Sierra Club and DNR meeting on Loess Hills
November 29, 2005


Attending: Jeff Vonk, Ken Herring and Dale Garner from DNR; Jim Redmond, 
David Zahrt, Jane Clark, Ginger Soelberg and Neila Seaman from Sierra Club, 
Iowa Chapter

After introductions, Jim asked about the Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation 
Plan.  Jeff indicated that the plan is not finalized or accepted.  The feds 
requested some modifications on accountability.  Jeff said he hasn't seen 
the written critique but will probably receive it in December.  He suspects 
the substance of the plan is acceptable.

Regarding the goal of larger scale acquisition, Jeff said the major 
questions were what, where and what resources will be used.  The state's 
priority is for critical habitats.  He said there isn't public support for 
purchasing land and the legislature is not supporting the department.  He 
sees some changes in the long-term.  He thinks it should be more important 
to Iowans but there isn't political support for providing the resources.

He said they didn't plug very much USDA monies into the wildlife plan.

NAWCA - DNR hasn't written any NAWCA (North American Waterfowl Conservation 
Act) grants for a couple of years because they can't match federal money to 
federal money.  Using State Wildlife Grants (SWG).

Ken said they are putting together a land donation program.  They will try 
to apply federal farm programs to Iowa's landscape.  DNR currently owns 60 
percent of the easements in the state.

Jane DNR prioritized lands with The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and Iowa 
Natural Heritage Foundation (INHF).  Want prairie preservation prioritized.

Ken showed maps of the Loess Hills and landowner incentive programs.  He 
said he can tell that the  prescribed burns  are being more effective than 
on privately owned land.  He said CRP can't cover the entire state with 
priority areas.  Targeted the best of what TNC requested.  He said Loess 
Hills is not being ignored.  Currently here is fire training and a grazing 
project in the hills.

The Iowa Conservation Alliance (ICA), a coalition of hunting groups, is 
looking for breaking out $60 million from sales tax revenues  The department 
won't introduce that kind of legislation under Vilsack but they will support 
the idea.  Jeff wants to double out-of-state deer licenses to 12,000 per 
year.  That would generate $2.5 million and the funds would be used to 
purchase land.  Jeff said an increase in the sales tax would be required if 
wanted to use that route (the route suggested by the ICA) because current 
sales tax funds would not be diverted.

Discussion turned to the Waubonsie acquisition.  Jeff said that they knew 
the land was for sale.  DNR was involved in determining how to come up with 
funds and managed to get a line of funding for that particular project.

INHF is targeting a property in Spirit Lake.  Jeff said he now has $1.5 
million in the budget to keep purchasing land.  He will try to get that line 
item well established for unique acquisitions and keep that funding there.  
He will keep this an issue even if Vilsack doesn't approve it in the DNR's 
proposed budget.

Jim mentioned that our campaign goal is 20,000 acres in the 12 Special Areas 
by 2020.

Easements.  DNR is just getting into the method of protection. Jeff might 
consider the farmland/ranchland program if there were agreements for the 
public's use of the land.

Jim mentioned that the future subsidies for land stewardship will replace 
the ag subsidies.

Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and Landowner Incentive Program 
(LIP).  Ken mentioned the DNR is using LIP for threatened and endangered 
species.  In northeast Iowa, that's certain species, in southeast Iowa it's 
the herpitile area.

Ken indicated that there are two DNR biologists at Loess Hills partnered 
with NRCS. Ken says that partnering is the wave of the future.

Ginger suggested that it appeared there is a patchwork of group plans.  Jeff 
said the state plan attempts to bring all of those group plans together.  
Loess Hills is a sub-plan of the larger, comprehensive plan.

Dave suggested that the DNR need us to be looking for acres to acquire.  
Jeff agreed.

Jim asked if there were a need to change our goals to protecting a natural 
corridor?  He acknowledged that a lot of Iowans don't want public lands.  He 
noted that there is support for the Neal Smith Wildlife Preserve and 
suggested possibly a Grassley-Harkin natural grassland corridor might get 
more attention from our congressional delegation.

Jeff said that the department needs to do a better job of educating the 
public about public lands.

The group also discussed the concept of "anchors" or initial prairie 
acquisitions/protections in each of the 12 special landscape areas as a good 
idea.   Expansions from a protected core seems to work.

Jeff said the Preserves Board needs to be brought into the process for 
protecting the prairie remnants.  He said the Preserves Board identifies the 
land and then staff checks out the sites.  He said Mike Brandrup is putting 
together a land donation plan.  Jeff suggested that if we have contacts with 
the landowners identified in the new plan - when it's completed - that we 
could enlist our volunteers to help make those contacts.

Suggestions on how we can work together to further our goal of preserving 
prairies in the Loess Hills included:
· Helping provide education about the benefit of public lands
· Make contact with landowners that we may know whose and will be identified 
in the land donation plan currently being developed by Mike Brandrup

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