Take Action

There are several things you can do to help protect Gans Creek Wild Area from encroaching development. Public pressure is an important factor in the City’s decision, so we are asking everyone to voice their concerns to the Mayor and the City Council. Here are a few ways you can act:

Sign the petition

The Gans Creek Allies, a coalition of park neighbors, interested citizens, and local environmental organizations, have drafted a Columbia Southeast Area Plan petition in an effort to focus our demands and prioritize the need for permanent protections for property surrounding the state park. All signatures and comments will be submitted to the City Council. Please be sure to share the link to the petition on social media and encourage others to sign.

Contact County Commissioners

Please share your personal experiences, feelings and thoughts about protecting this precious and irreplaceable resource with the commission. Tell them there needs to be some coordinated County-City planning and protection for the area around Rock Bridge, especially Gans Creek Wild Area.

Submit your public comments to:

Justin Aldred, District I Commissioner
801 East Walnut, Room 333
Columbia, MO  65201-7732
573-886-4308 (direct)
jaldred@bonecountymo.org

Janet Thompson, District II Commissioner
801 East Walnut, Room 333
Columbia, MO 65201-7732
573-886-4305 (Commission office)
jthompso@boonecountymo.org

Dan Atwill, Presiding Commissioner
801 East Walnut, Room 333
Columbia, MO 65201-7732
573-886-4305 (Commission office)
datwill@boonecountymo.org

Find talking points and more info. on our Updates page.

Contact City Council

You do not have to be a resident of Columbia! This development will impact our state park and therefore anyone is entitled to voice their concerns to city leaders. The Mayor also has a vote on the City Council, and you can email every member of the council as well, not just your representative. If you are a resident of Columbia, be sure to let your councilperson know that when you contact them. Phone calls, personal meetings and mailed correspondence are also an excellent way to get your voice heard. See below for tips on contacting council people.

• Council Webpage – click each member link for mailing address and phone number.
• First Ward, Pat Fowler: ward1@como.gov
• Second Ward, Andrea Waner: ward2@como.gov
• Third Ward, Karl Skala: ward3@como.gov
• Fourth Ward, Ian Thomas: ward4@como.gov
• Fifth Ward, Matt Pitzer: ward5@como.gov
• Sixth Ward, Betsy Peters: ward6@como.gov
• Mayor Brian Treece: mayor@como.gov

Tell Your Friends!

• If you’re on Instagram, use the #saveganscreek hashtag to share your favorite pics of Gans Creek Wild Area and tell others why this park is important to you.
• Share our facebook page.

Thank you!

We are incredibly grateful for the outpouring of support we have received so far from the community. It is clear that many people care very deeply about Gans Creek Wild Area, and we appreciate your time and efforts to help us protect this space for future generations!

Tips on contacting City Council members

• City Council is scheduled to vote on this proposal at the May 17th City Council meeting. The sooner you can call or email them the better!
  
• It’s best to contact them directly, as soon as possible before the council meeting. Emails sent through the city clerk or in the day or two before the meeting may not be read and calls right in the days before the meeting may not be returned. Our council people are awesome and they are busy!
  
• Scheduling a phone call or in-person appointment (again, as soon as possible) is very effective. Sending a physical letter is also great. Let’s flood their inbox with letters! Council website – click each individual for phone, mailing address and more.
  
• Here’s some tips on writing an effective email
  • Short and to the point
  • Include the agenda item number if available OR a clear reference to topic in your subject line (i.e. Gans Creek Wild Area Annexation)
  • Even if you send the same text to multiple council members, personally address the email (i.e Dear Councilperson Peters)
  • In first sentence tell them what you want them to do.
  • In second sentence why this matters.
  • Tell them why this action is irreversible and/or crucial to act right now.
  • Tell them how you’ve invested your time in this.
  • After you get that across, you include additional information (again, short, clear, concise) on why this is the wrong move right now and what we should do in the future to protect this area.