Ag + Environment
Environmentalists wonder: Is state hiding bad nitrate news?
An annual report assessing the progress of the state’s voluntary Nutrient Reduction Strategy — the nucleus of Iowa’s water-quality efforts — is running late and stirring questions about worsening pollution. Staffers at the nonprofit Iowa Environmental Council said the report is months beyond the window in which it used to be released. They fear the […]
Langston named to lead FuelIowa
Ronald Langston has been named president and CEO of FuelIowa, effective Jan. 20. He succeeds 25-year organization veteran Dawn Carlson, who will leave in February to focus on her family and her equestrian business, River Heights Ranch. FuelIowa is an industry group aiding and promoting business in gasoline, diesel, propane, ethanol, biodiesel and other liquid […]
USCMA gets final Senate approval, awaits president’s signature
The U.S. Senate overwhelmingly approved the U.S.-Canada-Mexico Agreement Thursday, sending the historic pact to President Trump for his signature. The agreement, which replaces the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but has some similarities to it, is big news in Iowa. Canada and Mexico are the top markets for Iowa goods and commodities. Gov. Kim […]
Iowans praise signing of initial China deal
Reaction from Iowa on President Trump’s signing of the initial trade deal with China and was quick and mostly positive, with a dose of time-will-tell. The phase one deal includes a promise from China that it will double its purchases from U.S. farmers in the first year, CNN reported. China is one of the largest […]
Legislators call governor’s agenda ‘bold’ but stop short of pledging passage
Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday announced what may be her most ambitious agenda to date, centered around a one-cent sales tax increase that would be offset by cuts in income taxes, property taxes and other state revenue streams. Her proposals focus significantly on workforce development, environmental challenges and mental health, but also delve into abortion […]
Reynolds backs major water quality initiative, reviews mixed
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday called for a sales tax increase to fund $150 million in annual water quality, conservation and outdoor recreation work. The 1 percentage point increase in sales tax would be offset by accelerated cuts in income taxes and trims in property taxes associated with mental health programs, which also would […]
Bill would create special driver’s license for teen farm workers
For Iowa teenagers helping their families out on the farm, there’s a new bill that would create a new special license that could let them drive a vehicle up to 50 miles in Iowa. The bill, introduced by Iowa Sen. Tim Kapucian, R-Keystone, authorizes the Iowa Department of Transportation to issue a “special minor farm […]
NRCS seeks comment on conservation easement rule
The U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service will accept public comments through March 6 on its interim rule on the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, part of changes in the 2018 farm bill. “Through easements, agricultural landowners are protecting agricultural lands from development, restoring grazing lands and returning wetlands to their natural conditions,” NRCS Chief Matthew Lohr […]
Iowa Legislature 2020: IWILL or IWON’T?
IWILL or IWON’T? That’s a dilemma for Iowa Republican legislators as they open their new session in an election year that could challenge their majority. Will they raise the state sales tax a penny to pay for expensive water quality and mental-health programs? Or won’t they? Here are a few factors lawmakers may consider as […]
Don’t let special interests hijack natural resources fund
I have lived and worked on a small Sac County farm for the past 41 years. During our time on the farm, my family has restored wetlands and used sustainable farming methods. We have planted native trees and shrubs and worked to restore native fish habitats for endangered species. We have planted native grasses in […]
What’s Gov. Kim Reynolds got to worry about?
Gov. Kim Reynolds doesn’t seem to have a lot of worries these days. She’s starting the second legislative session of her four-year term. Her Republican Party controls both chambers of the Legislature. And her campaign just announced record-breaking fundraising for this stage of any Iowa governor’s term. Reynolds sat down with Iowa Capital Dispatch recently […]
‘How do you hide five grizzly bears?’
Many animals from the now-closed Cricket Hollow zoo were unaccounted for when animal-welfare groups arrived to relocate them. “It was apparent that the lion’s share of the animals – no pun intended – were missing when we first arrived there,” said Amanda Howell, an attorney for the Animal Legal Defense Fund.