The Municipal Farm Action Area features critical wildlife habitat and opportunities to learn about wetlands. With support from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Heartland Conservation Alliance is restoring 21 acres of land which is helping raise the grade for the Blue River Report Card.
The Municipal Farm is located on the bank of the Blue River east of the Brush Creek confluence, and has been owned by the City of Kansas City, Missouri since 1911. The Farm benefits from its close proximity to important regional amenities and natural resources. In this Action Area, the Blue River has been altered by the US Army Corps of Engineers to control flooding. The Municipal Farm, owned by the City of Kansas City, Mo., is surrounded by industry and residential neighborhoods, and has been overgrown with invasive species, resulting in a monoculture of understory species displacing native wildlife.
The goal is to create a healthy cross-section of aquatic and terrestrial habitat types in close proximity, supporting a diverse wildlife community across seasons and life stages.
HCA continues to work with staff and our partners to publish an updated Blue River Report Card. The committees are led by Courtney Masterson, Native Lands LLC, and are working to prepare their data analyses for review in the summer. The committees have sent surveys to various communities and jurisdictions that fall in the watershed. The responses will provide data how each community relates to the Blue River, information on their open space and trails, and information about ordinances that protect water quality.
The Policy Work Group met last week and discussed action items to advance adoption of the Healthy Watershed Resolution.
The next Policy Work Group meeting is Friday, 4/28/21 at 3pm
The next Conservation Work Group meeting is Thursday, 5/20/21 at 4pm.
If you would like to attend a Work Group, contact Jill Erickson, jill@heartlandconservationalliance.org