Regarding Highway 100 and the Rock Island Preserve, the following message was posted on the Iowa Native Plant listserve today, and since Rob Hogg is mentioned, and the Sierran article written by Bob and Linda Scarth, I thought appropriate to post the message here, too. Thanks to Rob and the Cedar-Wapsie Group for their work on this issue. Jane Clark ================================================ Those of you in Eastern Iowa are probably well aware of the CR Gazette's many articles about the HWY 100 issue. While articles by Robert Hogg, Frank Olsen and others have written well of the whole habitat and its vulnerable nature and importance, the paper itself and other local news media are focusing only on the Byssus skipper and almost making it seem a frivolous concern. The total impact on the larger area including Hanging Bog is also largely dismissed. Bob went to the meeting with Robert Hogg at which the City Council voted to support the highway where it currently is planned. Bob spoke of the special nature of the place and its beauty as well as its environmental value. He used the anecdote we used in the Iowa Sierran article about the woman who said there is nothing to look at in Iowa so her daughter did not need a camera with a zoom lens. Last fall we photographed several places along the route for use by Sierra Club. At that time we felt that road preparations were being made to continue full steam ahead with the highway in that location. Each time an important habitat is degraded by inappropriate or misplaced development in the name of being good for people, people also end up the poorer. What they then see is degraded land, perhaps invaded by weeds, and they have less to judge other such impending desecrations against. As people become desensitized and accepting of poor environments, the few remaining are more threatened. The aesthetic and character development reasons for sustaining high quality native habitats is as valuable as the species diversity, unknown physical benefit reservoirs, historic record and specialness of such places. I guess I had better get out of pulpit, especially because I know we are all the choir. I hope we do not get drowned out by the sound of traffic. Linda [and Bob Scarth] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT to [log in to unmask]