'I'm never going to give up hope, ever': MDC Director Sara Parker Pauley speaks about 'mission' after announcing retirement

Jan. 5—JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Sara Parker Pauley said she's proud of the accomplishments of the Missouri Department of Conservation during her seven-plus-year tenure as director, and in a recent interview discussed highlights in Southwest Missouri and future challenges as well.

Pauley, who started as director in November 2016, announced on Wednesday that she will retire effective July 1 after a 30-year career in public service. She started as a policy director at MDC and ended being the first woman to head up the agency.

"I still have several months to serve, but it certainly will help with the transition and I really appreciate the commission's strong support," Pauley said in an interview Thursday. "I'm excited about the next chapter as much as I will miss this current role and the conservation family for sure."

Pauley talked about some of MDC's accomplishments in Southwest Missouri during her tenure.

Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center

About a year after her appointment, in November 2017, the National Audubon Society announced that it was withdrawing from its partnership with the city of Joplin and MDC at what was then called the Wildcat Glades Conservation and Audubon Center in Wildcat Park. It was just a month after the center celebrated its 10th year of operation.

Pauley said the department faced a difficult decision, given that it was already responsible for maintenance and upkeep for hundreds of facilities across the state.

"The considerations that go into that, first of all, the Department of Conservation has a whole lot of infrastructure that we are trying to take care of around the state, probably $2 billion in assets around the state," Pauley said. "So the question was, does the department take it over? We're taking on additional infrastructure and the long-term operating and maintenance costs and staffing costs. A lot of people want us to buy land, or can you put in a new trail, or can you put in a new structure or nature center here and there. All of those ideas are wonderful until you look at the overall portfolio and just taking care of what we own now."

Pauley said the decision to move forward with the renamed Shoal Creek Conservation Education Center was based on community and partner support from the city and what is now the Wildcat Glades Nature Group, and others.

"We certainly have the nature center in Springfield and the new education center coming on at Shepherd of the Hills (in Branson) but we knew there was a lot of strong public support for that center in Joplin," she said. "... And when partners come on board and advocate for and show they're really willing to help us partner on something like that, that means a lot in that decision making."

The center reopened in 2019 under its new name after a little more than a year of repairs and improvements to the building and a redesign of the center's exhibits and interior.

Pauley said, "I still remember going to that ribbon-cutting and just all of the local partners that showed up for that ribbon-cutting meant a lot, and I think said a lot for what a center like that meant for the community."

Roaring River Fish Hatchery

Another major accomplishment was a $2 million renovation and upgrade to the Roaring River Fish Hatchery at Roaring River State Park in Cassville. The park, operated by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, is the most popular in the state, and drew nearly 2 million visitors in 2022. (Last year's visitation numbers have not been released).

Pauley said it was the first in a decadelong investment in state hatcheries.

"Any time you're dealing with infrastructure where Mother Nature can give you a drought, then a flood, then a drought, then a flood, it's complicated," Pauley said. "Sometimes folks are like, isn't doing a major renovation, isn't that just like building a building? We just have to say it's nothing like that when you're trying to build infrastructure in a floodplain or just something as nature-dependent as hatchery systems — there are always going to be things that create delays so we did finally finish that project in 2020."

She said the upgraded technology and more modern systems make the hatchery safer for workers to operate and improve the quality of water for the fish.

"We know how important trout fishing is to not only Missourians but a lot of people from out of state that enjoy our trout parks," Pauley said. "There's really nothing like it anywhere else in the country where two agencies are partnering together to really provide these unique opportunities and families have been going to the same trout park year after year."

Pauley said work is continuing at the hatchery at Bennett Spring State Park and after that's finished, work will start on the hatchery at Montauk State Park — all part of a $100 million investment in hatcheries across Missouri.

Other projects

Pauley said the Schell-Osage Conservation Area in Vernon County is also in the midst of a major renovation as part of MDC's Golden Anniversary Wetlands Initiative, which was an effort with Ducks Unlimited to improve the state's oldest wetland management areas.

The $6.4 million upgrade will include new pumps and redesigning and rebuilding wetland areas, levies and more.

"We're excited about that rebuild because our wetland engineers were really focusing on the natural hydrology," Pauley said. "The area is impacted by the fluctuations in water levels at Truman Reservoir. We're grateful for that water source but just the fluctuation has made maintaining infrastructure there very challenging. The area is also impacted by Mother Nature's cycle of drought and floods, which makes it more difficult to maintain."

Pauley said Schell Lake, a major fishing lake in the area, will be renovated as part of the project.

"I know that is a huge asset for nearby communities and people absolutely love to fish there," she said. "This project ultimately will mean more water depth, diversity, which means it will enhance fishery habitat. There will be an improved boat ramp and jetties as well.

"If you look at the department's budget, we spend a big chunk of our budget on hatcheries and on our intensively managed wetlands like Schell-Osage. They are important, we want to continue to provide those opportunities well into the future for trout anglers, for waterfowl hunters, for birders for others."

Pauley also talked about the project to reconstruct the Shepherd of the Hills Conservation and Education Center in Branson. That $6.7 million project started last April and the center will reopen sometime in 2025 with a visitors center that's twice as big as the original.

"That's moving along quite nicely," Pauley said. "It's amazing to think we have over 200,000 visitors there a year in a pretty small area, so just the fact we'll be able to double it and really enhance the exhibits and programs, we're really excited about that."

Challenges

Pauley said challenges will remain for the director who follows.

Chronic wasting disease is affecting the deer-population in Missouri, although she said the number of cases is still low.

The discovery of CWD in deer in Barton County meant Jasper County became part of a management zone for the deer disease last fall. And that meant different rules for hunters, including mandatory sampling. No deer have tested positive for chronic wasting disease in Jasper County, but nine tested positive the year before in Barton County.

"The reason we're so aggressive in at least trying to slow the spread of it is because we don't know what scientists are working on, a variety of tools to either inoculate, some sort of vaccine, or other method to mitigate for the disease," Pauley said. "So can we keep it enough at bay or slow the spread enough until some solutions are found? Our goal is to be as aggressive as it takes, and it takes really the entire MDC team between all the research, all the mandatory sampling, all the winter operations where we're trying to reduce deer populations in those very immediate areas where we find CWD positives"

Pauley said she knows the disease is going to spread, but the goal is to keep the number of cases as low as possible and wait for a solution that will help reduce or remove the disease entirely.

Another disappointment was the failure of Congress to pass the federal Recovering America's Wildlife Act in 2021 before then-U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt retired. Pauley had gone to Washington, D.C., to testify for the measure, and made a visit to Jasper County with Blunt in 2021 to advocate for the bill. RAWA would have dedicated $1.4 billion annually nationwide — more than $20 million for Missouri — to local and voluntary efforts to protect species of conservation concern. Blunt previously said it "will be among the largest, most significant investments in wildlife and habitat conservation."

It is supported by more than 1,500 organizations representing state fish and wildlife agencies, sportsmen and women, conservation groups, environmental activists, and industry associations and businesses.

U.S. Sens. Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., and Thom Tillis, R-N.C., reintroduced the bill in 2023.

"It may not happen in this congressional cycle but I guarantee, we've been working for 20 years on a version of RAWA and it's too important," Pauley said. "About 12,000 species are on the list of species in decline; Missouri has almost 700 species on our list in decline. There's simply not an option; we've got to figure out a fix and resources for state agencies to slow down the decline. I'm never going to give up hope, ever."