St. Charles County News News & Information on trends, events and business in the St. Charles County including the cities of St. Charles, O'Fallon and St. Peters, Missouri St. Louis News Community News St. Louis CitySide Business News St. Charles News Southwest, IL News Fairview Heights,IL Art Gallery News Hotel News Restaurant News Style St. Louis Not Just For Kids   Downtown Map America's Center Busch Stadium Gateway Arch Scottrade Center Laclede's Landing Old Courthouse Union Station   Metropolitan Map Daniel Boone Home Casinos Central West End Clayton, MO Grand Center Grant's Farm Forest Park Kimmswick, MO Mastodon Site MO Botanical Garden Soulard St. Charles, MO West Port Plaza Six Flags Transportation Lambert Airport   How To Reach Us: St. Louis Front Page P.O. Box 1354 St. Louis, MO 63188 Voice: 314-771-0200 Fax: 314-771-0300 To submit news, contact: editor@slfp.com To advertise, contact: advertising@slfp.com

Additional Acreage for Wetlands in New State Park ST. CHARLES COUNTY, MO, (SLFP.com), January 12, 2003 - A unique partnership among local, state and federal agencies and private organizations has led to 865 acres being added to the Edward "Ted" and Pat Jones-Confluence Point State Park in St. Charles County. The present 253-acre state park is located at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers. In a recent announcement, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources announced that a federal grant will enable the Department of Natural Resources to add 350 acres to protect wetlands. An agreement with the Metropolitan Park and Recreation District in St. Louis will allow an additional 515 acres to be leased for the park. Together, these new additions will bring the total park acreage to 1,118 acres. "These new additions are vital to our protection of this resource, which is significant both historically and geographically," said Steve Mahfood, director of the Department of Natural Resources. "With these new lands, we can better protect the landscape of this region and restore the wetlands to the way they may have appeared when Lewis and Clark set out on their historic journey from this area in 1804." The federal grant is a $1 million North American Wetlands Conservation Act grant, which is administered by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The grant program is designed to acquire, preserve and develop wetland ecosystems for waterfowl, other migratory birds, fish and wildlife. Thirteen local, state and federal agencies along with private organizations formed a group called the Lewis and Clark Floodplain Heritage Partnership to apply for the grant. The grant, administered by Wildlife Forever, allowed the acquisition of the 350 acres, which will be added to the park with a focus on wetland restoration. The closing on this property occurred Dec. 30, 2002. The Metropolitan Park and Recreation District also acquired 515 acres in the confluence area. The district has agreed to lease the land to the Department of Natural Resources for $1 for 25 years in exchange for the department managing the land as a part of the state park. This agreement was signed on Dec. 30, 2002. Both parcels of land were owned by River Network and later, the Western Rivers Conservancy, both nonprofit organizations, which held the land until funding sources were found to bring them into public ownership. The Danforth Foundation of St. Louis provided an interest-free loan to these organizations for this purpose, as well as providing funding for the initial acquisition of the park. In addition to wetland restoration, the park will provide interpretation of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Trails will be developed and interpretive exhibits will be provided. The park is expected to open to the public in 2004, in time for the 200th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Much of the land has previously been farmed, and farming will continue until the park's wetland project is developed. In addition to the Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Wildlife Forever, the Danforth Foundation and River Network, other partners in the Lewis and Clark Floodplain Heritage Partnership include the Missouri Department of Conservation, Confluence Greenway, Home Builders Association of Greater St. Louis, John Bardgett and Associates, Environmental Systems Products Holdings, Friends of Big Muddy, Natural Resources Conservation Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Ameristar Casino St. Charles Presents $100,000 Donation To Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center Project ST. CHARLES, MO, (PRNewswire), December 8, 2002 - The Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center, being built on the banks of the Missouri River, at the site where the Lewis & Clark Discovery Expedition embarked in 1804, has received a $100,000 donation from Ameristar Casino St. Charles. The Ameristar donation is the largest private contribution to date and brings the project past the halfway mark in its fundraising efforts, according to Darrold Jackson, president of Discovery Expedition of St. Charles, Mo. Inc., the non-profit organization building the permanent museum on the St. Charles riverfront. (L. to R.) Tony Raymon, General Manager of Ameristar Casino St. Charles, accepts a print of Lewis & Clarks's vessels by Missouri artist Gary R. Lucy from Discovery Expedition board members Randy Weber and Mrs. Joanne Bishop, widow of Discovery Expedition founder Glennon Bishop. Weber and Bishop presented the print on the occasion of Ameristar's $100,000 donation to the new Lewis & Clark Boat House and Nature Center. (PRNewsFoto) Jackson said Discovery Expedition currently has cash and firm commitments for roughly $1,050,000 of the estimated $2 million that is needed to complete construction of the 12,800-square-foot, two-story facility. "We truly appreciate that our largest donor, Ameristar, is also leading us past the halfway mark in our campaign," said Jackson. Ameristar Casino St. Charles general manager Tony Raymon initially announced the company's contribution to the project during the grand opening festivities of the all-new $360-million Ameristar facility on Aug. 6, 2002. The sizeable donation was initiated by Ameristar Casinos, Inc. to signify the company's support of the city of St. Charles and the surrounding community. "The Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center demonstrates this community's reverence for its rich heritage and its commitment to future generations, through education and preservation," said Raymon. "Ameristar is proud to be part of a facility that will be a centerpiece of the community's historic riverfront." Ameristar's contribution to the project is a natural outgrowth of the company's community involvement in every market in which it operates, according to Ameristar Casinos, Inc. President and CEO Craig H. Neilsen. "Ameristar has a proud tradition of giving back to our local communities, said Neilsen. "We are pleased to lend our support to an endeavor that marks a pivotal event in the history of St. Charles and our nation." The Lewis and Clark Boathouse and Nature Center is being built on the banks of the Missouri River, at the site where the Lewis & Clark Discovery Expedition embarked in 1804. The first level of the facility will house three replicas of the boats with which Lewis & Clark launched the expedition. These boats will be maintained by museum craftsmen and will be permanently available for public viewing in the new facility. The second level of the boathouse and nature center will house exhibits on the Lewis & Clark expedition, early St. Charles, the Missouri River and a variety of plant and animal species, many of which were first cataloged by the expedition corps. The Lewis & Clark Boathouse and Nature Center is targeted for a Spring 2003 opening. The organization will also play a prominent role in the 2003-2006 Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Celebration. The celebration will re-enact the corps of discovery experience on the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri Rivers. It will create a living history in events from President Thomas Jefferson's home in Monticello, Virginia, where the expedition was first conceived, to its westernmost camp in Fort Clatsop, Ore. Archived News: First Anniversary of the O'Fallon Veterans Memorial Walk Celebrated County to Build One-of-a-Kind Youth Park St. Charles County Receives Outstanding Planning Award Living History Weekend Portrayed Life During the Civil War Ameristar Casino St. Charles Brings Las Vegas Entertainment to St. Louis Harley Davidson Riders Travel the Lewis & Clark Trail from St. Charles Embassy Suites Hotel Planned Adjacent to Proposed St. Charles Convention Center Missouri Floods Are Costly For Those Caught Unprepared Groundbreaking for O'Fallon Water Treatment Plant County Seeks Task Force Members for Master Plan 2015 St. Charles Expedition Reenact the portion of the Lewis & Clark Expedition on the Ohio River Pioneer Days at Daniel Boone Home Bass Pro Shops Arrives in St. Charles Ameristar Rolls Out New Master Plan Return to St. Louis Front Page The St. Louis Front Page is owned and maintained by the Moore Design Group for the sole purpose of disseminating news and information about the Metropolitan St. Louis area. Text or graphics may not be copied, rewritten or distributed in any manner whatsoever without written permission. For more information, contact editor@slfp.com All rights reserved world wide © 1996 - 2008 Moore Design Group . Advertisers Find special gift ideas in the Online Shopping Guide.