Photo courtesy of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
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The mission of OzarksEnvironmentNews.com is to facilitate communication and to celebrate efforts and accomplishments among the environmental community of the Southwest Missouri Ozarks and to provide useful information to those who live in or visit the Region. Learn more...
Breaking News
January 2026
Paint Stewardship Legislation SB917 and HB2162
Aims to Give Missourians Convenient,
Safe Options to Return Leftover Paint. See Flyer here
Paint stewardship legislation being proposed in Missouri would provide consumers with greater access to safely and conveniently return leftover paint.
Since municipalities and household hazardous waste (HHW) collection programs cannot feasibly manage the estimated 1.3 million gallons of paint that go unused statewide each year, consumers are left with the responsibility to store and dispose of leftover paint with little to no options.
The paint stewardship program, active in 13 states, puts the responsibility for end-of-life management of paint on the paint industry, thereby reducing the burden on consumers while helping to protect Missouri’s waterways and wildlife from improper paint disposal.
The program works by requiring paint manufacturers to create a stewardship organization to set up and operate a convenient, statewide system for the collection of post-consumer paint. SB917 and HB2162 to establish PaintCare in Missouri were filed in December.
Endorsed by paint manufacturers, the Missouri Association of Counties, and the Missouri Municipal League, the bi-partisan paint stewardship legislation offers a responsible, cost-effective solution for Missouri to manage leftover paint and lessen the burden on consumers and local governments. Visit https://missouripsc.org/paint/ to learn more.
Contact:
Nadja Karpilow
Chairperson, Paint Workgroup
Missouri Product Stewardship Council
karpilow@marc.org - 816-701-8226
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Our new OCFC website is up and running at: https://www.ozarkscleanfuels.com/​​
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks​
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Solid Waste Management District O
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EPA ​
​Please visit and bookmark the EPA Grants Webinars page where you will find tips for preparing for EPA webinars, presentation materials, helpful resources, and webinar recordings. We also invite you to visit and bookmark the Community Library of Frequently Asked Questions to find answers to questions about EPA grants that were asked by previous webinar participants.
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Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA) ​
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​​James River Basin Partnership
​2024 Annual Report​
L-A-D Foundation
Incorporated in 1962, the L-A-D Foundation is a Missouri private operating foundation dedicated to the responsible management of Pioneer Forest as a working demonstration of renewable resource use compatible with the long-term carrying capacity and health of the land and water. The Foundation also acquires and preserves in the public interest outstanding areas of natural, geologic, cultural or historic interest. In addition, the Foundation provides support to various projects consistent with its conservation goals, with a particular focus on the Missouri Ozark region.
2024 Annual Report
​Missouri Department of Natural Resources
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Missouri Prairie Foundation
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Ozark Society
(see flyer, click here)
The Ozark Society is a non-profit organization established in Arkansas in 1962 to protect the Buffalo
River and its surrounding wilderness area from development, thus allowing it to remain a free-flowing
and scenic river. Today, the Ozark Society continues to advocate for conservation of natural resources,
preservation of scenic places, and environmental education.​
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SW Missouri Local Government Briefings​​​
Missouri Butterflies, host plants and Caterpillars
Go here to see a great poster of common butterflies and their caterpillars!
Watershed Center of the Ozarks
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Children and Nature Network
Springfield Community Resource Guide​
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Read to find out how to subscribe and see what events are coming up. Learn about composting, free workshops and more! Click HERE.
The Ozarks Clean Air Alliance (OCAA) Go HERE to find out more. and the Clean Air Action Plan
The Schoolcraft Ozarks Society
Dark Sky Missouri (Click here for more information)
​​ Check out what can be recycled at Staples. https://www.staples.com/stores/recycling
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Missouri Department of Conservation
Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MP PSC)
Check out their informational flyer HERE
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Meet your webmaster, Shae Johnson. She is a Springfield Plateau Master Naturalist, a Greene County Master Gardener, a docent at the Dr. Bill Roston Native Butterfly House, and she wears many other hats. She is also an artist.
Meet the owner of this website. Barbara Lucks has developed it as a central place
for patrons to find all sorts of environment related news and opportunities.
