Conservation Federation of Missouri

MISSION To ensure conservation of Missouri’s wildlife and natural resources, and preservation of our state’s rich outdoor heritage through advocacy, education and partnerships. The Conservation Federation of Missouri is not a branch of state government or an entity of a public agency. CFM is a private organization made up of thousands of Missourians who work together to better our natural resources, and represents Missouri’s citizen conservationists. Actively involved in state and national issues that relate to conservation, the Federation has long been a prominent and effective voice before the Missouri general assembly, the Missouri Department of Conservation and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The members of CFM are the conscience of hunters, fishermen, foresters, campers, trappers, hikers, paddlers, birdwatchers and more. CFM speaks for sportsmen and sportswomen whenever and wherever it is necessary, to support our collective opinions on the future of Missouri outdoors. In fact, most of the conservation legislation in Missouri today exists, because of the federation’s strong advocacy work. HISTORY In 1935, sportsmen from throughout Missouri came together to form the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM). They organized with the purpose of taking conservation out of politics. Their initiative petition campaign resulted in the creation of the Missouri Department of Conservation, a non-political conservation agency that has been a model for other states. Since then, the Federation has undertaken many successful battles to ensure Missouri continues to be the leading state in conservation policies and funding. In 1976, CFM spearheaded successful passage of the conservation sales tax to create stable broadbased funding for Missouri’s forests, fauna and fish. Today CFM is the largest and most representative conservation group in Missouri. It is a citizen’s organization with 80 clubs and over 85,000 members. CFM is the Missouri affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. If you are interested in more information on the history of conservation in Missouri, you might find Man and Wildlife in Missouri by Charles Callison of interest. The book examines “how the people of Missouri used, abused and attempted to restore and manage their wildlife and forest resources” (Callison foreword). History In 1935, sportsmen from throughout Missouri came together to form the Conservation Federation of Missouri (CFM). They organized with the purpose of taking conservation out of politics. Their initiative petition campaign resulted in the creation of the Missouri Department of Conservation, a non-political conservation agency that has been a model for other states. Since then, the Federation has undertaken many successful battles to ensure Missouri continues to be the leading state in conservation policies and funding. In 1976, CFM spearheaded successful passage of the conservation sales tax to create stable broad-based funding for Missouri’s forests, fauna and fish. Today CFM is the largest and most representative conservation group in Missouri. It is a citizen’s organization with over 100 affiliate organizations and thousands of members. CFM is the Missouri affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation. If you are interested in more information on the history of conservation in Missouri, you might find Man and Wildlife in Missouri by Charles Callison of interest. The book examines “how the people of Missouri used, abused and attempted to restore and manage their wildlife and forest resources” (Callison foreword).