Festus, MO Plant

About the Program
Buzzi Unicem USA, Inc's Festus, MO Plant encompasses 2,263.42 acres just south of St. Louis, Missouri, and is a leading cement manufacturing company. The Festus Plant Parcel is actively managed and occupies 1600 acres of this facility. Within this parcel are 83 acres of farmland and cement operations (manufacturing and quarry) that take up approximately 600 acres. The rest is heavily forested. There are several bodies of water that run through the habitat including River Cement Lake, Cliffdale Hollow Creek and Doolin Hollow Creek. The conservation objectives for the Festus, MO plant are protecting and enhancing the property's natural resources, becoming increasingly knowledgeable of the forest structure and management options and improving species composition by managing regeneration.

Practices and Impacts

• The forest project began in 2012 after a 2011 a site visit by Quality Forest Management, LLC, identifying best management methods within the property for managing a 1,679-acre forested area. 
• A harvest and implementation schedule was created, and Quality Forest management harvests the mature trees, controls the exotics with manual labor, controlled burns and the use of pesticides, while also monitoring the area for wildlife and tree health. Mature trees are harvested to improve the future growth and quality of desirable trees. In conjunction with this, efforts are made to remove and eradicate invasive plants that crowd out desirable native trees.
• The goal of these activities is to ensure the long-term viability of the forest and improve the health, growth and regeneration of the residual "crop" trees while providing wildlife and aesthetic benefits to the area. Informal inspections of the project occur monthly and are visual; they are conducted by employees who then report their sightings to the plant manager or their immediate supervisor.