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From: "Jane Clark" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
References: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Iowa DOT revegetation project
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2006 15:27:56 -0600
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Thanks, Pam--it would be nice if someone on the INPS or Sierra listservs wou=
ld post the DOT website and maybe even the specific contact information for=20=
the people to contact.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 1:08 PM
Subject: Fwd: [IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS] Iowa DOT revegetation project
In a message dated 10/31/2006 12:18:15 AM Central Standard Time, daryl.pra=
[log in to unmask] writes:
Iowa Native Plants List Serve Members =20
I want to bring to your attention a concern. You may or may not=
be=20
aware that a concerted effort is being waged to eliminate or severely=20
curtail the Iowa DOT=E2=80=99s program to revegetate primary highways wi=
th=20
prairie. A campaign has been aimed at applying pressure on the Iowa=20
DOT and some Commissioners. Most of the complaints come from=20
landowners adjacent to revegetation projects along two-lane highways. =20
Possibly some pressure is also being applied through legislators. =20
There seems to be less concern about revegetation projects along=20
four-lane highways or prairie plantings associated with new=20
construction.
From my experience at the Tallgrass Prairie Center, I am especia=
lly=20
concerned about this negative pressure. As many of you know, I am a=20
strong advocate of roadside prairie plantings. I have personally=20
always been proud of the fact that Iowa with its state and county=20
programs is the leader in the use of native plants in roadside=20
vegetation management. I was especially impressed six years ago when=20
the DOT Commissioners established the goal of revegetating Iowa=E2=80=
=99s=20
primary highways with prairie. As most of you know, prairie plantings=20
are a keystone component of Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management=20
programs for weed control, reduction of mowing and reduced use of=20
herbicides by spot spraying. Prairie vegetation increases storm water=20
infiltration and helps reduce erosion. Furthermore, a diverse prairie=20
roadside is beautiful, provides roadside habitat, increases safety by=20
reducing visual monotony and trapping snow to reduce drifting on=20
roadways.
Those opposing the prairie plantings usually cite one or more of=
the=20
following reasons: 1) Why kill existing grasses, 2) Money could better=20
be spent on other highway priorities, 3) Projects create weed problems=20
that did not previously exist, 4) NIMBY, 5) Many want to use the=20
roadsides for their own use or benefit (i.e. haying), 6) Native plants=20
are wild and unruly and potential invaders of adjacent fields, 7)=20
Native plants are of no benefit to wildlife. Certainly some of their=20
objections are in error. Furthermore, they are obviously not=20
interested in considering the long-term benefits of roadside prairie=20
vegetation.
Nancy Richardson is the Iowa DOT Director and Commissioners are=20=
Suzan=20
Boden, Barry Cleaveland, Patricia Crawford, Thomas Hart, Barbara=20
MacGregor, Wayne Sawtelle and Don Wiley. Contact information for the=20
Commission is available on the Iowa DOT Commission Webpage. If you=20
feel revegetation of Iowa=E2=80=99s primary highways with native prairie=
is a=20
good idea, I=E2=80=99m sure it would be worthwhile to pass that along to=
them.
Daryl Smith
=20
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp
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<DIV>Thanks, Pam--it would be nice if someone on the INPS or Sierra listserv=
s=20
would post the DOT website and maybe even the specific contact information f=
or=20
the people to contact.</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5=
px; BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px">
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial">----- Original Message ----- </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: black=
"><B>From:</B>=20
<A [log in to unmask] href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]
com">[log in to unmask]</A> </DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A title=3DIOWA-TOPICS@LIST=
S.SIERRACLUB.ORG href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">IOWA-T=
[log in to unmask]</A>=20
</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Tuesday, October 31, 2006 1:0=
8=20
PM</DIV>
<DIV style=3D"FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Fwd: [IOWA-NATIVE-PLANTS]=20=
Iowa=20
DOT revegetation project</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV>In a message dated 10/31/2006 12:18:15 AM Central Standard Time, <A =20=
href=3D"mailto:[log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]</A> writes:</=
DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE style=3D"PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT:=
blue 2px solid"><FONT face=3DArial>Iowa Native Plants List Serve Memb=
ers <BR> =20
I want to bring to your attention a concern. =20=
You=20
may or may not be <BR>aware that a concerted effort is being waged to=20
eliminate or severely <BR>curtail the Iowa DOT=E2=80=99s program to reve=
getate=20
primary highways with <BR>prairie. A campaign has been aimed at=20
applying pressure on the Iowa <BR>DOT and some Commissioners. Most=
of=20
the complaints come from <BR>landowners adjacent to revegetation project=
s=20
along two-lane highways. <BR>Possibly some pressure is also being=20
applied through legislators. <BR>There seems to be less concern ab=
out=20
revegetation projects along <BR>four-lane highways or prairie plantings=20
associated with new <BR>construction.<BR> Fro=
m my=20
experience at the Tallgrass Prairie Center, I am especially <BR>concerne=
d=20
about this negative pressure. As many of you know, I am a <BR>stro=
ng=20
advocate of roadside prairie plantings. I have personally <BR>alwa=
ys=20
been proud of the fact that Iowa with its state and county <BR>programs=20=
is=20
the leader in the use of native plants in roadside <BR>vegetation=20
management. I was especially impressed six years ago when <BR>the=20=
DOT=20
Commissioners established the goal of revegetating Iowa=E2=80=99s <BR>pr=
imary=20
highways with prairie. As most of you know, prairie plantings <BR>=
are=20
a keystone component of Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management=20
<BR>programs for weed control, reduction of mowing and reduced use of=20
<BR>herbicides by spot spraying. Prairie vegetation increases stor=
m=20
water <BR>infiltration and helps reduce erosion. Furthermore, a=20
diverse prairie <BR>roadside is beautiful, provides roadside habitat,=20
increases safety by <BR>reducing visual monotony and trapping snow to re=
duce=20
drifting on <BR>roadways.<BR> Those opposing=20=
the=20
prairie plantings usually cite one or more of the <BR>following reasons:=
1)=20
Why kill existing grasses, 2) Money could better <BR>be spent on other=20
highway priorities, 3) Projects create weed problems <BR>that did not=20
previously exist, 4) NIMBY, 5) Many want to use the <BR>roadsides for th=
eir=20
own use or benefit (i.e. haying), 6) Native plants <BR>are wild and unru=
ly=20
and potential invaders of adjacent fields, 7) <BR>Native plants are of n=
o=20
benefit to wildlife. Certainly some of their <BR>objections are in=
=20
error. Furthermore, they are obviously not <BR>interested in=20
considering the long-term benefits of roadside prairie=20
<BR>vegetation.<BR> Nancy Richardson is the I=
owa=20
DOT Director and Commissioners are Suzan <BR>Boden, Barry Cleaveland,=20
Patricia Crawford, Thomas Hart, Barbara <BR>MacGregor, Wayne Sawtelle an=
d=20
Don Wiley. Contact information for the <BR>Commission is available=
on=20
the Iowa DOT Commission Webpage. If you <BR>feel revegetation of=20
Iowa=E2=80=99s primary highways with native prairie is a <BR>good idea,=20=
I=E2=80=99m sure it=20
would be worthwhile to pass that along to them.<BR>Daryl=20
Smith<BR> </FONT></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY=
></HTML>
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
To view the Sierra Club List Terms & Conditions, see:
http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/terms.asp
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