STATE PARK RULES TO BE DISCUSSED ON MAY 4 AT OAKDALE CAMPUS

A public hearing on the various administrative rules which govern many of
the Parks, Recreation and Preserves Division's programs will be held on May
4 at the Oakdale Campus.

 The 7 p.m. meeting will be held in the Gold Room, Oakdale Hall. The Parks
Division will conduct four public hearings across the state in May,
designed to allow park users a chance to comment on existing administrative
rules and the needs for making those clearer or, in some cases, possibly
eliminating them. This hearing is part of a statewide effort to review and
improve the administrative rules adopted by all state agencies. The effort
stems from an Executive Order issued by Governor Tom Vilsack aimed at
making rules clearer, eliminating unnecessary rules, and involving the
public in the rule making process

 The Parks Division is charged with the management, development, and public
use of Iowa's State Parks, Recreation Areas and Preserves. Examples in the
Iowa City vicinity include Lake Macbride State Park, Pleasant Creek State
Recreation Area, and preserves such as the Merrill Stainbrook Geological
Preserve, Old State Quarry Geological Preserve, and Williams Prairie.

 Administrative rules are also developed to guide a variety of grant
programs such as the Recreation Infrastructure Grants Program which
provides grants to local entities to repair and renovate recreation
facilities, the REAP Program, Recreational Boating Access Grants and
Snowmobile Trail programs. These rules typically spell out eligible
applicants; scoring criteria, grant award processes, and other details
involved in administering grant programs.

 Other rules primarily administered by the Parks Division include:

· Blufflands Protection Program and Revolving Loan Fund
· Restrictions on Removal of Plant Materials from State Areas
· Threatened and Endangered Species List
· Ginseng Harvest and Sale
· Scientific Collecting and Wildlife Rehabilitation Permits
· Park and Recreation Area Rules and Regulations
· Multi-use Trail Rules on State Lands
· Keg Beer Rules in State Parks
· Sand and Gravel Removal Permits
· Permits and Easements for Construction on Public Lands and Waters
· Concession Operations in State Parks

People affected by or having an interest in these or other program areas of
the DNR are encouraged to attend the public hearing. The Oakdale Campus is
reached by taking I-80 Exit 240 North.

Similar meetings, all scheduled for 7 p.m., are scheduled as follows:

May 11, Mason City Public Library, 225 2nd Street, SE
May 17, Iowa Western Community College, 906 Sunnyside Lane, Atlantic, Iowa
May 25, Wallace State Office Bldg., Auditorium, 900 E. Grand, Des Moines,
Iowa

For further information, contact Arnie Sohn, chief of the DNR's Parks,
Recreation and Preserves Bureau, at 515-281-5814.

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