Win-win for Missouri Guard's Camp Crowder and Newton County

By Ann Keyes
Unit Public Affairs Representative

NEOSHO, Mo. - When Missouri National Guard officials walked into the Newton County Courthouse carrying a huge check, people lining the halls of the bustling building might have wondered who in their midst won it big.



Brig. Gen. Larry Kay presents a check to Newton County Treasurer Gina Rodriguez for the sale of timber at Camp Crowder. Guard conservation department officials, as well as Newton County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Carter (far left), also attended the event.

The recipients were made clear when the Guard's Brig. Gen. Larry Kay presented the symbolic check to Newton County Treasurer Gina Rodriguez: Citizens and those passing through the southwest Missouri town will benefit from the noted amount of nearly $12,000.

"I can't tell you how much we appreciate the Missouri National Guard," said Newton County Presiding Commissioner Jerry Carter. "This is in addition to everything else we appreciate about the Missouri Guard."

Timothy Schulte, the Guard's conservation section supervisor, said the money came from the sale of timber harvested from nearby Camp Crowder.

"Newton County is entitled to $11,947.44 from our FY2009 timber sale," said Schulte, clearly happy to turn over the funds.

The Guard's environmental office conducts timber sales at Camp Crowder Training Site, as well as from other Guard-owned lands. Revenue generated from the sales go into a reimbursable forestry account within the Department of Defense. Military installations can then pull a percentage of monies from the account for improvements of forestlands, in this case, Camp Crowder. A percentage also goes to the training site's county to be used for the benefit of public schools and roads.

At Camp Crowder, 3,750 trees came down, creating about 380,000 board feet of wood. Ninety percent of the cut timber was old growth black oak, which were becoming susceptible to disease and were declining in value. Logged areas will regenerate naturally with black oak trees as well as some white oak, increasing the diversity of the forest, said Schulte. Some of the logged area will be sown with white shortleaf pine seed, reintroducing Missouri's only native pine tree to Camp Crowder after being extirpated from the property almost 200 years ago.

Newton County contains 11 school districts and more than 900 miles of roadway, said Carter when presented the check that serves as a win-win for both Crowder and citizens who work and live nearby.

"It's nice to have you down here," said a smiling Carter to Kay and other Guard officials.

"We're happy to be partners with Newton County," said Kay.