Conservation officials are seeking comments from the public concerning a relatively unknown natural gem, according to one wildlife biologist.
"Earthquake Hollow is a unique slice of the pie of what nature should look like," said Jeff Demand, wildlife biologist with the Missouri Department of Conservation. "This is a place where we concentrate on nothing but nature. Our fields will be overgrown. If it looks bad, it's probably good for nature."
The Missouri Department of Conservation recently released a tentative 10-year improvement plan for the area and are looking for public input. Demand said most of the Earthquake Hollow plan is focused on maintaining proper habitation for the animal life in the area.
"Our focus is to improve the habitat," he said. "Most of our plans are pretty comprehensive because it's difficult to pick one set direction. We're thinning the woods and cutting trees to improve the overall health of the wooded areas."
Demand said the unfamiliarity of the area might be due to its small footprint of 87 acres.
"It's very small," he said. "However, the area does offer wildflowers and a couple of neat glades. You get some unique plants and critters that use the site."
The 10-year plan tackles several projects at the conservation area, including controlled burnings, thinning the forests and providing more habitat for wildlife. One of the needed improvements concerns trash dumping in the area, which has become a problem, according to Stephen Kistner, a conservation agent with the department.
"The littering is bad," he said. "People dump pretty copious amounts of trash close to there. All conservation areas have issues with vandalism. Our big issue at Earthquake Hollow is trash being dumped."
People utilizing the area as a cheap garbage dump may be risking more than they realize, said Kistner.
"It depends on the situation," he said. "If they dump a lot of trash, it can be a class 2 dumping and result in a $1,000 fine. It can also affect your hunting and fishing privileges and result in a one-year revocation of hunting and fishing licenses."
Another issue is some visitors who trespass on private, neighboring properties, said Demand. The plan states the necessity of improved signage, fencing and communication with county residents.
"We do have a lot of trouble at Earthquake Hollow with people trespassing," he said. "The big rock formations near the area are on the neighboring property. We have it signed and fenced, but people still manage to trespass."
The desired outcome of all objectives in the plan is to improve the natural landscape available for people to enjoy, Demand added. Improvements, while subtle, will pique the interest of outdoor enthusiasts, he said.
"We don't necessarily have maintained trails," he said. "You have to be prepared for that. It's open woods. There are some really cool birds and mammals living in there. People who are geeked out about this stuff are going to say 'Whoa, this is cool!'"
The implementation of the plan comes at the same time as the Nov. 8 election when Missouri residents will vote to renew a 10-year sales tax which provides about $90 million annually to soil and water conservation and the state parks system.
Callaway County residents will be able to provide comments and input on the Earthquake Hollow 10-year plan until Oct. 31. To share comments, people can visit mdc.mo.gov/areaplans.
