To: Sierra Club members and other interested citizens:
The Sierra Club continues its efforts to protect Iowa's land, water and air during the 2008 Legislative Session. Here is a list of our top issues and a very brief description. We encourage you to start a conversation with your State Representative and Senator on these issues.
Energy
CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations)
Cougars
Sustainable Natural Resource Funding
Energy:
We have six priorities for the 2008 legislative session on energy. They include (not in priority order):
* No new coal-powered plants that do not - from day one - permanently capture and sequester CO2.
* Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard of 20% of total electrical sales in Iowa by 2025. Short-term standard of 10% by 2014. This is approximately 1% growth a year. Require a certain percentage of the standard to be purchased from locally owned renewable energy projects.
* Global Warming pollution reductions of 80% by 2050 using 1990 as a baseline.
* Energy efficiency standard of 2% of total sales reduced each year for all utilities, including municipals, rural electric cooperatives, and investor-owned utilities in both the gas and electric sector (2% in both, no trading between the two). Note - this is not % spending, it is % reduction off total sales. This includes ONLY permanent energy efficiency measures, not demand response. Extra low-income energy efficiency incentives and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle incentives for utilities in an energy efficiency standard.
* Require the DNR to include emission limits of greenhouse gases in air permits.
* Adopt stringent clean car standards (CAFE).
We are on the right track on this, to quote the Governor directly for his recent State of the State Speech: "...it's also time for a new Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard. We must require 25% percent of all energy produced in Iowa be from a renewable source by 2025." Now we await the details of the Governor's Energy Bill.
In the meantime, Sierra continues to advocate our priorities as outlined above. Tell your legislators to support the goal outlined by the Governor above, and the full set of Sierra energy priorities as well.
CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations):
* Moratorium on CAFOs - No more DNR permits allowing construction and operation of new CAFOs until issues of health concerns, siting, and odor are resolved.
* Changing the matrix - gives counties and local citizens a greater voice in CAFO permitting decisions.
* Improving siting distances - to protect residences, schools, churches, parks, and other designated or important sites great separation distances of sited facilities.
* Rural economic development - develop a sustainable rural communities economic development policy.
* Local control-health ordinances and land use ordinances - protecting Iowa's citizens from the health effects of emissions from animal confinement feeding facilities.
This issue will develop as the Session progresses...stay tuned for action alerts to guide you in advocating Sierra's position on this issue.
Cougars:
Increase protection by placing them on the fur-bearing animal list. This will allow the DNR to protect them with hunting regulations. Currently, cougars can be killed on sight. Placing them on the fur-bearing animal list protects them except if a hunting season was established.
A person always retains the right to protect life and property.
* According to a recent information sheet prepared by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, titled "Mountain Lion Status in Iowa, 2000-2004," several confirmed sightings of cougars have occurred in Iowa since 2000. There have been other sightings that DNR staff believe to be credible, but that have not been documented. DNR staff believe that the cougars that have been documented in the last few years are young males expanding their territory. Females will soon follow. This is the natural way that cougars breed and form new populations.
Let your legislators know you want these animals protected from senseless killing in Iowa until there might be a sustainable population!
Sustainable Natural Resource Funding:
The Sierra Club supports a proposal by a legislative interim committee established in 2006 . It is recommending a sales tax increase through an amendment to the state constitution.
Answers to Questions from the Interim Committee on Sustainable Funding for Natural Resources
The Advisory Committee reviewed and researched current budgets and current streams of funding, and concluded from that research that an additional $150 million per year, strategically used at state and local levels, will go a long way toward meeting the needs of Iowa's natural resources. The committee determined broad categories for the additional funding: parks and trails; soil and water conservation; and fish, wildlife, and natural areas. The committee made a conservative estimate of the additional annual need based on solid research such as a comprehensive infrastructure and management needs assessment of state parks; analysis of current and projected demand for conservation cost share funds and REAP grant funds; the recommendations from the broad base of conservation professionals who contributed to the State Wildlife Action Plan; and other studies and analyses.
The following are the categories that were identified by the advisory committee where additional baseline funding should be used to meet current needs.
* REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection). $20 million additional funds to meet the demands on REAP. The committee also recommends full funding of REAP to the authorized level. This would provide a total of $40 million from current and future sources. This program provides moneys for projects that enhance our natural, cultural, and recreational resources across the state at multiple levels of government and management.
* Local Conservation Partnership Program. $20 million for habitat protection and conservation, infrastructure needs, conservation education, and nature interpretation at the local level. Dedicating these funds is part of a strategic effort to best address conservation needs in local communities. Funds would be made available to county conservation boards ($12 million), nongovernmental organizations ($5 million), and cities ($3 million).
* Watershed Protection. $20 million to improve and encourage a watershed approach to solving water quality environmental problems. Watershed protection includes encouragement of watershed groups, targeted projects, wetland restoration, and runoff filtration management techniques.
* Lakes Restoration. $10 million additional for lake restoration needs. Iowans value water quality and desire safe, healthy lakes that provide a full complement of aesthetic, ecological, and recreational benefits. Local involvement and watershed protection are essential components of all successful lake restoration projects.
* Trails. $15 million for the addition of new hiking, walking, biking, and water trails, and maintenance of existing trails. At this time, Iowa's trails are owned and managed by various entities such as county conservation boards, the state, cities, and non-profit organizations. These state investments in trails will be able to leverage additional federal, local and private funds.
* Natural Resources Management. $35 million additional to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for identified needs in state parks, state preserves, wildlife areas, state forests, wildlife habitats, wildlife diversity program, access for hunting and other recreational activities, technical assistance from forestry, fisheries and wildlife biologists through private landowner programs and incentives, water trails, river and streams programs, natural resources outreach including natural history interpretation in the parks and natural areas, angling opportunities, conservation law enforcement, recreational safety programs, etc. DNR is the state agency charged with conserving and enhancing Iowa's natural resources and providing quality outdoor recreational opportunities.
* Agriculture and Land Stewardship. $30 million additional to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship to meet the identified demand for the soil conservation and watershed protection programs the Department administers. This money would provide additional technical assistance to soil and water conservation districts, develop a stream bank and buffer stabilization project, initiate a state-funded CRP-type program to keep lands in hay and grass, and start a tillage management incentives program to assure adequate crop residue levels in areas impacted by demand for cellulosic ethanol production. This new money would also be used to support environmental agricultural and livestock stewardship.
How will the fund be administered?
A new trust fund should be administered by the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, along the same model as the Resource Enhancement and Protection program (REAP). In this scenario, a limited percentage of the funds could be used by the agencies for administration of the program.
* Protection, enhancement, and management of our natural resources are vital to all Iowans and the legacy we leave to future generations,
* Investments in Iowa's natural resources reap great economic benefits,
* If we want to expand Iowa's workforce and attract visitors to the state, we need to provide outdoor recreation and natural resource amenities that provide them the opportunities they seek and require, and have the financial ability to support and maintain those investments,
* The dedicated tax constitutes irrefutable evidence that Iowans want action and recognize the need to save Iowa's natural areas and other special places,
* Stable funding fosters long term vision and partnerships needed to uphold the promise of a quality environment for all Iowans.
Let your legislators know you support Sustainable Funding for Natural Resources for Iowa's future!
Action:
A telephone call and/or e-mail from you TODAY will help to move these issues forward!
CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE AND STATE SENATOR NOW AND TELL THEM of your support for these issues. Visit with them, as well, at their weekend town meetings, coffee shops, or other announced opportunities.
To find who your state senator and state representative is, please visit: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/FindLeg/
You may use their email address, or contact them at their home phone during the weekend, as listed online, or at the Capitol at:
* Senate Switchboard: 515-281-3371
* House Switchboard: 515-281-3221
Please pass this newsletter on to other Sierrans, or other friends who you know support the same concerns. Building community on these issue, builds better Iowa communities into the future, for our families, for our children!
Thanks for your action today!
Lyle Krewson
Legislative Newsletter 2008-1 - Page 3
Legislative Newsletter 2008-1
3839 Merle Hay Rd., Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
Prepared by Lyle Krewson, Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter Lobbyist
Lyle Krewson 1725 S. 50th Street #602
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter Lobbyist West Des Moines, IA 50265
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515-238-7113 - Cel
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><((((º>`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸.·´¯`·...¸><((((º>
Deborah Neustadt
Des Moines, IA
Sierra Club
Water Committee, Chair
Wildlife and Endangered Species Committee, Corresponding Member
Iowa Chapter, Executive Committee Member, Political Chair
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