bill modifies
Missouri’s legislative session runs roughly 20 weeks from January through May. According to the Missouri Press Association, over 2,270 bills were filed during the 2021 legislative session, with 69 crossing the finish line to Governor Parson’s desk. Among those that were signed, were three priority bills for TNC, focused on prescribed fire, floodplains and renewable energy. “This was a big year for conservation in Missouri,” says Holly Neill, director of conservation policy. “We had three top priorities going into the session and we are thrilled that all three made it to the end.” Prescribed Burning For over 30 years, TNC has been using prescribed fire in Missouri to keep our forests and grasslands healthy. Fire is a natural event that has been shaping our landscape for thousands of years. It
plays an important role in the health of many habitats—and without fire, many plant and animal species would disappear. Beyond the ecological benefits of prescribed burns, they can also enhance community safety by reducing the buildup of dead wood
THIS PAGE TOP Governor Parson (left) signs the Prescribed Burning Act as TNC MO Trustee, Carl Freiling (4th from right) watches © Office of the Missouri Governor THIS PAGE BOTTOM Prescribed burn in the Ozarks © Tom Fielden
6 MISSOURI : ACTION AND IMPACT
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker