How many acres of "Native Prairie" are
there left in Iowa.. ? I heard a figure of a tiny fraction of 1%
of the total area of Iowa is "untouched" by tillage or development..(woodlands,
prairie and water). Can you provide me with a credible source of how much
"native prairie" is left to protect? So the idea of asking the Governor to
be a "protector" may be nearly a mute point. Certainly we should ask for
measures to protect the few remnants that are left, but perhaps SC
should start promoting the restoration of "native prairie"
or the sloughs that go with them. SC needs to be a positive force, not just
against actions of others.
Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin (north of
Madison ... northwest of Milwaukee) is a great example of restored land
that provides habitat for waterfowl and other wildlife.. Horicon is
partially State owned and partially Federal Wildlife Preserve.. Of course there
are those who would ask, "How many acres of cattails does a state need... ?" but
it sure is a magnet for tourism in that area of Wisconsin.
I remember the great drainage ditches and tile
fields of Humboldt County in North Central Iowa, where I grew up. They
drained the sloughs to get a few more acres of corn ground in those days.
Just as developers now are required to have
retention basins on site to reduce runoff, just as contractors are required
to practice anti-erosion techniques on road and building construction
sites, farmers should practice those same measures as they "develop" the
ground each year.
Ken Larson