Forwarded by Jane Clark at [log in to unmask] Iowa Environmental Council "Together for the Earth we share" 711 East Locust Street Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Phone: 515/244-1194 Fax: 515/244-7856 ************************************************************************ News Bulletin November 5, 1999 ************************************************************************ COUNCIL NOTES Board of Directors to meet December 10 The Council's Board of Directors will meet at the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge/Prairie Learning Center at 1 p.m. The agenda items include review of two Council position papers and discussion of legislative strategy. Contact Tommi Makila at 515/244-1194 or <[log in to unmask]>. Environmental issues included in IPTV town meeting Iowa Public Television held a town meeting "Is this the state of our future?" on October 25. The program generated over 200 phone calls and 170 emails commenting on Iowa's future. The Council's Executive Director, Linda Appelgate, was one of ten special guests invited to share the stage with Governor Tom Vilsack. Your comments to the Governor's Strategic Planning Council are still welcome. Contact the Strategic Planning Council at 877/342-2010 or <http://www.iowa2010.state.ia.us>. A tape of the IPTV program can be borrowed from the Iowa Environmental Council. Contact Tommi Makila at 515/244-1194 or <[log in to unmask]>. ACTION ALERTS Write to protect public land at Coralville Lake The Corps of Engineers is threatening to lease 106 acres of public land at Coralville Lake in North Liberty for an international youth camp. The land is currently undeveloped, wooded, open to the public, and frequented by hikers, birders, and other nature lovers. The proposed lease would result in the land being closed to the public, cleared, and developed. Green space is disappearing quickly in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor, which is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Please write to your legislators and the Corps of Engineers to give them your opinion of this lease proposal. Submitted by Jim Monagan, Cedar Rapids Audubon Society Celebrate the 27th anniversary of the Clean Water Act October marked the 27th birthday of the Clean Water Act. Clean Water Network put together a top 10 list of ways to celebrate the anniversary. Top three on the list include: 1) Write a letter to the editor of your local or state paper calling on your state to commit to cleaning up its impaired waters; 2) Take your elected official for a tour of your waterbody of concern; and 3) Speak out against large, dirty corporate farms. For a complete list, contact Clean Water Network at <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Ami Grace, Clean Water Network Help reform World Trade Organization In late November and early December the member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) will be gathering in Seattle to discuss further trade liberalization, including lower protections for endangered forests and an investment scheme that would limit the power of governments to protect public health and the environment. Friends of the Earth has prepared an action manual titled "The World Trade Organization and the Environment: A Citizen Action Guide." The guide was created to give environment and public health advocates information on the ramifications of WTO policies and procedures and the tools necessary to stop its expansion and change its rules. For a copy of the action guide, contact Friends of the Earth at 202/783-7400, extension 109. Submitted by Friends of the Earth CONFERENCES AND EVENTS Public input sought on trails Various dates and locations The Iowa Department of Transportation will hold five open houses across the state to gather public input on recreational trails for the Iowa Trails Plan 2000. The open houses, which will consist of an open format without formal presentation, are: - November 8, Ottumwa: Advanced Technology Center, Indian Hills Community College, 5-7 p.m. - November 9, Waverly: Waverly Civic Center, 5-7 p.m. - November 15, Atlantic: Southwest Iowa Transportation Center, 5-7 p.m. - November 16, Clive: Clive City Hall, 5:30-7 p.m. - November 18, Cherokee: Community Center, 5-7 p.m. Global warming, law, and faith discussed November 11, Des Moines Drake Environmental Law Society is sponsoring a presentation, "Global warming: science, law, and faith," by Robert Hogg, a Cedar Rapids attorney and Global Warming Project Coordinator for the Ecumenical Ministries of Iowa. The presentation, which is free and open to the public, will be at 1 p.m. in Room 203, Cartwright Hall, Drake University. Contact Rob Hogg at 515/255-5905 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Rob Hogg, IEC member BECON facility to be dedicated November 16, Nevada The public is invited to attend an open house celebrating the completion of the Iowa Energy Center's Biomass Energy CONversion (BECON) facility. The event will begin with a buffet luncheon at 12:30 p.m. and the formal dedication will be held at 1:30 p.m. Guest speakers at the open house include Christopher Rants, Iowa House Majority Leader; Denise Swink, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Industrial Technologies; and Dr. Rollin Richmond, Iowa State University. The BECON facility is located at 1521 West F Avenue in Nevada. Contact Iowa Energy Center at 515/294-8819 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Iowa Energy Center Well rehabilitation workshop set November 16-17, Des Moines The American Ground Water Trust is sponsoring a two-day workshop, "Water well rehabilitation technology: everything you always wanted to know about the problems and solutions of well rehabilitation," at the Savery Hotel. Register through American Groundwater Trust at 603/228-5444, <[log in to unmask]>, or <http://www.agwt.org>. Registration fee is $225; 1.3 CEUs for Water Well Contractors and Water Supply Operators will be awarded. Contact Paul VanDorpe, Iowa Groundwater Association, at 319/335-1580 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Paul VanDorpe Learn farm policy advocacy skills Various dates and locations. The Iowa Farmers Union, National Catholic Rural Life Conference, the Center for Rural Affairs, Friends of Rural America, and ELCA Rural Ministry Resources are sponsoring three workshops for people wanting to take a more active role in advocating for federal farm policy reforms on market access, the Farm Bill, and environmental issues. The workshops will focus on how citizen activists can influence the positions of presidential candidates prior to the Iowa caucuses. The day-long meetings will be held on November 20 in Independence, December 4 in Storm Lake, and December 11 in Ames. For more information and to RSVP your interest in attending, contact Nancy Thompson, Center for Rural Affairs, at 712/266-1268 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Nancy Thompson Hearing on Eddyville Dunes to be held November 23, Eddyville The U. S. Army Corps has requested that the Iowa Department of Transportation hold another public hearing at Eddyville as part of the section 404 wetland permit process. The meeting will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Eddyville High School. The purpose of the meeting is to allow public comments on the additional costs and farmland, wetland, property and other impacts of the Near East Alternative which were not documented in the Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Eddyville Bypass project. Contact Pat McAdams or Glenda Buenger at 515/632-8308 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Glenda Buenger, IEC member Agricultural conservation conference and TMDL workshop set December 14-17, New Orleans, Louisiana The National Agricultural Conservation 2000 Conference is presenting accomplishments and lessons learned from local, state and federal programs, and research addressing soil and water quality. The conference will be preceded by an agricultural TMDL workshop on December 14. The workshop will address the past, present, and future issues regarding the identification of impaired waters, prioritization of those waters, and establishment of TMDLs for the water bodies. The event is sponsored by Conservation Technology Information Center, National Association of Conservation Districts, USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Registration fee for the conference is $185 and $125 for the workshop. To register, contact Conservation Technology Information Center at 765/494-9555 or <[log in to unmask]>. Submitted by Conservation Technology Information Center Help a Habitat workshop scheduled January 14-16, Guthrie Center The topic of the annual Iowa Conservation Education Council Winter Solstice workshop will be "Help a Habitat," which will also be the theme for Iowa Earth Day in April. The workshop will be held at the Conservation Education Center at Springbrook State Park. A workshop agenda can be obtained from Duane Toomsen, Iowa Department of Education, at 515/281-3146 or <[log in to unmask]> Submitted by Duane Toomsen RESOURCES Environmental science grants available The Environmental Defense Fund is requesting letters of inquiry for the next round of Environmental Science Program grants to be awarded in early 2000. This program is funded by the Packard Foundation and aims to increase the ability of non-governmental environmental organizations to utilize scientific expertise and engage academic scientists in activities that further the goals of the environmental community. Application deadline is November 22. For application guidelines, visit < http://www.edf.org/sciencegrants/ngo.html>. Contact Michael Oppenheimer or Roberta Desmond, Environmental Defense Fund, at 212/505-2100. Submitted by Ami Grace, Clean Water Network Iowa Recycling Directory goes online Recycling in Iowa just got easier! The 1999 Iowa Recycling Directory is now available on the internet at <http://www.iowarecyclingdirectory.org>. You can search a database of more than 600 companies that collect, process, or use recyclable materials. You can also receive a copy of the directory on a computer disk by contacting the Waste Management Assistance Division of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources at 515/281-4367. Submitted by Iowa Department of Natural Resources ************************************************************************ Items in the News Bulletin are not necessarily endorsed by the Council, nor do they necessarily reflect the views of the Council as a whole. All information may be freely reprinted and shared. ----- Iowa Environmental Council 711 East Locust Street Des Moines, Iowa 50309 515/244-1194 phone 515/244-7856 fax [log in to unmask] - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]