MissouriGreen

Missouri's Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), has been the focus of contention for the last several years. One of the first acts the state's last governor, Matt Blunt, did when he first came to office back in 2005 was fire most of the DNR's upper management—including the director, Steve Mahood, who was greatly respected in the environmental community. Mahood eventually went on to a position with the Nature Conservancy.

In Mahood's place, Blunt appointed Doyle Childers, a long time Republican Missouri State Senator. Childer's appointment was not without controversy, primarily because of his business focus, and by his lack of natural resource management experience. The controversy around Childers was exacerbated by his own politically motivated actions as regards to two specific events related to the DNR: the Taum Sauk dam break, and the Boonville Bridge.