In regard to the question of how many acres of  Iowa native prairie would be 
protected by Sodsaver if Governor  Culver signed onto it, the answer is about 
5,400 acres.  Keep in mind that  only one portion of Iowa (the Des Moines 
Lobe) is eligible for  the current weakened optional Sodsaver, after the original  
mandatory national Sodsaver was eviscerated by  Congress.  
 
As a side note,  that the evisceration happened  via conference committee 
makes it worse, in my opinion.  If you're  going to vote to have taxpayers 
subsidize environmental destruction,  at least have the guts to cast that vote 
openly. 
 
While 5,400 acres isn't a lot of land, those acres comprise much of the  last 
native prairie in the Lobe. As a number of organizations and individuals  
have already expressed to Governor Culver, it would be  much better to give some 
protection to those 5,400 acres than no  protection.  
 
There's also the ethical issue.  As taxpayers, we  conservationists should 
not be required to help subsidize the  destruction what's left of Iowa's native 
prairie  heritage.   
 
On a personal note, I am fortunate enough to own a few acres  of high-quality 
virgin mesic prairie, potentially very good corn  ground.  Of course I will 
never plow them (shudder),  and will protect them permanently.  But if I 
theoretically did want to  turn that irreplaceable piece of loveliness into more 
corn, it  would be outrageous to expect any Farm Bill money to help.  As far as I 
 know, Sodbuster would apply to my prairie if Culver signed on.   Fine  with 
me.  In fact, wonderful.  
 
Cindy
 
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)
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