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A move forward for water, land and wildlife

Will our Legislature do what it takes?

In April 2008, the Iowa Legislature passed the next step toward creating a $150 million fund for water, land and wildlife restoration. In the winter and spring, Environment Iowa staff and members met and e-mailed legislators telling them how important Iowa’s waterways, parks and wildlife are in their lives so they would support establishment of the largest environmental fund in Iowa history.  With hard work, we won overwhelming bipartisan majorities in both the House and Senate.  

“The Legislature showed great vision in passing this bill, the first step toward solving many of Iowa’s environmental problems,” said Environment Iowa Advocate Andrew Hug. “Now we need the next Legislature to show as much vision by passing it again in 2009. If they do, Iowa voters will have the opportunity to vote for creating this fund.”

A pressing need

These dollars would provide the backbone needed to clean up Iowa’s highly polluted waterways, keep soil and nutrients on the land where they belong, improve our parks, and improve biking, hiking and water trails. Our waterways are so polluted, and our outdoor recreation opportunities are so impaired, that it aggravates both the brain drain and our coming work force shortage.  

The fund also addresses Iowa’s recurrent flooding problem. “This summer’s tragic flooding demonstrated the urgent need for positive environmental land use changes, and this fund is aimed squarely at that need,” said Hug.

In spite of success to date, we do not expect smooth sailing. Organizations opposed to investing tax dollars in the environment will pressure legislators next spring. “It will take ten times as much public pressure to win again in the Legislature, because this time they will hear from a potentially well-funded opposition,” said Hug.   

To keep the pressure on, Environment Iowa is helping to lead a broad coalition of environmental, conservation, agricultural, fishing and hunting groups that will raise public awareness, consolidate business support, and demonstrate to legislators that the public is behind this proposal.

Funding to clean and control our waters will improve healthy outdoor recreation.