Fax Bulletin, Iowa Environmental Council
April 8, 1999

Council Notes
1000 Friends of Iowa joins Council
Please welcome the newest member of our coalition: 1000 Friends of Iowa.
They are dedicated to educating citizens about the long-term benefits of
halting urban sprawl, conserving and protecting our agricultural and
natural resources, and revitalizing our urban neighborhoods. The
organization's representative to the Council's board is Cathy Mabry.
Contact 1000 Friends at 515/280-8026, <[log in to unmask]>, or 104
Southwest Fourth Street, Des Moines, 50309.


Job and Volunteer
Opportunities
Friends of the Mississippi River seeks
Outreach Director
Friends of the Mississippi River, a citizens organization working to
protect and enhance the Mississippi River in the Twin Cities area, is
hiring a manager for its public outreach and education programming. The
Outreach Director will have strong skills, education, or experience in
environmental education/resource interpretation, interpersonal and written
communication, management/supervision, and event planning. Starting salary
is $32,000 per year plus benefits. Deadline is April 26, 1999. Send resume,
cover letter, and the names and phone numbers of three references to: Mr.
Whitney Clark, Executive Director, Friends of the Mississippi River, 46
East Fourth Street, Suite 606, St. Paul, MN  55101-1121.
Submitted by Friends of the Mississippi River

American Farmland Trust
to hire Upper Midwest Field Director
AFT is opening an Upper Midwest field office this spring in Madison,
Wisconsin, and is seeking a field director to staff the office. Specific
duties include hiring and managing field staff, overseeing project
workplans, and acting as primary contact for the organization with
financial supporters, members, and others. Must have a M.A. or M.S. degree
and five years related work experience with demonstrated work plan and
budget management experience. Applications are due April 9. Contact Jill at
202/331-7300 x3011 or Bob at 413/586-9330.
Submitted by American Farmland Trust

Methane recovery project seeks partners
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking to work with other
organizations on methane energy recovery demonstrations. Proposals are
being taken in two categories: commercial facility projects and educational
facility projects. For more information, contact Alison Kovac, Program
Planner, Energy Bureau, IDNR, Wallace State Office Building, Des Moines, IA
50319-0034 or 515/281-8094.
Submitted by Ray Heinicke, Evangelical Lutheran Church of America,
Environmenal Awareness Committee


Action Requests
REAP must stand on its own!
The REAP Alliance asks for your help in keeping the existing Resource
Enhancement and Protection Program intact. The Iowa Legislature is
considering using the REAP name for other projects.
     A portion of the proposed Transportation, Infrastructure and Capitals
subcommittee budget initially allocated $20.475 million for Resource
Enhancement and Protection for Iowa. Of that amount, $9.975 million has
been earmarked for other projects such as agricultural drainage wells, lake
dredging, marine fuel tax, etc., which leaves $10.5 million for the REAP
formula allocation. These other projects are worthy, but they are not REAP
projects and should be funded under their appropriate "natural resource
category."
     Please contact your legislators and tell them that REAP must stand on
its own. A precedent is being set if we allow other projects to be called
REAP. This could lead to the public's misunderstanding of REAP and allow
future legislatures to reduce the REAP formula allocation, begin "pork
barreling" other projects through REAP, and then say they fully funded
REAP.
     The REAP Alliance supports Governor Vilsack's recommendation of $15
million for FY1999-2000 and $20 million for FY 2000-2001 for the REAP
formula allocation plus license plates and interest on the fund.
Submitted by Mark Ackelson and Don Brazelton, REAP Alliance

Farmland condemnation bill would impact recreation
H.F. 476, S.F. 351 prohibits the condemnation of farmland for private use
unless the owner of the land consents. The bill, which has passed the Iowa
House and is now before the Senate, would impact the development of a
statewide trails network. For the text of the bill, see
<www.legis.state.ia.us>, and then let your senators know your concerns
about this bill.
Submitted by Don Brazelton, Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards

Radioactive waste would be moved through Iowa under Congressional bill
The U.S. House of Representatives is moving a bill through Congress -- H.R.
45 -- that would authorize transport of thousands of loads of high-level
radioactive waste across Iowa and 40 other states. The waste would be moved
across Routes 80 and 35, and on Union Pacific rail lines (and others) to
earthquake-prone Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Contact your congressman now and
tell him to vote NO on H.R. 45. Tell him it is much preferable to leave the
waste where it is, on the sites of the nuclear generating plans, and ask
him to sponsor legislation to utilize wind and other safer generating
options so that nuclear plants can be shut down. Call Earth Care at
515/280-5129 for more information.
Submitted by Earth Care

Destructive navigation bill proposed
The water advocacy group MARC 2000 has proposed a bill, the Export
Facilitation Act, that would authorize extending the locks on many of the
river dams on the Upper Mississippi. Expansion of the locks would encourage
the doubling of barge traffic throughout the system. Contact Senator Harkin
and your representative to express your opposition. For more information,
contact Bill Redding at 608/257-4994 or
<[log in to unmask]>.
Submitted by the Sierra Club

Conferences and Events
Field day to showcase manure management system using wetlands
April 13, near Clearfield
This field day will showcase a bio-reactor system designed to treat manure
through a wetland. The system, the first of its kind in the Midwest, offers
improved odor control, improved water quality, and new habitat for
wildlife. It also addresses the challenge of limited land for manure
management on the host farm. Topics to be covered include wetland design
and construction, wetland bacteria, water monitoring results, and system
evaluation and management. Contact Paul Miller, Soil and Water Conservation
Society, at <[log in to unmask]>
Submitted by Paul Miller

Groundwater Association to meet
April 16, Des Moines
The Association's Spring meeting, to be held at the Downtown Holiday Inn,
will include sessions on: well forecasting, bacteria in Clear Lake, nitrate
in drinking water and health effects, the occurrence of herbicides in
Midwestern waters, nutrient flux from the Mississippi River basin, and
more. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Director Paul Johnson will be a
special guest speaker. Contact Lorelei Kurimski or Lynn Hudachek at
319/335-4500.
Submitted by Paul VanDorpe, Iowa Geological Survey Bureau

Forum on land use scheduled
April 18, Des Moines
This forum, to be held at 3 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational United Church
of Christ, will address why urban dwellers should worry about saving farms
near the city, how unplanned growth influences the urban core, and some of
the solutions being considered to encourage planned growth. Contact Marcia
Martin, 1000 Friends of Iowa (515/288-5364) or Rev. Faith Ferre, Plymouth
Congregational UCC (515/255-3149).
Submitted by 1000 Friends of Iowa

DNR to hold endangered species
workshop
April 22, Ames
The first of several Iowa Department of Natural Resources workshops to
develop criteria for Iowa's threatened and endangered species list will be
held from 1-5 p.m. at Iowa State University's Gilman Hall, Room 2104.
Speakers from DNR, ISU, Drake University, and Neal Smith National Wildlife
Refuge will make presentations on threatened and endangered species,
followed by an open discussion among attending scientists. According to DNR
environmental specialist John Pearson, the workshop "will be aimed at
initiating the input of botanists, zoologists, ecologists, and other expert
biologists. Other meetings to be held later will provide opportunities for
input from the broader public, but it is important to establish a
biologically based approach with the advice of experts as a first step."
Contact Pearson at 515/281-3891 or Daryl Howell at 515/281-8524.
Submitted by the Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards

Climate change and the Midwest
discussed
April 28, Kansas City
This conference will provide Midwest businesses and industries, state and
local community leaders, citizens groups, teachers, and others with
information on how climate change will affect the Midwest. Also explored
will be opportunities to benefit from voluntary programs to reduce carbon
emissions. The keynote luncheon speaker is Hunter Lovins, president of the
Rocky Mountain Institute. Sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency and other businesses and agencies. Contact Monica Duda at
703/247-2410 or register online at
<www.epa.gov/globalwarming/conferences/kansascity>.
Submitted by EPA

Environmental Health and Public Health associations to hold meeting
May 4-6, Newton
The Iowa Environmental Health Association and the Iowa Public Health
Association will hold their joint  spring meeting at the Des Moines Area
Community College Conference Center. For registration or membership
information, contact Terri Darringer at Shelby County Environmental Health:
712/755-2609.
Submitted by Ken Sharp, Iowa Department
of Public Health

Learn about photovoltaics
May 22-23, near Cedar Rapids
At this workshop, participants will receive both classroom theory and
hands-on experience mounting and wiring as they install PV systems on two
straw-bale structures. The workshop will be led by professional solar
consultant Dennis Pottratz of GoSolar in Decorah. Cost is $100 per
participant with advanced registration; $125 at the door. Contact: Tom
Snyder, 319/875-8772 or <[log in to unmask]>; 611 Second Street Southwest,
Dyersville, 52040.
Submitted by Nancy Ewald, Iowa Renewable Energy Association (IRENEW)

Loess Hills Prairie Seminar rescheduled
June 4-6, near Turin
Please note that the date for this annual seminar, which features hikes,
lectures, and activities for the whole family, has changed to June 4-6.
Contact Glenn Pollock at 402/571-6230 or <[log in to unmask]>.
Submitted by Glenn Pollock

Environmental education workshops
to be held
June 6-12 and June 13-18, Strawberry Point
For more information about Nature Speaks Workshops for Teachers, sponsored
by the Iowa Department of Education and held at the Stone Center, call
515/281-3146 or  <[log in to unmask]>.
Submitted by Duane Toomsen

Join ecotourists on a trip to
Australia and New Zealand
Departing June 25 and returning from Australia on July 21, returning from
New Zealand August 4-5
Downunder Adventures is hosting an ecotourism tour that is primarily for
educators but also is open to anyone wishing to go to Tasmania, New South
Wales, Queensland, and the Northern Territory. Both the South and North
Islands New Zealand visits are optional. Five hours of graduate credit
available from the University of Northern Iowa.,  Contact Duane Toomsen at
515/281-3146 or <[log in to unmask]>.
Submitted by Duane Toomsen

Resources
Check your congressman's record
The League of Conservation Voters Education Fund's "Freshman Environmental
Profiles for the 106th Congress" are now available at <www.lcvedfund.org>.
Each profile contains a biographical sketch, election results, endorsement
information, and environmental positions and votes. Also, the profiles
provide environmental ratings for members assigned to key committees and
environmental profiles for the newly elected Congressional leaders. Contact
Allison Clements at 202/785-0730 or <[log in to unmask]>.
-----
Iowa Environmental Council
711 East Locust Street
Des Moines, Iowa  50309
515/244-1194 phone
515/244-7856 fax
[log in to unmask]

-----------------------------------------------------------------
To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send email to [log in to unmask]
Make the message text (not the subject): SIGNOFF IOWA-TOPICS