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We’ve enjoyed several parades and county fairs throughout the
area this summer, but last week I took a few days to attend a meeting. The Midwest Council of State Governments, made
up of 11 Midwest states and three provinces in Canada,
met in Rapid City, South Dakota.
I’m a member of the Council’s Agriculture and Natural
Resources Committee. We joined the
Energy Committee to review energy efficiency, bio-fuels and the 2007 Farm
Bill. We discussed the future of clean
coal, wind power and carbon trading.
Healthcare was another hot topic; some of the biggest
issues facing most states include chronic disease, controlling healthcare
costs, and the shortage of nurses.
Marty Strange, policy director for the Rural School &
Community Trust, discussed the challenges facing rural schools. Here in Iowa we’re very familiar with the concern
over declining enrollment, but apparently it is also becoming a problem nationwide.
Since May, Iowans have faced devastating flooding and
tornados. At the same time, we’ve
witnessed the true spirit of Iowa
as neighbors have reached out to help those who must now rebuild their homes,
businesses and lives.
In the face of this year’s unprecedented natural
disasters, everyone’s help is important.
Volunteers are needed in all parts of the state. If you’re interested in volunteering, you
should first register by going to www.flood2008.iowa.gov
and clicking on “Volunteer Opportunities.”
For further details, call the Iowa Concern Hotline at 1-800-447-1985.
Iowans can also serve on one of the task forces that will
help guide the work of the Governor's Rebuild Iowa Advisory Commission. To apply, visit www.flood2008.iowa.gov and click on
"Rebuild Iowa Task Force Application Form." The deadline is Friday, July 25.
The new 2008 Iowa Disaster Fund is accepting contributions
to help Iowans who’ve been affected by the floods and storms this year. The
fund got a jumpstart with nearly $2 million in contributions from
individuals and business organizations.
All donations to the Iowa Disaster Fund will be given to
local nonprofit organizations and local governments for disbursement to those
qualifying for assistance based on local criteria.
The fund was created for those wishing to make a statewide
contribution to disaster relief. It is
not intended to take the place of contributions to local agencies, including
community foundations, the United
Way or Red Cross chapters.
All donations to the Iowa Disaster Fund are tax deductible
and will be directed to those in greatest need. To learn more or to contribute, call
515-447-4222 or visit www.flood2008.iowa.gov
and click on “Donations.”
Iowa is one of the most
livable states in America. According to Morgan Quitno
Press, a publisher of annual state rankings, Iowa places fifth in the nation when it
comes to quality of life. That’s one
spot higher than last year.
Creating new recreational opportunities and improving our
environment are making Iowa
an even more attractive place to live.
Our efforts are also helping bring more tourism dollars to local
communities. Iowa families appreciate the chance to
enjoy time together close to home, while avoiding the high prices at the gas
pump.
Here are some ways we’re building a foundation for a
better Iowa
by expanding our recreational opportunities and improving our natural
resources:
During the 2008 session, we increased funding for Resource
Enhancement and Protection (REAP) to $18 million, the highest level in many
years. This money is used to clean up Iowa’s water resources
and expand recreational and cultural opportunities throughout the state.
Since the inception of the program in 1990, $892,774 in
REAP money has gone into Emmet County, $473,977 into Humboldt County,
$533,968 into Kossuth County, $917,166 into Palo Alto County, $689,032 into
Pocahontas County, and $9,263,772 into Webster County.
A few of our REAP-funded projects include $81,550 for the
Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation tract at Fort Defiance State Park, $20,000
for Carnegie Library renovations in Humboldt, $149,595 for the Carloson tract at the Iowa Lark Marsh, $197,897 for the
Palo Alto Nature Center, and $39,240 for Sunset Hill Recreation Area in
Rolfe.
This year we also invested $3 million in recreational
trails and $8.6 million in lake restoration projects that will improve
recreational opportunities on our waterways.
Learn more at www.iowadnr.com.
We extended Iowa’s
popular Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) grant program, which helps
local communities create and develop multi-purpose attraction and tourism
facilities. The program will receive
$12 million a year through at least 2013.
In recent years, CAT funding has helped pay for such
important local projects as the Smith
Lake Nature
Center and the addition
of an indoor pool and other amenities at the Algona Family YMCA and.
To build on the success of CAT, this year we created the
River Enhancement Community Attraction and Tourism (RECAT) program. RECAT will help cities develop river walks,
white-water courses and trails along waterways, with $12 million dedicated to
the program in the first year and $10 million annually for the following four
years.
Workshops on applying for CAT, RECAT, and marketing grants
from the Vision Iowa Board will be held Aug. 1 and Aug. 26. Two sessions are offered each day at 10
a.m. and 1 p.m. at the Iowa Department of Economic Development in Des Moines. For details or to RSVP, go to www.visioniowa.org or call 515-242-4827.
Next year on the first Monday in April, regular business
in the Iowa Senate will come to a halt, as we pause to honor some very
special people.
It will be the first annual celebration of “Gift to Iowa's Future”
recognition day. On this day, the
Legislature and the Governor will honor individuals and families who’ve
donated land for Iowa's
parks, nature preserves, hunting and other public uses.
These land gifts are an important legacy that our
generation can leave for the future.
Donations of land improve the quality of life for all Iowans and
quickly become important assets to local communities.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is creating a
registry of all who’ve donated land for public uses, and each year, we’ll be
inviting them to the Statehouse. I
hope this recognition will encourage more Iowans to donate land that can be
enjoyed by all.
I want our district to be well represented on this growing
list of special Iowans. For more
information, contact Diane Ford-Shivers at the Iowa DNR at 515-281-6341 or diane.ford-shivvers@dnr.iowa.gov.
Since the livestock industry plays such an important role
in Iowa’s
economy, I think we should do all we can to make sure it recovers quickly
from this year’s natural disasters.
That’s why I’m pleased to be serving on a committee that
will study the impact of the floods on Iowa’s
livestock industry.
Our goal is to come up with solutions that will help producers
rebuild their operations. I’ll keep
you posted on our progress.
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