> Subject: News release: Maryland water quality > officials to visit Iowa IOWA CLASSES > CONVENED FOR MARYLAND WATER QUALITY LESSONSThree Maryland > officials will visit Iowa to discuss progress toward clean > water goals in the Chesapeake Bay.Lessons learned in > that six-state watershed that may be helpful to Iowa will be > the topic of a public presentation set for Monday, April 13, > sponsored by State Rep. Chuck Isenhart (D-Dubuque) and the > Drake Agricultural Law Center.The 6:30 p.m. > meeting will be in Room 213, Cartwright Hall, 2621 Carpenter > Ave. on the Drake University campus in Des Moines.Speaking will be > Sarah Lane, Dave Nemazie and Tom Simpson.Lane is senior > faculty research assistant at the University of Maryland > Center for Environmental Science, currently assigned to the > Maryland Department of Natural Resources.Simpson is principal > at Aqua-Terra Science, having recently retired as president > and senior scientist of Water Stewardship, a non-profit > organization focused on verified continuous improvement in > agricultural water quality.Nemazie is associate > vice-president for external affairs at the University of > Maryland Center for Environmental Science.Isenhart is ranking > member on the Environmental Protection Committee in the Iowa > House of Representatives and serves on the state’s > Watershed Planning Advisory Council. Last July, he spent a > day at the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in > Annapolis, learning about the Chesapeake Bay program and > touring conservation projects.“The main takeaway > from my sojourn was that both collaboration and > accountability in improving water quality are possible when > people decide that participation is not optional,” > Isenhart said. “Marylanders are not just involved; they > are committed.“One reason for that is that the Chesapeake Bay > is in their own backyard, not 1,000 miles downriver like the > Gulf of Mexico is for us. Maryland has been spoiling their > own nest, and they know that no white knight is going to > ride to the rescue,” Isenhart continued. “I was > impressed by their goal-setting, public investment, > progress measurement and public reporting. Those are some of > the topics we want to address. Maryland has shown that it > can be done.”While in Iowa, the Maryland delegation will speak > to the Measures of Success Committee of the Water Resources > Coordinating Council, 2 p.m. on April 13 in conference room > one of the Wallace Building, 502 East 9th St., Des > Moines.They > will also address state legislators at the Capitol, 8 a.m., > Tuesday, April 14, in Room 116.The Measures of > Success Committee chaired by John Lawrence of Iowa State > University is charged with developing a plan to track the > performance of the state “nutrient reduction strategy.” > The plan to > reduce nitrogen and phosphorus pollution in Iowa waterways > by 45 percent was created in 2013 by the Department of > Agriculture and Land Stewardship and the Department of > Natural Resources, at the direction of the U.S. > Environmental Protection Agency. The interim goal set by the > Gulf Hypoxia Task Force is a 20 percent reduction by 2025. > The multi-state task force is co-chaired by Iowa’s > Secretary of Agriculture, Bill Northey.Topics to be covered > in the April 13-14 meetings include:1. > Development and application of online tools > to report Chesapeake Bay restoration progress in > Maryland;2. > The role of universities in advising > governments in policy development and tracking nutrient > reductions;3. > Creation and use of environmental health > report cards;4. > Development of stream-specific pollution > reduction goals and watershed implementation > plans;5. > Defining, estimating the effectiveness of and > verifying best management practices;6. > Approval and tracking of agricultural > conservation efforts; 7. > Public-private partnerships to develop and > apply innovative water quality improvement > methods;8. > Factors affecting pollution flowing from > agricultural lands;9. > Developing whole farm and watershed > strategies to reduce nutrient losses. Further > biographical information and curricula vitae for Lane, > Nemazie and Simpson attached.Chuck Isenhart > State Representative, House District 100 > Ranking Member, Environmental Protection Committee > Member: Economic Growth Committee, Ways and Means Committee, > Appropriations Subcommittee for Agriculture/Natural > Resources/Environmental ProtectionLiaison: Watershed Planning Advisory > Council, Iowa Innovation Council > P.O. Box 3353 > Dubuque, IA 52004-3353 > In district: 563-557-1261In Des Moines: 515-281-3221 > [log in to unmask]: Isenhart Campaign for the > Common GoodClick here if you want > to subscribe to my Legislative e-newsletter: http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?category=Subscribe&Service=DataEntry&id=7494&ga=84 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > This email has been checked for viruses by Avast > antivirus software. > > www.avast.com > > > > > > > - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask] Check out our Listserv Lists support site for more information: http://www.sierraclub.org/lists/faq.asp Sign up to receive Sierra Club Insider, the flagship e-newsletter. Sent out twice a month, it features the Club's latest news and activities. Subscribe and view recent editions at http://www.sierraclub.org/insider/