As the constituents of the 33rd Senatorial District read this column, Oregon County is in danger of losing significant personal property tax revenue. Using funds from a 2009 lead mining settlement to restore damaged lands, the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is making an effort to purchase the Frederick Creek Ranch – 2,500 acres of privately owned land, which would not be subject to personal property or real estate taxes. Already, the county loses out on collecting property taxes on one-third of its land because it is publicly owned, a fact that helps explain why Oregon County is among the poorest in the state. In this area, where school budgets only ever seem to shrink and families struggle daily to make ends meet, it is unacceptable for this transaction to take place without notice to, or input from residents, who will suffer if it loses out on property tax revenue from yet another large parcel of land.
There is no question that mining operations can strip vegetation and lead to erosion that results in the washing away of precious nutrients; and while rehabilitation of lead mining sites is important to establish new growth as quickly as possible, there is a question about the legitimacy of this particular purchase as Frederick Creek Ranch is not located in what has become known as the “Lead Belt,” and has not suffered any damages that can be attributed to lead mining because there has never been lead mining in the vicinity.
While the proposed acquisition of the land is upsetting to local small business owners, families, and two school districts, I am also deeply troubled that DNR officials want to make this purchase with no public discussion. The county seat of Oregon County is Afton, yet no public meeting was held there or anywhere in Oregon County. While a public meeting was held weeks ago in Reynolds County at another state park, affected counties were unaware of the meeting, public comment period, and the proposal itself until recently. Despite the hard work and dedication of state and local leaders, it has been hard to get any answers, or offer input in the Southeast Missouri Ozarks Regional Restoration Plan or the Draft Strategic Restoration Implementation Plan.
It is the belief of DNR officials that it is cheaper to buy new land than to rehab the existing, damaged land. The millions of dollars in settlement money designated for the Lead Belt contamination areas would best be spent there, revitalizing that land. The purchase of new lands, versus rehabilitating current state parks is also a concern. There is currently an estimated $400 million backlog for upkeep and upgrades to nearly 150,000 acres in more than 85 state parks and historical sites. With this $400 million backlog, why would DNR want to add 2,500 more acres of property they cannot take care of? It sounds to me like they are “loading up the wagon and not worrying about the mule”. In this case the mule is the hard-working taxpayers of the state of Missouri.
The bottom line is that not one resident of this area has supported the purchase of the Frederick Creek Ranch. No one was properly notified or given ample time to respond to a public comment period; even area leaders have been essentially denied the fair chance to speak with DNR decision makers about this matter. Oregon County cannot afford to have thousands more acres added to the existing 105,000-plus acres that have been forever removed from the economy when they were purchased by the federal government. I vehemently oppose the purchases of the land in Oregon County using funds earmarked for restoration in the Lead Belt. I oppose taking revenue from an area that has thousands and thousands of acres of designated park lands and struggles to sustain an economy that fosters growth and is simply unable to maintain services and allow families to prosper.
Oregon County Commissioners should be commended for taking charge in stopping this forceful action by DNR. U.S. Senator Roy Blunt, U.S. Congressman Jason Smith, myself, along with other state senators, state representatives and many local officials, have also been working hard to ensure local residents have a say. I believe it is time for the government to “back-off” and respect the local citizens in making this important decision.
I ask you to please join us in reaching out to DNR officials regarding this matter, as well as the governor, who will ultimately give final approval of this requisition of land. The governor’s office can be reached by calling (573) 751-3222, visiting his office in Room 216 of the Capitol or writing to P.O. Box 216, State Capitol, Jefferson City, Missouri 65102.
As always, I appreciate it when groups from around Missouri and from our community back home come to visit me at the Capitol. If you would like to arrange a time to come and visit me in Jefferson City, or if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact my Capitol office at (573) 751-1882. |
