Natural Resource Trustees Agencies Seek Public Comment on Proposed Restoration Projects in Southeast Missouri.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, acting as trustees for the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration, are seeking public input on a draft restoration plan for the Big River in St. Francois and Southwest Jefferson counties. The agencies invite the public to informational meetings to learn about the trustees’ proposed natural resource restoration projects in the Big River watershed. The meetings will be held from 6-7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in the Sarah Barton Murphy Community Room at the Farmington Public Library at 101 N. A Street, Farmington, Missouri, 63640, and Thursday, June 26, 2025, at High Ridge Fire District, 2842 High Ridge Blvd., High Ridge, Missouri, 63049.
Agency representatives will be on hand to discuss proposed restoration projects described in the draft Big River Stream and Riparian Restoration Plan and Environmental Assessment, which will be available beginning June 19, 2025, at the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining Sites Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration website. The proposed projects include stream and riparian restoration through stabilization of eroding stream banks, reforestation of riparian habitats, sediment removal, dam modification and land protections in the Big River watershed. These projects will benefit surface water, stream sediments, benthic organisms and their supporting ecosystems. Funding for the proposed restoration projects comes from a settlement with ASARCO, LLC for natural resource damages associated with the release of hazardous substances at the Federal Mine and Mill Complex in St. Francois County.
Public participation is an important part of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process. The trustees encourage Public comments and input on the draft restoration plan, which may be submitted by email to leslie_lueckenhoff@fws.gov or by mail to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 101 Park DeVille Dr., Suite A, Columbia, MO 65203, Attn: Leslie Lueckenhoff. The public comment period begins June 19, 2025, and ends July 19, 2025.
St. Francois and Southwest Jefferson counties are part of the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District. The Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District spans multiple counties from 40 to 90 miles south-southwest of St. Louis, Missouri, and is in the Big River, Black River and St. Francis River watersheds. It is one of the largest lead-producing regions of the world.