About Us

Our founder, Leo Drey, created the L-A-D Foundation in 1962 in order to preserve areas of natural or cultural significance. Starting in 1964, Leo donated almost 4,000 acres to the foundation. Today some of these original acres are operated as state parks through a donated lease to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.  Leases of other areas are donated to the Missouri Department of Conservation to be operated as designated Missouri Natural Areas, and riverbank corridors along the Current and Jacks Fork Rivers are managed under easement by the National Park Service as the Ozarks National Scenic Riverways.

Starting in 1951, before he began his work conserving these special areas, Drey assembled more than 150,000 acres in the Missouri Ozarks, which he operated as a demonstration forest called Pioneer Forest. After decades of heavy logging, the areas he acquired had been heavily cut over and the land degraded. Deforestation was causing erosion and sedimentation of the area’s rivers, and habitat for native animals such as deer, turkey, elk, mountain lions, and black bear was all but lost. He aimed to restore the forest to its natural health and manage the harvest of timber from the forest in a sustainable manner. And for over fifty years, that’s exactly what he did.

Between 1951 and 2001, the timber on Pioneer Forest was restored, even while maintaining regular, conservative timber harvests. Under Drey’s careful management, timber volume per acre more than tripled, native animal populations rebounded, and the rivers that had become choked with sediment cleared. Today the area continues to support timber harvests while also supporting wildlife habitat and abundant recreational opportunities.

In 2004, Leo and his wife Kay Drey, also a noted conservationist, donated Pioneer Forest to the L-A-D Foundation to ensure the continued, sustainable operation of the forest. This gift was calculated to be one of the largest philanthropic gifts that year, and it is believed to be the largest philanthropic gift in Missouri history. Since the donation in 2004, the forest has been overseen by the board of directors of the L-A-D Foundation with advice from our professional advisory council and the Drey family, who remain involved in an advisory capacity. The Foundation is eternally indebted to the generosity of Leo, Kay, and their family.

In addition to managing Pioneer Forest as a demonstration of sustainable forestry in the Ozarks, the Foundation annually awards grants to community organizations and scholarships to high school students in areas near the Forest. It seeks opportunities to advance conservation goals alongside federal and state agencies who hold lands contiguous to Pioneer Forest, to support the local economy and community projects, to further outdoor recreation opportunities, and to preserve cultural assets in Missouri.

Find out more about us on these pages:

Our Board of Directors

Our Advisory Council

The Drey Family Advisory Council

Our Staff

Employment and Volunteering Opportunities

L-A-D Foundation News