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More Help Sought for Conservation Education
DES MOINES - Among actions taken by this year's Resources Enhancement And Protection (REAP) Congress is a request to the Iowa Legislature to increase funding for conservation education. REAP provides funding to cities, counties and state conservation efforts, as well as to landowners and conservation organizations and individuals. It is currently funded at $18 million in appropriations from state gaming revenues and about $1 million from natural resource license plates. Two new license plates were unveiled at the Congress by Lt. Gov Patty Judge. The funding is distributed among 8 program areas; conservation education is one of those. "These delegates were elected by 650 Iowans from every corner of the state. They represent the people's voice on how Iowans want REAP to function," explained Ross Harrison, DNR REAP coordinator. "They saw the need to increase the annual allotment to education from $350,000 to $500,000, then to keep the formula for the rest of the funding exactly as it has been since 1989 when REAP became law." Harrison added that the delegates recommended full funding of REAP at $20 million per year, continued emphasis on acquisition of public conservation lands, and endorsed the Iowa Water and Land Legacy (IwiLL) constitutional amendment that would further increase conservation funding if approved by voters in November. The REAP Congress is comprised of five delegates elected this past fall from each of 17 meetings around the state. Sixty three of the 85 delegates attended, braving the coldest day of the year with many roads still in bad shape, to voice their directions on REAP to Gov. Culver, the legislature, and Natural Resource Commission as required by the REAP Act. The Congress also accepted a series of recommendations from a young-adult group to improve the level of activity among young Iowans in natural resources policy.
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