Missouri Conservation personnel trying to clean up magazine rolls

The June 2023 cover of “Missouri Conservationist” magazine (June 2023 photo courtesy of Missouri Department of Conservation magazine manager Stephanie Thurber)

The Missouri Department of Conservation is working to develop a system that would require subscribers of the “Missouri Conservationist” magazine to renew their subscription.

Missouri Department of Conservation magazine manager Stephanie Thurber is responding to a Randolph County rural mail carrier who says some of the magazines being mailed to residents there are to people who’ve moved or died prior to 2008. That mail carrier reached out to 939 the Eagle News with his concerns, saying three or four magazines were mailed in late May to residents who’ve been dead for two or three years.

Ms. Thurber tells 939 the Eagle that it’s been a slow process, adding that the Department recognizes the frustration of mail carriers around the state who’ve shared similar concerns.

She says Conservation runs a USPS report called OneCode ACS, which allows their mailing list to be updated automatically to change or cancel the address of someone who’s filed a change of address or deceased with the Postal Service. Thurber emphasizes this only catches those who’ve notified or had someone notify on their behalf, in the case of deceased residents, the USPS about a change.

The “Missouri Conservationist” magazine is available free to Missouri residents, and currently has about 500,000 active subscriptions that are mailed out each month. Mailing costs are about $75,000 each month.