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. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]