FINS, FEATHERS AND FUR

CARTERVILLE, Ill. -- Tim Grounds of Johnston City, Ill., was a big winner in the goose calling contest here last weekend.

Grounds, 34, walked away with first prize money of $1,000 in the Winchester World Open Goose Calling Championships, held at John A. Logan Community College in Carterville.

The calling contest was the highlight of the Southern Illinois celebration of National Hunting and Fishing Day.

Grounds, who won national goose calling championships in 1986 and 1987, the world championship in 1988 and the U.S. Open in 1988, defeated 23 callers in the event, including two previous defending champions, brothers, Gary McCree and Allen McCree, both of Herrin. Gary McCree won the Winchester Master Open in Yorkville on Saturday and came back here Sunday to finish 5th. Mike Beliles of Greenville, Ky. was runner-up here at Carterville.

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The Missouri Department of Conservation has announced plans to construct a new lake near Kennett.

"Our department has been looking for a long time for an area to build a lake in the Bootheel area," said Shannon Cave, information officer for the DOC. "We finally found the money and a place for the lake."

The proposed 100 to 200-acre reservoir will be located on a 1,036 acre tract of land located in Dunklin and Pemiscot counties. The lake will be along the north side of Highway 412, three miles east of Kennett.

"The balance of the land will be used for conservation purposes," said Cave, who added that the cost of property, lake construction and development of the property would cost about $3.5 million.

Cave said it could take as many as five years before project is completed.

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The Cape Girardeau Area Ducks Unlimited Fall Banquet will be held Saturday at the Holiday Inn Convention Center at Cape Girardeau.

The social hour will get under way at 6 p.m., with dinner at 7:30 p.m. An auction will be held following the dinner.

Ticket information is available by calling Bill Hinton, 243-0352; Joe Baker, 243-4600 and Robert Ford, 334-4266. During the evening, tickets may be obtained by contacting Terry Hill, 243-5164 or John Niswonger, 243-1388.

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JEFFERSON CITY--First came the Roubidoux Fly Fishers, who brought the Roubidoux Creek in Waynesville back to life. Then there were others, picking up litter, planting trees, installing fish habitat structures and monitoring water quality, all in an effort to improve neighborhood creeks and streams.

Now Stream Teams throughout the state number 300, and growth of the Stream Team Program shows no sign of slacking up. Since the program took off in February 1989, it has seen a steady flow of groups eager to sign up.

The Stream Team program allows people to take an active role in stream conservation by adopting streams or stretches of streams, and working to improve and conserve them. Groups formed under the program conduct a survey of their adopted stream to find out what condition it is in and what they can do to improve or enhance it. Their efforts might include installing cedar tree revetments, establishing greenway systems and picking up trash.

The Missouri Stream Team is a cooperative effort of MDC and the Conservation Federation of Missouri. The program has won national acclaim and is listed in the Environmental Success Index, a clearing house for solutions to environmental problems.

Additional information about the Missouri Stream Team program is available by contacting Streams, Missouri Department of Conservation, P.O. Box 180, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-0180.

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ST. JOSEPH The Conservation Commission will hold its regular monthly meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m.in St. Joseph Nov. 13.

Commission meetings are open to the public. Anyone with business for the Commission should contact: Director, Department of Conservation, Box 180, Jefferson City, Mo., 65102-0180, or phone (314) 751-4115, at least 10 days before the meeting date.

Commissioners are: Jay Henges, St. Louis, chairman; Jerry P. Combs, Kennett, vice chairman; Andy Dalton, Springfield, secretary; and John Powell, Rolla, member.