Ag + Environment
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.
Last year brought 6 inches extra rain to Iowa
A new state report shows Iowa got six inches more rain than usual in 2019. It was the 12th-wettest year on record, with 41.5 inches of rain, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and partners reported. “2019 was a very wet year, but so was 2018. The last two years combined were the wettest two […]
Environmentalists: DNR failing to protect public
Iowa environmentalists charge that the state government is directly threatening the health of swimmers and other recreationalists by failing to adequately inform the public of risks and by falling behind on a federally required warning system. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources “is not meeting its legal obligation to submit the (impaired waters) list by […]
DNR investigates red stream in Davenport
State environmental investigators are still looking into what caused a red sheen on Crow Creek in northern Davenport on Tuesday. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the city of Davenport reported that the pollution appears to be a nontoxic dye from a nearby property. No harm to the environment is expected, but state officials […]
Veterinary board won’t initiate probe of zoo vet
The Iowa Board of Veterinary Medicine will not initiate its own investigation into the veterinarian who worked for the recently shuttered Cricket Hollow Zoo in Manchester. The board chairman, Dr. Keith Leonard of Atlantic, said Tuesday that no one has complained to the board about the veterinary care at the privately run zoo, and the […]
Lawmakers assess business groups’ agendas
Iowa’s business groups are largely in agreement on what they think lawmakers should do for commerce in the session that starts Jan. 13. They are hungry for another round of tax cuts. They need workers, badly, and that means finding a way to coax potential employees of all ages to move to, and stay, in […]
Now’s the time to have your say about hemp
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is accepting comments on hemp production in Iowa. You have until 4:30 p.m. Jan. 22 to make your point. Iowa has asked federal agriculture officials for permission to allow hemp production in a state known more for corn, soybeans and hay. The U.S. Department of Agriculture must […]
State parks start centennial with record crowd
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ First Day Hikes kicked off the state parks’ 2020 centennial celebration with a record 4,358 hikers at 49 parks. Last year’s walks drew 1,400. The biggest crowd at a single park in this, the event’s ninth year, came at Walnut Woods with 410 hikers. DNR rangers attributed mild weather […]