JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with the state Conservation Commission in a dispute over the wildlife agency’s independence.
The high court determined the Conservation Commission had the power to purchase 510 acres of prairie habitat in St. Clair County despite lawmakers in 2020 removing wording from the state budget for land acquisitions.
After the budget had been signed, the state Office of Administration refused to release funds for the land acquisition.
But on Tuesday, the high court upheld a 2021 Cole County Circuit Court decision affirming the Conservation Commission’s independence from the Missouri Legislature and directing the Office of Administration to certify the purchase.
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Representatives with the Office of Administration and the Department of Conservation said the agencies were reviewing the decision.
Circuit Judge Cotton Walker said in his 2021 decision that the commission was created through a 1936 constitutional amendment due to dissatisfaction with the “politically appointed and underfunded” Fish and Game Department.
“The voters did not intend to leave in the hands of the General Assembly the ability to dictate whether, how much, and for what the Conservation Commission could spend from the Conservation Fund,” Walker said.
A recent court ruling out of Cole County reversed an attempt to block new land purchases approved by the Conservation Commission.