St. Joseph, Mo. – The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) will reopen the Northwest Regional Office in St. Joseph and the Chillicothe office to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 16. MDC staff has remained in the offices serving the public and handling conservation issues. But they were temporarily closed to public access as a COVID-19 precaution.

As the offices reopen, COVID-19 precautions and local protocols will be observed, including face masks and physical distancing. MDC’s conservation areas have remained open for public use.

MDC regional and statewide teams assess temporary closures and reopening of regional offices, nature centers, and public contact offices. Closures come after evaluation of data provided by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) regarding COVID-19 positivity rates and case rates. The latest county-level positivity rates provided by DHSS can be found at https://showmestrong.mo.gov/public-health-county/.

The State of Missouri is continuing to host community testing events throughout the state. Missourians can register for these events currently scheduled at  health.mo.gov/communitytest. Continue to check back for future opportunities to be tested at an event nearby.

To contact the regional office in St. Joseph office, call 816-271-3100. The Chillicothe office can be reached by calling 660-646-6122.

For more information on MDC offices and services, visit http://mdc.mo.gov.