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SPRING EQUINOX EDITION 2020 Inside This Woodland/Prairie Perspectives Issue Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund Mike Wallace, Director Following is a reprint of an article that was in the February 14, 2020 edition of the Des Moines Register. It was written by Rich Leopold , the Director of the Polk County Conservation Board. I have known Rich for several years, and being in neighboring counties, we deal with many of the same issues, demands, and projects that his department does. His comments are worthy of consideration regarding the proposed Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. I would encourage all to Fund the Trust contact your legislators in support Fire Management for this trust fund. Microhabitat Hacks “The date was Aug. 9, 2006. A small group Value of of people from across Iowa gathered at the Volunteering Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge Year of the outside of Prairie City Volunteer to discuss water quality, agriculture, Events Calendar and natural resources. Morel Mushrooms During the previous Iowa legislature Deputy Director session, John Hired Whitaker, a state representative from Hillsboro with deep ties to Iowa agriculture, had inserted a short provision into a House appropriations bill. The language established a Museum Upgrades committee made up of farmers, hunters, a few legislators of each party, and natural resource professionals. Their task was to study and recommend a way continuedto sustainably on page 2 Published by Dallas County Conservation Board email: [email protected] ♦ www.dallascountyiowa.gov/conservation 1 Woodland/Prairie Perspectives with all the same groups that formed the original Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund continued from page 1 recommendations, to finally Fund the Trust. The path forward seemed long, and fraught with hurdles. It isn’t done yet, not by a long shot. We must pull together How were we to find common ground on agricultural and as hunters, farmers, urban professionals, anglers, and water quality issues? On a sensible funding method? On outdoor recreation enthusiasts. This is a public health issue, how we would “divide the pie” if it ever came to be? On an and there is vast support in the public health community. amount sufficient enough to result in real improvement, not This is an economic development issue; employers need a just window dressing, while still being efficient and high quality of life to attract and retain a well-educated and accountable to the citizens of Iowa? motivated workforce. This is a clean water issue; Iowans deserve cleaner water for drinking, fishing, and recreation. Well, we did it! That first year, Iowa Farm Bureau worked We have been fighting over crumbs that fall off the table alongside the Iowa Environmental Council, urban folk for too long, and this fund will mean real money for real worked alongside rural folk, hunters worked alongside solutions that are far overdue. birdwatchers, Republicans worked alongside Democrats, and we did it! We walked through dozens of funding There are detractors, but not many. When we conceived the mechanisms, examined state funding of natural resources effort years ago, we set a “formula” for distribution, which from around the United States, spoke with hundreds of the governor’s proposal would change. That’s OK, to a Iowans about their “willingness to pay,” shared many degree; we knew this would happen to respond to our water laughs and a few frustrations, but we did it! and natural resources needs of the changing times. Some existing funding may be compromised. Again, that’s OK, In 2007 the state Legislature approved language that could to a degree; the Trust Fund will dwarf past funding efforts appear on a statewide ballot to amend the Iowa within Iowa. Constitution to establish the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund. It was passed again in This effort is the single largest thing to improve the water 2009, as required by Iowa to put a constitutional and land in Iowa in the history of the state. The fund is amendment on the ballot. Both times, it passed with overwhelming bipartisan support. In 2010, the statewide ballot measure was approved by 62% of voting Iowans, a previously unheard of strength of support. The ballot measure received more support than any statewide political race that year! One last hurdle, now 14 years later, is left to clear. The next three-eighths of 1 cent of sales tax will go to “Fund the Trust” and this needs to come from legislation signed by the governor. In her Condition of the State address this year, Gov. Kim Reynolds revealed the design of the Invest in Iowa Act. She has shown bold leadership, in working DJ Services Septic system maintenance and tank pumping 2460 337th Street Perry, IA 50220 (515) 436-7212 www.raccoonvalleybank.com (515) 339-5718 Daryle Bennett II 2 Natural Resources timber stand improvement, increase forbs, Burn Baby Burn aesthetics, or a combination of things? Curt Cable, Once you know your objectives you can look into the timing of the fire. If you are It didn’t take much to spark my wanting to increase forbs, try burning in imagination growing up. My family lived the fall. If you’re trying to reduce the on a small acreage outside of town, and amount of undesirable cool-season the closest neighbor was a half mile away. grasses, burn a little later into the spring or I would spend hours trying to catch little early summer. If you’re just trying to chubs out of the creek down the road, reduce fuels and maintain a regular cycle, shooting at house sparrows and starlings set fire to it as soon conditions are good. with a recurve bow (never successfully), There are multiple schools of thought and starting fires with a magnifying when it comes to timing of fires and glass. research is still being conducted on these topics. There is not always a right As most young boys do, I had this answer, but there may be multiple strange fascination with fire. I would take options available to you. the magnifying glass from my desk, steal a cast iron skillet from my mom, go to When creating a plan it is important to the chicken coup and get an egg from set parameters for the burn and to look at one of the chickens, and grab a pile of the resources available to you. Print out straw from the barn. I don’t recall ever a map and mark your firebreak successfully making an egg, as I was boundary. Make sure there are not any always worried of the repercussions if I smoke sensitive areas around your plot, got caught trying to start a fire next to a such as busy roads or livestock 100 year old barn full of straw. production areas. Set your weather parameters (wind direction, wind speed, As I have grown, fire still plays a role in ideal temps and relative humidity range), my life, but my objectives have changed. remember high temperatures, high Prescribed fire is one of the best winds, and low RH are all recipes for management practices we can use on our disaster. Look for above ground utilities natural areas. Fire has been used for or other hazards, closest alternative years as a management technique. Native water source, adjacent land use/fuels. people would often set fire to the prairie Once you have those parameters set you as a tactic to bring in large herds of bison. herds. can then write out a proposed ignition The bison were attracted to the fresh pattern on the map. Remember a large nutrient rich grasses which was the When planning for a prescribed fire ask black line created from a slow back burn byproduct of the fire. Some farmers and yourself the question, “What are you (burning against the wind) is the best ranchers still use this technique on their trying to accomplish?” Is it to reduce fuel firebreak you can have. It is also a good pasturelands with the objective of loads, improve habitat for ground nesting idea to contact your neighbors and local producing nutrient rich grasses for their birds, kill off unwanted woody vegetation, authorities to let them know when and where you will be burning as well as when BENNETT BACKHOE Backhoe Work HARLAND ACE HARDWARE, INC. Water Minor Plumbing Sewer Home and Farm Septic Maintenance Tile Repair Footings free estimates 628 1ST AVENUE PERRY, IA 50220 Marty Bennett 19718 Lexington Rd. cell # (515) 480-1628 515-465-2177 Minburn, IA 50167 home # (515) 677-2173 3 Nature Notes Beyond Birdhouses insects!). Simply bundle some hollow straws or stems of Microhabitat Hacks for Backyard Wildlife different lengths and diameters Cindy Blobaum, Naturalist together – tied with a piece of twine, stuck in the hole of a Are you interested in attracting wildlife to your area? Wild brick, or cut and cap a piece of animals need four basic things to survive: space, food, water, pvc pipe as shown in the picture. and shelter. While most of us can’t do much about adding Each summer, replace the straws. space to our area, perhaps you have addressed the other three by putting out bird feeders, bird baths and bird houses. If you have, you probably already know that these simple strategies Tree Frog Tubes often attract other animals as well! Squirrels, chipmunks, Speaking of pvc pipes, longer pieces worked great last raccoons, opossums, deer and other animals love to visit well- summer for our inaugural intentional tree frog tubes! After stocked feeders. Bird baths provide drinking and bathing noticing tree frogs hanging out in the pvc pipe flag holders in opportunities for any thirsty critter that can access it, with the Kuehn Prairie Awakening Arbor, and seeing another ground level bird baths providing water to the greatest conservation area hanging capped pipes in trees, I did some number and variety of visitors.

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