From the Iowa Native Plant Listserve, forwarded by Jane Clark:


Many of you have visited the Eddyville Dunes and Wetlands and have
written letters in support of saving this natural area, which harbors
two state-protected species (Platanthera flava var. herbiola,
Pale-green orchid, state-endangered and Terrapena ornata, Ornate box
turtle, state-threatened), several Special Concern species and a
remarkable variety of other members of Iowa's native flora and fauna.
The Dunes remain threatened by the IDOT's Eddyville Bypass project.

Although the IDOT shifted the south end of the Bypass to the west to
avoid the richest area at 182nd St. -- the wet swale supporting the
Pale-green orchid population -- and offers to give this area to the
Wapello County Conservation Board as a "preserve", no provisions have
been made to protect the area from the secondary development which
will occur.  Likewise for the 50 acres of sand prairie and wetlands to
be given to the Mahaska County Conservation Board at the north end of
the project.  There are leftover parcels of land between these
to-be-conserved areas and IDOT right-of-way which will undoubtedly be
developed.  What we will get are conservation areas immediately
adjacent to highway service-oriented businesses such as truck stops,
fast food, truck staging areas, etc. with their noise and pollution
impacts directly affecting the conservation sites.

We suggested that all leftover parcels of land be added into the
IDOT's mitigation plan to prevent this, but our request fell on deaf
ears.  Wapello County is currently in the process of re-zoning.  A two
square mile area in the vicinity of the 182nd St. interchange -- all
the Dunes in Wapello County, including the orchid and turtle habitats
-- will be zoned Highway Service Commercial.

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has approved the Record of
Decision (ROD) for the Bypass project, which finalizes the EIS.  The
IDOT's failure to address the project's secondary impacts is only one
issue among others.  Many of you wrote comment letters on the DEIS,
which used erroneous data and misleading statements to justify the
Near East Alternative.  The IDOT used these same tactics to justify
the "west shift" in the FEIS, and more of the same in the ROD.  The
IDOT never gave alternative routes a fair analysis.   There are
several alternatives that, in comparison to the Near East Alternative,
would be cheaper to build, less destructive of farmland, would
facilitate economic development in the Eddyville area, and avoid
damaging the Dunes.

The EIS process is designed to impartially compare alternatives in
order to identify the route which serves the best overall public
interest (not just environmentalists' interests, not just economic
development interests).   The IDOT made a sham of the EIS process.
Should we let them get away with it?  They'll do it again -- at
Engeldinger, at somewhere closer to where you live, a natural remnant
you know and love.  It's the principle of the thing, folks.  We're
just really tired of the IDOT's distortions and irresponsibility.  We
can't stop now.

Although there is no public comment period for the ROD, Pat and I
wrote comments anyway.  We are sharing them for those of you who are
following the Dunes/Bypass project.  To those of you who don't like to
see the INPS list-serve used in this fashion, thank you for your
patience.  The comments follow in the next posting.

Sincerely,
Glenda Buenger and Pat McAdams

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