Small tax provides big returns for Missouri

In July 2016, Missouri opened one of the crown jewels of its state park system: Echo Bluff State Park near Eminence in the heart of the Ozarks. Just a few months later, in October 2016, my husband, Jason, and I became the first couple to be married there.

That same year, Missouri voters overwhelmingly renewed the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax—a 0.1 of 1% sales tax that provides dedicated funding for Missouri’s state parks, historic sites and soil and water conservation.

Looking back now, the timing feels fitting.

Our wedding gave us a personal connection to this spectacular park, and it’s also a reminder that places like Echo Bluff do not happen by accident. They exist because Missourians have consistently chosen to invest in conservation and natural resources.

This August, voters will once again decide the future of this tax—one of Missouri’s most successful public investments. First approved by voters in 1984, the tax has been repeatedly renewed—in 1988, 1996, 2006 and 2016, when it passed by 80%. The tax now appears on the ballot every 10 years. It’s set to expire in 2028, if not approved by voters this year.

It’s a small tax that delivers big returns. The tax generates revenue of approximately $140 million annually, with half supporting Missouri’s state park system and the other half earmarked for soil and water conservation programs. Those efforts have helped Missouri prevent the loss of more than 194 million tons of soil since the tax was first enacted.

Funding from the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax supports cost-share assistance for farmers to implement conservation measures such as terraces, waterways, rotational grazing, cover crops, water retention structures and countless other practices that improve both productivity and sustainability. Provided through local Soil and Water Conservation Districts, the program is voluntary, practical and producer-focused.

Missouri farmers understand the importance of conservation better than anyone. Productive soil is the foundation of every crop, every pasture and every farm legacy we hope to hand to the next generation.

Missouri’s 93 state parks are part of the same conservation ethic. Clean water, healthy forests, protected landscapes and outdoor recreation strengthen the quality of life that keeps rural communities vibrant. The tax-generated funding also keeps state parks free to visit in Missouri—one of only eight states in the country to do so. 

When you see “Amendment 1” on the ballot, it’s important to remember that this is not a new tax. The measure simply renews an investment that Missourians have supported for decades. Much of the work supported by this tax happens out of sight, but the results are everywhere: in clean water, healthy land and places like Echo Bluff that bring people together in meaningful ways.

Missouri has long been proud of its conservation heritage. Supporting the Parks, Soils and Water Sales Tax is consistent with that tradition, and it’s an investment well worth protecting. 

***