The fish, wildlife and habitat of Little St. Francis River Pile site in Fredericktown, injured by release of contaminants related to lead mining, are in need of restoration and we are looking for your feedback. Together with our conservation partners at the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, and on behalf of the Missouri Trustee Council, we are working to restore the native fish and wildlife of the area.
You are invited to an informational meeting on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, to learn about our proposal to restore natural resources at the Little St. Francis River Pile site in Fredericktown. The meeting will be from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Black River Electric Cooperative, 2600 Highway 67, Fredericktown, Missouri 63645.
Agency representatives will be on hand to discuss the proposal to spend Asarco restoration dollars to restore native floodplain forest at the former mine site. Asarco, LLC. owned and operated a mine and mill at the site of the planned restoration along the banks of the Little St. Francis River. The draft proposal discusses how the now city-owned site will be restored to forest and protected following the completion of planned cleanup activities by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Planned restoration activities include tree planting, spraying for invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species , monitoring the success of plantings and long-term protection of the site by the City of Fredericktown.
The Little St. Francis River Pile is part of the larger Madison County Mines Site, which in turn, is a 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 located in the Big River, Black River and St Francis River watersheds. It is one of the largest lead-producing regions of the world.
Public participation is an important part of Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process. Comments and input from the public on the restoration proposal are encouraged and will be accepted for 30 days after the release of the draft. Members of the public should submit their comments to:
John Weber
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
101 Park DeVille Dr. Suite A
Columbia, MO 65203
John_S_Weber@fws.gov
To obtain a copy of the restoration proposal and to learn more about the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration process and the Southeast Missouri Lead Mining District, visit http://www.fws.gov/midwest/es/ec/nrda/SEMONRDA/index.html or http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/sfund/nrda.htm.
