Bates County Soil and Water Conservation District

08/17/2026

If interested in following field day, please register at
https://bit.ly/4ojppob

08/05/2026

Missouri Department of Natural Resources thanks voters for their support of Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax

Department looks to the future for state parks, historic sites, soil and water conservation

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, AUGUST 4, 2026 -- The Missouri Department of Natural Resources would like to thank Missouri voters for their continued support of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.

“We are very honored Missouri voters demonstrated their confidence in the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to protect their state parks, historic sites, water quality and soil resources,” said Kurt Schaefer, director of the department. “Because the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax sunsets every 10 years, voters are familiar with it and understand how the money is spent. I would like to extend our thanks to the voters and the numerous supporters and partners as well as to Governor Mike Kehoe for supporting the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.”

The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is a statewide one-tenth of 1% sales tax providing dedicated funding for Missouri’s 93 state parks and historic sites and soil and water conservation efforts. The revenue generated by the sales tax is split equally, with half going to support Missouri state parks and historic sites, and half going to soil and water conservation practices.

“As a proud first-generation farmer and supporter of Missouri’s state parks and historic sites, I appreciate Missourians’ continued backing of this important investment,” said Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe. “Supporting state parks and soil conservation through funding that is not subject to the ups and downs of general revenue benefits all Missourians. Thank you to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources and the many agriculture and conservation partners for their work in advocating for this extension of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.”

Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax generates $136 million annually. Missourians benefit from the sales tax in a number of ways.

Missouri is one of only eight states that allows free access into its 93 state parks and historic sites. More than 20 million people, including 1.3 million overnight guests, visit Missouri’s state park system annually. The system, routinely ranked among the top four in the country, consistently receives a 96% approval rating from guests.

A recent 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. The system operates on a $68 million annual budget but 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.

Also, thanks to the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax, the state has saved 195 million tons of soil from eroding off Missouri farmland since 1984. A portion of the tax is used for Missouri landowners to install soil and water conservation practices through the state cost-share program. Through fiscal year 2025, Missouri farmers implemented almost 295,000 conservation practices for cropland, hayland, pastureland and woodlands. These practices were supported by more than $1 billion from the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax since 1984.

“Now that we have the assurance to move forward to completion, we are setting our sights forward to the next 10 years,” said Schaefer. “Our vision is a future where Missouri’s natural and cultural resources only continue to improve over the next decade, thanks to the passage of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax.”

For MoDNR’s Division of State Parks, the next 10 years will include:

Completing 28 revenue bond projects across 22 state parks in 21 counties.
Completing $15 million in capital improvement projects, including Montauk State Park campground loop 5, renovating lodging units at Thousand Hills and Bennett Spring state parks and the museum gallery renovation at Missouri Mines State Historic Site.
Opening Shepherd of the Hills and Eleven Point State Parks to public use.
Celebrating 100-year anniversaries at Roaring River, Meramec and Washington state parks.
Continuing its focus on public safety by installing additional storm warning sirens in campgrounds across the state.
Upgrading playgrounds across the state to expand play opportunities to encourage younger generations to enjoy the great outdoors.
Also looking forward, MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program is committed to furthering the department’s mission of stewardship. The program will continue to provide Missouri farmers the tools they need to sustain the productive power of agricultural land. This will help landowners continue to provide fuel, food and fiber while enhancing water quality for the benefit of all current and future Missourians. Program goals include:

Advancing innovative conservation solutions through ongoing research and monitoring partnerships with Lincoln University, the University of Missouri-Columbia, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the Missouri Corn Grower Association and the Missouri Soybean Association.
Continuing to evaluate practices that improve farmers’ resilience to drought and floods.
Increasing state and local capacity for technical assistance, reducing reliance on federal inputs.
Streamlining processes to get conservation practices on the ground faster.
First passed in 1984, Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax requires voter approval every 10 years. It would have expired in 2028 if voters had not renewed it this year.

More information is available at Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax | Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

07/27/2026

Have you thought of using prescribed fire to manage your property? There are 3 opportunities coming up in August to learn the functions and benefits of a Prescribed Burn Association (PBA). If you plan on attending one of these events, please be sure to register.

07/27/2026

What is the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax?

• The Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is a statewide one-tenth of 1% sales tax providing dedicated funding for Missouri’s 93 state parks and historic sites and soil and water conservation efforts.

• The revenue generated by the sales tax are split equally, with half going to support Missouri state parks and historic sites, and half going to soil and water conservation practices.

• State parks and soil conservation benefit all Missourians: Both encourage greater stewardship of their respective natural resources, avoiding overuse, damage or potential depletion.

• The Missouri Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax funds allow for free entry and funds operations at 93 state park and historic sites including maintenance, development and restoration.

• Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax also supports conservation practices with the Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Districts for landowners to reduce erosion and improve water quality through cost-sharing programs.

• First passed in 1984, Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax requires voter approval every 10 years. (It will expire in 2028 if it is not renewed in 2026.)

Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax | Missouri Department of Natural Resources Jan.16, 2026

07/24/2026

07/24/2026

Who are we?

History of Soil and Water Conservation

In the 1930s, Americans realized how devastating soil erosion could be as the Dust Bowl swept across the nation, relocating an estimated 300 million tons of soil. Missouri had one of the highest rate of erosion in the nation, which led to the creation of the Missouri soil and water conservation districts in 1944.

After some of the dust blew clear to Washington, D.C., dimming the sun, Hugh Hammond Bennett of the Soil Erosion Service sold President Franklin Roosevelt and Congress on the idea that something had to be done on a national scale. The Soil Conservation Service (now the Natural Resources Conservation Service) was later created in the U.S. Department of Agriculture April 27, 1935. In 1943 legislation authorizing the formation of the Soil and Water Districts Commission and Soil and Water Conservation Districts was passed in Missouri. In 1944 the first 14 districts were organized including Boone, Callaway, Cape Girardeau, Clark, Clay, Daviess, DeKalb, Franklin, Harrison, Gentry, Johnson, St. Charles, Shelby and Worth counties. All of Missouri’s 114 counties would organize districts, many of them during the 1960s.

The Soil and Water Districts Commission develops the policies and general programs for saving the soil and water by the soil and water conservation districts. In 1974, the commission was moved into the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. It now works with the department’s Soil and Water Conservation Program, to assist the 114 local soil and water conservation districts as they promote voluntary soil and water conservation. The districts provide financial incentives, technical assistance and education to agricultural landowners and operators, working with state and federal conservation partners.

Missouri citizens have shown strong support for soil and water conservation and state parks by passing a one-tenth-of-one percent Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. The tax was first approved by voters in 1984 and has since been reapproved by two-thirds of Missouri voters in 1988, 1996, 2006 and 2016.

07/16/2026

Soil and Water Conservation Program distributes nearly $45 million to Missouri landowners
Release Date
Tuesday, July 14, 2026
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, July 14, 2026 – The Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Soil and Water Conservation Program provided nearly $45 million to Missouri landowners in fiscal year 2026, saving more than 924,000 tons of soil. Since the first passage of the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax in 1984, this funding source has allowed Missouri to prevent more than 195 million tons of soil erosion while also improving the state’s water quality and keeping farmland productive.
“These results show Missouri continues to be at the national forefront when it comes to investing in our farms and agricultural community to make a positive difference,” said Jim Plassmeyer, director of the Soil and Water Conservation Program. “Accomplishing this goal was the hard work of our commissioners, program staff, the 114 soil and water conservation districts and our federal partners at the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.”
During the 2026 fiscal year, nearly $45 million in funding provided a total of 5,736 cost-share contracts to agricultural landowners implementing soil and water conservation efforts on their land. This included 2,511 cover crop contracts addressing 148,000 acres, 455 terrace contracts saving 330,000 tons of soil, 37,000 grazing acres managed through rotation grazing and protecting 21 miles of streams through livestock exclusions and streambank stabilization projects. The remaining $24 million of the $68 million provided by the Parks, Soils and Water Sale Tax supports local soil and water conservation district operations, technical assistance, program administration, research, conservation monitoring and other essential services to deliver the program statewide.
MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program receives funding from the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax to assist farmers and landowners. Each year the program provides partial financial assistance for construction of management practices that aid in the prevention or control of excessive erosion and improvement of water quality. Each of Missouri’s 114 county-level soil and water conservation districts additionally provide hands-on technical assistance, education and best practices for their local agricultural landowners and operators.
Visit Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax to learn more about the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax. You can also visit Mo Soil and Water to find your county’s soil and water conservation district or learn more about MoDNR’s Soil and Water Conservation Program at Missouri Geological Survey Soil and Water Conservation Program.
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Contact Information
Communications Office
Address
Department of Natural Resources
P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102
United States
Main
573-751-1010
Toll-free
800-361-4827
Email
[email protected]

07/14/2026

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07/02/2026

The Parks, Soils & Water Sales Tax has been around since 1984, passed by voters every 10 years and is viewed as a model for soil conservation and water quality improvements from continued degradation. This funding is critical in protecting our soil resources and improving water quality. The tax has helped to stop more than 193 million tons of soil from eroding and has implemented more than 288,000 structural & management conservation practices on cropland, pasture land, hay land & woodlands. This tax helps to not only educate landowners, but offers technical assistance for concerns they have on their farm, and financial incentives to help offset costs in implementing practices that improve water quality, water infiltration, reduce water runoff, retain valuable topsoil & improve soil health and forage production. Our programs are voluntary and are available to assist any ag producer even if it is just technical in nature. Practices are designed to address the resource concerns while long term, it helps the bottom line for the producers in their operations. The natural resources that agriculture depends on is our soil and water - period.

07/02/2026