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News Brief

June 10, 2025 |  By: Gavin McGough

Ameren and the Department of Conservation are closing a portion of The Reform Conservation beginning this summer

Boundaries for construction beginning July 1st in Northern area of Conservation

Missouri Department of Conservation 

A large conservation area outside of Columbia, Missouri is shrinking. The Reform Conservation blankets over 6 thousand acres in the middle of the state, offering miles of trails, hunting terrain, and excellent blackberry picking to the state's residents. But the state only manages the parcel, it does not own it. Ameren Energy, headquartered in St. Louis, bought the land in the 1970s with plans to put a nuclear reactor on the site, but the facility was never built. Ameren is now looking to develop a large portion of the northern area of the site - not for nuclear but for solar.

The project has yet to receive final approvals, but Ameren and the Department of Conservation are closing the area to the public while the company makes preparations. The closure begins on July 1st. The southern portion of the site will remain open to the public.

Ameren has made a commitment to provide one hundred percent renewable electricity by 2045. It is working on multiple solar projects across Missouri.

Photo above outlines the boundaries being enacted by the missouri Department of Conservation and Ameren to ensure safety throughout the construction and planning process. Outined in red is off limits to the public while the area in green will continue to be open for public use.