How many acres of "Native Prairie" are there left in Iowa.. ? I heard a figure of a tiny fraction of 1% of the total area of Iowa is "untouched" by tillage or development..(woodlands, prairie and water). Can you provide me with a credible source of how much "native prairie" is left to protect? So the idea of asking the Governor to be a "protector" may be nearly a mute point. Certainly we should ask for measures to protect the few remnants that are left, but perhaps SC should start promoting the restoration of "native prairie" or the sloughs that go with them. SC needs to be a positive force, not just against actions of others.
Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin (north of Madison ... northwest of Milwaukee) is a great example of restored land that provides habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.. Horicon is partially State owned and partially Federal Wildlife Preserve.. Of course there are those who would ask, "How many acres of cattails does a state need... ?" but it sure is a magnet for tourism in that area of Wisconsin.
I remember the great drainage ditches and tile fields of Humboldt County in North Central Iowa, where I grew up. They drained the sloughs to get a few more acres of corn ground in those days.
Just as developers now are required to have retention basins on site to reduce runoff, just as contractors are required to practice anti-erosion techniques on road and building construction sites, farmers should practice those same measures as they "develop" the ground each year.
Ken Larson
----- Original Message -----
From: Charles Winterwood<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 1:02 PM
Subject: Re: Iowa's governor listed as not protecting native prairies
e-mail the Governor at [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> and ask him to sign-on to the sodbuster provision of the federal Ag bill to prevent farmers from receiving federal payments if they plow pasture or native prairie.
Charlie Winterwood
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Cindy Hildebrand <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>>
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 5:35:47 PM
Subject: Iowa's governor listed as not protecting native prairies
"Native Prairie Finds No Protectors Among Governors"
from SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=native-prairie-finds-no-p<http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=native-prairie-finds-no-p>
Note that Governor Culver could still sign on if he so chose. It might help if he heard from more Iowans who would like him to do so.
Cindy Hildebrand
[log in to unmask]
57439 250th St.
Ames, IA 50010
"Ours is not the task of fixing the entire world all at once, but of stretching out to mend the part of the world that is within our reach." (Clarissa Pinkola Estes)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Need a job? Find an employment agency near you<http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=employment_agencies&ncid=emlcntusyelp00000003>. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp<http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp> To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp<http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to:
[log in to unmask]
Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp
Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship
e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's
latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent
editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/
|
