Conservation Department adds 199 acres of buffer land at Busiek

The Missouri Department of Conservation has purchased 199 acres to add to the 2,502-acre footprint of Busiek State Forest and Wildlife Area.

Bordering U.S. 65, 18 miles south of Springfield, the land was acquired from the Missouri Department of Transportation, which paid $183,000 for the acreage more than a decade ago when the highway was widened, according to a News-Leader report.

Because the land is downrange from the park's shooting area, officials aren't planning on putting trails into place. Instead, they will use the land as buffer ground, where animals won't be disturbed by people.

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