Deanna Armstrong
Deanna Armstrong
Photo courtesy of the Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
Deanna Armstrong
Welcome to OzarksEnvironmentNews.com! This is your virtual bulletin board – a place to share information and celebrate your events, your accomplishments, your projects as well as a place to find info about organizations of like-minded folks, cool places to go to experience the outdoors at its best, and resources offering data, information, expertise. You are invited to share your news and enjoy the news of others! Got news? Report it to info@ozarksenvironmentnews.com Please note: we make every effort to ensure accuracy in our website; however, we cannot be responsible for info garnered from sites other than ours.
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
Forest ReLeaf of Missouri is a nonprofit tree organization located in St. Louis that grows, distributes and plants trees across the state. We are trying to get the word out about our free tree program called Project CommuniTree that provides 3-gallon MO native trees for planting projects on public and nonprofit land, such as parks, schools, churches, libraries and more! The program distributes over 10,000 trees to more than 250 partners every year and mobilizes more than 3,000 volunteers to participate in the tree planting process.
I've included a flyer ( click here for flyer) for our upcoming tree delivery to Republic on October 6th that can be posted in community spaces or shared digitally via a newsletter. If you know of anyone who could benefit from the program, please share!
Please note that spots for delivery will be taken on a first come, first serve basis.
Sincerely,
Renee' Benage, volunteer
If you have questions, please reach out to Rebecca Hankins - contact info below.
--Rebecca Hankins | Forest ReLeaf of Missouri
Partnership Manager
4642 Shenandoah Ave, St. Louis, MO 63110
Ph: 314-533-5323 | www.moreleaf.org
MU study shows $68 million generates $1.5 billion economic impact from Missouri’s
state park system
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, JULY 7, 2026 – A comprehensive economic impact analysis conducted by the University of Missouri revealed Missouri’s state park system is a powerhouse for the state’s economy, generating about $1.5 billion in total business sales and supporting nearly 12,000 jobs.
“We’ve always known Missouri’s 93 state parks and historic sites are a tremendous asset to the state,” said Missouri Department of Natural Resources Director Kurt Schaefer. “The system operates on a $68 million annual budget, but it obviously brings a much bigger economic benefit to Missouri citizens and our visitors. Tourism, outdoor recreation and cultural interpretation remain as popular today as they’ve ever been.”
The study, which surveyed visitors in state parks statewide and also analyzed Katy Trail State Park, underscored how outdoor recreation drives significant financial growth into local communities through retail, hospitality and ripple effects.
“Our state parks and historic sites do more than preserve Missouri’s natural beauty and history,” said Laura Hendrickson, director of Missouri State Parks. “This analysis shows that park visits, historic site tours or rides on the Katy Trail funnel visitor dollars directly into nearby restaurants, shops and lodging.”
When initial visitor spending is combined with purchases, such as hiking gear, camping supplies or outdoor apparel, and calculated against economic effects, the total footprint of Missouri’s approximately 20 million park visitors a year includes:
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$1.5 billion in total sales for Missouri businesses.
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$882.7 million added directly to the state’s Gross Domestic Product.
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$514.7 million produced in local labor and payroll income.
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11,890 jobs sustained across Missouri.
On an individual level, day-trippers spend an average of $46 to 67 per day, while overnight guests increase that spending to $64 to 148 per day during their stays.
The study gathered data to show a picture of who is using the parks and how they interact with neighboring towns.
For example, while 91% of visitors are Missouri residents, they are willing to travel for the experience. Nearly half (48%) traveled more than 60 miles to reach a park, while 23% traveled 30 to 60 miles, with 29% staying within a 30-mile radius.
As expected, summer is the peak season, with visitors averaging 23 park days annually. Day trips, averaging four hours, make up 57% of park use, while overnight trips account for 43% and average four days in length, with 90% of overnight users taking advantage of park campgrounds.
The most popular activities at parks include walking, running and hiking. Most visitors frequently venture out of the parks into neighboring communities to visit local shops and restaurants.
Survey responders reported public benefits, highly approving of the park system’s affordability, family-friendly atmosphere and its contribution to improving mental health, reducing stress and supporting the outdoors.
Spotlight on Katy Trail State Park
A secondary, dedicated analysis of Katy Trail State Park shows the trail is a major driver of regional tourism, with most users tending to be over 60 and college-educated.
In 2025, direct visitor impact on the Katy Trail reached $24.6 million, supporting 261 jobs and contributing $20.2 million to the state Gross Domestic Product. However, when factoring in the total household investments related to the trail, such as purchasing a bicycle or e-bike for trail use, the full economic footprint of the Katy Trail grows substantially.
Day users spend an average of $45 per day, mostly at local restaurants. Overnight visitors spend triple that amount, averaging $148 per day, with lodging being the largest single expense at $67 per night.
Bicycling, walking and running remain the top uses of the trail. Trail users average 25 days on the trail annually, peaking in summer and fall. Nonlocal visitors heavily patronize surround community businesses, including restaurants, historical attractions, shops and local wineries or breweries.
Missouri’s Division of State Parks receives no revenue from the Katy Trail. Funding to maintain the trail comes from the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.
About the study
The data was collected via comprehensive surveys managed by University of Missouri researchers in cooperation with Missouri’s Division of State Parks to assess direct visitor expenditure and secondary economic impacts using recognized economic modeling metrics.
The primary source of funding for Missouri’s state park system is half of the dedicated constitutional tax of one-tenth-of-one-percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax provides about three-fourths of the budget for operation and development of state parks. All additional funding for Missouri's Division of State Parks comes from revenues generated in the state park system and some federal funds.
A link to MU’s study is available on Missouri’s Division of State Parks website: Facts and Figures | Missouri State Parks.
For more information on state parks and historic sites, visit mostateparks.com.
The Division of State Parks is part of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.
The 2026 Keep America Beautiful National Litter Study is now available for download, with the latest look at litter across America’s roadways, waterways, and — for the first time — coastal areas.
Explore where we’re making progress, where new concerns are emerging, and how communities and partners can turn these insights into action.
Download the Keep America Beautiful 2026 National Litter Study
Thank you for being part of this work — and for helping keep America clean, green, and beautiful.
Let’s do beautiful things!
Jennifer Lawson
President & CEO
Keep America Beautiful
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
EPA Approves Missouri’s 2024-2026 303(d) List of Impaired Water Bodies
On May 29, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took action on Missouri’s combined 2024-2026 303(d) List of Impaired Waters. In their decision, EPA approved all listings and delistings as approved by Missouri’s Clean Water Commission.
EPA’s approval letter and decision document as well as the final Missouri EPA approved 303(d) list are available on the Department’s Impaired Waters website.
The Department appreciates stakeholder involvement and the comments provided. Questions concerning this matter should be directed to Robert Voss by phone at 573-522-4505, by email at robert.voss@dnr.mo.gov, or by mail at Department of Natural Resources, Water Protection Program, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102. Thank you.
James River Basin Partnership
Recycling Education and Outreach Round 2 RFA for Subawards is Open!
Please share with your networks. On Monday, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) launched an RFA to prevent household food waste. This effort is part of the National Household Wasted Food Prevention Project (NHWFPP). Two subaward grant opportunities are now available:
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Innovator Grants ($75K–$300K): Support focused creative, locally tailored strategies to motivate target audiences to prevent wasted food.
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Catalyst Grants ($300K–$750K): Support larger-scale projects to implement household wasted food prevention strategies across a variety of communities.
Eligible applicants include nonprofits, tribal and local governments, U.S. territories and states, and higher education institutions.
Applications are due by September 1, 2026. For more information, you can visit the landing page (grants.endingwastedfood.org) and join the info webinar on Thursday, May 28, 2-3 PM ET - tinyurl.com/RFAwebinarEWF. Also see the one-pager attached to this email. Any questions not answered in these materials can be submitted to this email address: EWF.rfa@wwfus.org.
We apologize in advance for duplicate emails! Please help us spread this announcement!
Gayle Hubert
Environmental Scientist
Brownfields Reuse and Redevelopment Branch
US Environmental Protection Agency, Region 7
11201 Renner Blvd
Lenexa, KS 66219
Hubert.gayle@epa.gov Phone: 913-551-7439
✳️ Sign up to Stay Connected and receive updates about EPA’s efforts on recycling, reducing food loss and waste, and supporting a circular economy for all.
✳️ Explore waste prevention, reuse, and recycling programs nationwide with EPA’s Managing and Transforming Waste Streams Tool for Communities.
Please share the link below with individuals you think would be interested in learning about a job opening with the Missouri Prairie Foundation for its Grow Native! Special Projects Coordinator position: https://grownative.org/2026/06/29/job-announcement-grow-native-special-projects-coordinator/
Thank you!
Sincerely,
Carol Davit
Executive Director
Missouri Prairie Foundation & Chair, Missouri Invasive Plant Council
P.O. Box 200
Columbia, MO 65205
carol@moprairie.org
cell: 573-356-7828
Missouri Department of Conservation
Ozarks Clean Fuels Coalition
Watershed Committee of the Ozarks
Solid Waste Management District O
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.
Missouri Environmental Education Association (MEEA)
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
(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.
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
Children and Nature Network
Springfield Community Resource Guide
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)
Staples https://www.staples.com/stores/recycling
Missouri Product Stewardship Council (MP PSC)
Check out their informational flyer HERE
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.
