Nature Conservancy snags ex-DNR chief 
 
 
 
(Note: Language Deception holds center stage here.)
 
 
June 17, 2005
 

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The Columbia Daily Tribune
 
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Former director of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources Steve Mahfood of Columbia has accepted a post with the Nature Conservancy in Missouri. 
 
He will be coordinating government and community relations for the not-for-profit organization, based in Jefferson City.  As part of his position, Mahfood will work to affect government policy and legislation, secure public funding, and develop partnerships with public and private agencies to help further the Nature Conservancy’s mission of preserving biological diversity
 
Susan Harris, state director of the Nature Conservancy in Missouri, said Mahfood brings valuable insight from his seven years as director of DNR. "He is passionate in his commitment to preserving Missouri’s natural resources while enhancing Missouri’s economy," she said. 
 
In one of his last official acts as DNR director, Mahfood gave his support to the restoration of the 73-year-old Boonville railroad bridge by exercising a contractual claim to the bridge for use as a trail.
 
His decision was reversed this spring by new DNR Director Doyle Childers, who agreed to turn the bridge over to Union Pacific Railroad, which wants to dismantle it for parts.
 
In May, Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon sued Childers and DNR, saying they did not have authority to relinquish the state’s right to the old bridge. 
 
The Nature Conservancy in Missouri works with landowners and government entities to preserve natural communities. 
 

Copyright 2005, The Columbia Daily Tribune.