GRHA Executive Director, Mike Checkett attended the Missouri Wetlands Summit held February 1-3rd. The event was put on by a committee of wetland and waterfowl all-stars including Ken Babcock, George Seek, Mickey Heitmeyer, Dave Graber and many more. The presenters were equally storied and qualified. More than 350 wetland and waterfowl mangers, state and federal agency, NGO, University, staff, and administrators attended from 15 states representing the ACOE, USFWS, State Agencies, many NGOs like DU, Prairie Foundation, Audubon, TNC and 20 landowners. The Conservation Federation of Missouri and the Missouri Department of Conservation co-hosted the event. Click here to see...

November 12, 2022 The Canadian Prairies are freezing and Thursdays 20+ inches of snow across North Dakota have waterfowl on the move. These conditions could set the table for a Grand Passage of waterfowl in the coming days. With highs in the teens and lows in negative numbers in some areas, most, if not all, waterbodies will freeze over the coming days, in Canada and the Upper Midwest forcing even the hardiest species to head south. This is great news for Confluence waterfowlers who are ready for new birds to reach the region. The Forbes Biological Station flew the latest waterfowl survey...

  Common Cause and Shared Vision In October 2014, GRHA and Ducks Unlimited came together for an inaugural fundraising event and the signing of a partnership agreement. More than 300 people attended, and the event netted over $130,000 for conservation work in the Confluence through GRHA Conservation and policy programs and DU's Big Rivers Initiative. The agreement focuses on a five-year plan for habitat protection and restoration, youth education, and policy efforts impacting the Confluence. This year the partnership's eighth event was held on October 12 at the Frontenac Hilton St. Louis.  Attended by more than 400 people this year’s...

On October 15, 2022, Great Rivers Habitat Alliance, Ducks Unlimited (DU), and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service celebrated the conservation work of St. Louis native John R. Belz (1941-2013) at Clarence Cannon National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) just outside of ANNADA, Mo. with a plaque dedication for a project completed in his honor. The 3,750-acre Clarence Cannon NWR is on the floodplain of the Mississippi River, adjacent to Pool No. 25 in Pike County. The refuge’s diversity of habitats supports waterfowl, wading birds, shorebirds and songbirds. Clarence Cannon also provides habitat for over 200 species of migratory birds, and duck...

      GRHA is proud to announce we have been selected by the DUCKFEST Board to be a featured nonprofit charity in 2022 and beyond. A portion of the moneys raised at DUCKFEST will stay in the Confluence to support GRHA’s mission to protect the Confluence’s floodplain and waterfowling heritage. This year DUCKFEST was held on Saturday, October 1, at the Smart Airfield. Sponsorships, vendor space, raffle and tickets were available, and the event was another tremendous success. All proceeds from DUCKFEST 2022 benefit the following local nonprofit organizations: • Great Rivers Habitat Alliance • Emmaus Homes • St....

    On August 31, the eve of the 2022 dove season, harbinger of all fall hunting seasons, GRHA launched a new website that will help detail and promote our critical mission. A special thanks to Jason Thompson and Cedar Hills Media for their assistance and partnership. The new website provides organizational info and an opportunity to join or make donation gifts online as well as show your support through purchases of GRHA logo products from well-known and reputable manufacturers. GRHA apparel and products look great and show the world your support, and a portion of your purchase helps fund...

  GRHA hosted a Wetlands Habitat and Management workshop July 18-20. The workshop was part of GRHA’s Public Awareness and Education pillar and provided basic information about the fundamentals of habitat management options and techniques for private waterfowl hunting clubs. A combination of in-class presentations and on-site field tours incorporated and demonstrated the current state-of-understanding about waterfowl and wetland ecology and contemporary hunting strategies in a practical management format. The workshop focused primarily on moist-soil wetland types but also included landscape considerations for agriculture, forest, shrub-scrub, and emergent habitats, along with perspectives on the opportunity of individual properties in relation...

  As with many bills and this one is no different, we love, and hate this bill. What’s to love is the section about limiting TIF from the floodplain not just in its current definition, but also limiting TIF in areas that would be removed from the floodplain by these technical measures. That is great. However, as we read it, that doesn’t prevent TIF in all floodplains that are removed from FEMA, but only floodplains that are removed by FEMA due to participation in this new program. A local levee district could still use its own money to take land...

  On April 28 members of GRHA attended a groundbreaking for the Great Rivers Greenway Connector, which is part of the Brentwood Bound program. Link to the video. The City of Brentwood and partners are making great strides on the Brentwood Bound project. A tremendous amount of work has been completed and continues today. We had a chance to talk with Brentwood Mayor David Dimmit and project leaders Craig Schluter and Eric Gruenenfelder. All expressed their appreciation for GRHA’s partnership in the Greg Fox Memorial Wetland. Jack Blaise with Navigate Building Solutions showed us some great video taken this spring...

  On March 31 GRHA held its first annual Sporting Clays Fun Shoot at the beautiful Strathalbyn Farms. Strathalbyn Farms Club is home to some of the finest outdoor shooting facilities in the St. Louis area and provides the perfect setting for a memorable outing. The event was a sell out with 84 shooters. The attendees were treated to a two-man flurry competition, 100 target clays course, a five gun raffle, attendance prizes, live auction, incredible food and fellowship. Winner of Class AAA was team GS&S Construction with a score of 343, followed by Team Schwetye and Team Bollmeier. In Class AA team...

  GRHA Executive Director Mike Checkett, Bruce Morrison, and Madeline Middlebrooks, both with Great Rivers Environmental Law Center, attended the Maryland Heights Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on January 11, 2022. GRHA submitted formal comments against the Apartment Complex Development PDP21-0004/KBG, Inc., and both Bruce and Mike spoke during the public comment portion detailing why this project is a terrible idea. The development is within the 100-year floodplain, so final rezoning and construction will hinge on the construction of the Howard Bend Levee District Pump Station. However, rezoning is the first step, and the Maryland Heights staff assured thecommission that a...

January 11, 2022 City of Maryland Heights Planning and Zoning Commission Good evening. I would like to thank the commission for the opportunity to speak tonight. My name is Mike Checkett. I am the Executive Director of the Great Rivers Habitat Alliance. Great Rivers Habitat Alliance represents a group of landowners and citizens concerned about the current floodplain development trends within the Confluence. Our MISSION: Protecting the 100-year Confluence floodplain for the benefit of wildlife, historic waterfowling, agriculture, clean water and people. GRHA addresses issues affecting wetland habitat and promotes sensible use of floodplains in the confluence region of the...