“Soil and water stewardship is important to Missouri farmers, and we are fortunate to have a state program that helps farmers implement costly but needed conservation practices on their land. Missouri is the envy of other states with the improvements made possible by the one-tenth cent parks and soils sales tax, both for soil and water conservation and for our state parks,” said Missouri Farm Bureau President Blake Hurst. “We appreciate Governor Nixon’s support for renewal of this landmark program and encourage Missouri voters to renew it once again this November.”
“Missouri corn farmers have a long history of investing in our soil and natural resources,” said Morris Heitman, President of the Missouri Corn Growers Association. “The parks, soils and water effort extends an existing program that has proven itself valuable to agriculture and conservationists alike.”
“Missouri soybean farmers are firmly committed to ensuring the long term sustainability of our state's natural resources,” said Missouri Soybean Association President Matt McCrate of Cape Girardeau. “The parks, soils and water sales tax has had a key role in upholding that commitment. We’ve benefitted from 30 years of successful partnership, bringing Missourians together on the common goal of ensuring the wise use of our natural resources, and we are committed to continuing that partnership moving forward.”
Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water sales tax was created through a constitutional amendment specifically to support efforts to stop soil erosion and provide funding for the state park system. The tax was first approved by voters in 1984, and has since been reapproved by voters three times in 1988, 1996 and 2006.
Agriculture is Missouri’s number one industry. With nearly 100,000 family farms and 28 million acres of farmland, agriculture is a twelve billion dollar business in the Show-Me State, creating nearly 300,000 Missouri jobs.
Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water sales tax provides funding for the Missouri Soil and Water Conservation Program, which assists farmers and landowners with soil and water conservation by providing partial reimbursement for a number management practices.
Since the tax was last renewed in 2006, more than 61,000 conservation practices have been implemented through $348 million in cost-share grant projects coordinated by Missouri’s local Soil and Water Conservation Districts. To date, more than 177 million tons of soil have been prevented from eroding into Missouri’s streams, rivers and lakes.
Missouri’s Parks, Soils and Water sales tax is also the primary source of funding for Missouri’s nationally acclaimed 88 state parks and historic sites.
The 2016 General Election will be held on Nov. 8, 2016.
Missourians who are not yet registered to vote can find registration information on the Missouri Secretary of State’s Website, www.sos.mo.gov