Des Moines – The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is hosting public meetings on February 21st from 6 to 9 p.m., to listen to the public’s thoughts on the hunting and trapping regulations for this fall.  The meetings are part of the process for making rules in state government. Todd Bishop, chief of the wildlife bureau, said “Any rule changes must be discussed with Iowa’s citizens who might be impacted by the changes before the rule changes are proposed. The process helps ensure that rule changes serve the public’s wishes and do not impact Iowa’s economy.”  At each meeting DNR staff will facilitate a discussion about what went well last fall, what didn’t, and what changes hunters and trappers would like to see for this fall.

The discussions along with the data that the wildlife bureau collects on harvest and population numbers will be used to develop recommendations for any rule changes. Any changes must be approved by the Natural Resource Commission and then go back to the public for further comment before taking effect next fall. Meetings will be held locally:

• In Atlantic, at the Iowa DNR Office (1401 Sunnyside Lane)
• In Council Bluffs, at the Fish and Game Club (531 Comanche St.)
• and in Creston, at Southwestern Community College (1501 W. Townline), Room 180.

Any person attending the public meeting and has special requirements such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments should contact the DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service 800-735-7942, or Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, and advise of specific needs.

As Iowans begin the task of filling out their state tax returns, they’re encouraged to make a donation to what’s nicknamed the “Chickadee Checkoff” to support wildlife conservation statewide. Stephanie Shepherd, a wildlife biologist at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, says the amount collected last year for the Fish and Wildlife Fund rose from the year before, but still, very few Iowans donate to the cause. “We were really excited to see that the numbers went up to about $147,000,” Shepherd says. “That was up by roughly $15,000 from the year before. That was a really nice increase and we were really happy to see it, but in its heyday, it brought in over $200,000.”

Iowa has one-point-six million taxpayers and last year about 78-hundred donated to the fund, an increase of about 300 from the year before. “Less than half of one percent of taxpayers actually donate to the checkoff,” Shepherd says. “If every taxpayer in Iowa, for example, gave one dollar to the checkoff, that would mean $1.5 million for wildlife conservation.” Of the Iowans who donated last year, they averaged about 19-dollars each. The fund benefits a wide array of Iowa’s most vulnerable creatures — more than a thousand species, including eagles, songbirds, turtles, lizards and butterflies. Avenues include education, research and habitat management. “The money from the Chickade Checkoff is used to support non-game wildlife or wildlife that you can’t hunt, fish or trap,” Shepherd says. “It was instrumental in developing the Wildlife Diversity Program here at the Iowa DNR where we focus entirely on non-game species.”

The Fish and Wildlife Fund was created by the Iowa Legislature in the 1980s as a way for citizens to donate to wildlife conservation on the state tax form. Before that, non-game wildlife had no dedicated funding. Shepherd says donating on the tax form is easy: simply write the amount next to the Fish and Wildlife Check-Off, line 57 on Form 1040. The sum is either automatically deducted from the refund or added to the amount owed. Plus, it’s deductible from next year’s taxes.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Denny Heflin

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The Iowa Senate had a heated debate about the water quality bill Governor Kim Reynolds has pledged to sign into law. A bill that passed the Republican-led Senate LAST YEAR got final legislative approval in the Iowa HOUSE on Tuesday. Senator Rob Hogg a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says the bill fails to target the state money to where it would do the most good and fails to restart the state’s water monitoring program.”It is a facade. It is not a bill that helps water quality in this state…There is no monitoring, reporting or accountability,” Hogg says. “If you don’t measure it, you don’t really care about it.”

Senator Jerry Behn, a Republican from Boone, says he’s using conservation tillage practices on his farm.”The Iowa Soybean Association right now has been monitoring my tile, just exactly to find out what’s good coming out of that stuff, so don’t tell me that I’m not monitoring because I don’t care, “Behn says. “We are monitoring because we do care.” Senator David Johnson of Ocheyedan, the lone independent in the legislature, says the bill was “bought and paid for by the Farm Bureau.”

“You know I could spit in the Little Sioux River in Spencer and think I made an impact,” Johnson said. “…This isn’t a water quality bill. It falls far short of what this state needs.”Senator Randy Feenstra, a Republican from Hull who’s a banker, accused Johnson and other critics of “tramping” on farmers. “Farmers are good people and the ag economy, it’s the number one economy we have in this state and so I’m standing up here,” Feenstra says. “I’m standing up for the farmers.”

The bill’s backers say it will provide 286 million dollars for water quality projects over the next 12 years. However, there’s just a four-million dollar allotment for next year. Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey expects most of that will be used as incentives to farmers for “edge of field” projects that prevent run-off from cropland. “That’s the bio-reactors, saturated buffers, nutrient-reduction wetlands,” Northey says.

And Northey says the four million dollars in state money can leverage far more in federal funds along with the investments from landowners. As for measuring how voluntary nutrient management is working on farms, Northey says in “a big state with billions of gallons of water moving all the time,” it’s hard to chart progress at “scores” of locations.

(Radio Iowa)

w/ Extension Program Coordinator Kate Olson.

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State Representative Pat Grassley — the grandson of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley — has announced he plans to seek reelection to the Iowa House. The move ends speculation the younger Grassley is hoping the governor named him state ag secretary whenever current Iowa Ag Secretary Bill Northey leaves for a job in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas Senator Ted Cruz has for months been blocking a confirmation vote for Northey in the U.S. Senate. Two OTHER Republicans have already announced they plan to run for state ag secretary in 2018. Ray Gaesser, a farmer from Corning who’s a former president of the American Soybean Association, launched his bid last week. “Strong family farms build a strong, healthy community and grow a strong, healthy Iowa,” Gaesser says. “And I will work with farmers, with legislators, with citizens to share that message that we’re all in this together and we all have responsibilities that we can share.”

Gaesser says the goal should be a “responsible, but profitable” agricultural sector. Gaesser Farms has been nearly 100 percent no-till since 1991 and Gaesser says his family plants cover crops on about half of their corn and soybean ground. “Our goal on our farm is to have 100 percent,” Gaesser says. “We just see real value in conserving the soil, giving that blanket of protection for Mother Nature in our soil that is needed and building organic matter, sequestering nutrients, all those things of being a benefit from the practice.”

In late October, former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang announced he’s running for the Republican Party’s 2018 nomination for state ag secretary. Lang is a farmer from Brooklyn who also has served as president of the Iowa Board of Regents. No Democrat has stepped forward to announce plans to seek the elected post of state ag secretary.

(Radio Iowa)

A Guthrie County farmer, who’s resisted using synthetic chemicals for nearly two decades, is this year’s recipient of the Practical Farmers of Iowa Sustainable Agriculture Achievement Award. Earl Hafner of Panora was honored by the group Friday night at its annual meeting in Ames. Hafner recalled his decision to abandon chemicals in the late 1990s, saying the label “certified organic” quickly paid off. “People start calling you because the demand is so high…marketing is not hard because people, once they find out you have organic crops, we get all kinds of brokers calling,” Hafner said.

Jeff-and-Earl-Hafner-in-aquaponics-greenhouse

The demand for organic food continues to rise, which is good for Hafner’s bottom line. And while the 71-year-old Hafner likes making DOLLARS, he says going chemical-free just made SENSE. “I just remember when I was a kid in the 1940s and 50s very few, if any, chemicals were used. We would walk the beans and we didn’t have near the weeds in the beans that we do know,” Hafner said. Hafner farms with his son, Jeff. Their operation, called Early Morning Harvest, covers 2,000 acres and includes certified organic row crops, grass-fed cattle, hogs, and pastured poultry for egg production. The father and son also run a grain mill and an aquaponics greenhouse that includes tilapia (teh-LAH-pee-uh) — fish raised for food.

“The grain mill was my hobby and the greenhouse with tilapia was Jeff’s hobby and, you know, those hobbies just kind of went wild,” Hafner said with a laugh. “We just kept growing and expanding. “You wouldn’t think that tilapia would be in such demand, people know exactly where they’ve come from and what they’ve been fed, so there’s no river contamination or anything like that.”

The Hafner’s diversified farm also produces honey and vegetables.

(Radio Iowa)

The Cass County Conservation Board has a couple of events for you to mark on your calendar. A Full Moon Owl Prowl Hike will be held at the Cold Springs Park in Lewis,  on Thursday February 1st 2018 at 7 PM. And, a Sweethearts Snowshoe Hike will be held at the Pellett Memorial Woods outside of Atlantic, on February 17th 2018 at 7 PM.

Come out for a great night hike, who knows what nature has waiting for you! The Full Moon will light the way! Together, you and Conservation staff will hike and try to call in various species of Owls that may be in the park that night! All ages are welcome!

Snowshoes (in a variety of sizes) will be available for the Showshoe Hike. The event WILL be CANCELLED with “NO SNOW!” Both events FREE, Dress for the weather!

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A state commission told lawmakers repeated cuts to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources threatened its ability to protect the state’s air and water as the reductions have forced the agency to leave more than 100 positions vacant.

The Des Moines Register reports the Environmental Protection Commission’s annual report to the Legislature noted the DNR’s budget had been cut nearly in half, from $22 million in 2009 to $11.17 million in the current budget year. The cuts have come amid increasing concerns about the state’s polluted waterways.

The DNR handles permitting for livestock operation, enforces state and federal air and water regulations, licenses hunting and fishing and manages parks, forests and trails.

Agency cuts have come as state revenue shortfalls have forced lawmakers to repeatedly cut the budget.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The federal government wants to change the rules on how most hogs slaughtered for meat in the U.S. are processed. Some of the U.S. Department of Agriculture proposals released Friday are similar to those enacted in 2014 for poultry processors. One rule allows pork processors to voluntarily enact a new inspection system placing plant employees in charge of removing animals unfit for slaughter, and allows companies to set their own processing line speeds.

The USDA says the proposed rules would streamline production without compromising food safety. Critics say similar poultry industry changes gave companies too much control over food safety. Another proposed rule would require processing plants to implement new procedures for preventing bacterial contamination of meat.

The USDA is taking comments and has no date set for implementation.