Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy coalition members are announcing a statewide series of public forums to highlight the results of last November’s 63% vote in favor of creating Iowa’s “Natural Resources & Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund” and the need for continued funding for water quality, agricultural soil conservation, and outdoor recreation programs.


The FY 2012 budgets for natural resources and agricultural programs in Iowa represents less than 1% of the state budget. Funding for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and the Iowa Department of Agriculture are at historically record lows.


In particular, budgets for the popular REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection) program are being cut dramatically immediately after passage of Iowa's Water & Land Legacy amendment. REAP funds support local conservation projects and have had success in all 99 of Iowa's counties.


Representatives from Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy coalition including members from Pheasants Forever, the Iowa Association of County Conservation Boards, Iowa’s REAP Alliance, and others will be on hand to take questions and guide discussion about “what’s next” for Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy.


Meetings will be held in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Newton, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Storm Lake, Sioux City, Muscatine and Burlington. Confirmed speakers include Mark Langgin, director, Iowa’s Water & Land Legacy and Roz Lehman, director, Iowa Rivers Revival.


The hearings will focus on several key points including, that Iowa has impaired water in all 99 counties and is losing 5 tons of topsoil per acre per year.


Question #1 on the November 2010 ballot was the Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy constitutional amendment which created a dedicated trust fund for the purposes of protecting and enhancing water quality and natural areas throughout the state including parks, trails, and fish and wildlife habitat and conserving Iowa agricultural soils.

Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy supporters consist of a bipartisan, broad-based coalition representing sportsmen, conservationists, business leaders, farmers, recreation groups and first responders.


“This November Iowans voted to clean up our water, conserve our soil, restore wetlands to help protect against future flooding and make history by voting Yes on Question #1,” said Mark Ackelson, President of Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy co-chair. “We can all get behind these priorities, yet the legislature is cutting these programs even further after this historic vote. We must preserve and protect our natural resources so we can pass on our traditions and quality of life to future generations of Iowans. This includes improving water quality, conserving our soil, and providing quality fish & wildlife habitat.”


A list of meetings follows:



  • Thursday, March 24th: 9 am – 10 am — Des Moines Izaak Walton League Education Center, 4343 George Pflagg Pkwy, Des Moines, IA; 1 pm – 2 pm — Council Bluffs Public Library
    2nd Floor Conference Room “C”
    400 Willow Avenue, Council Bluffs, IA
  • Friday, March 25th: 9 am – 10 am — Newton Public LIbrary
    100 N. 3rd Avenue West, Newton, IA; 12 pm – 1 pm — Iowa City Recreation Division, Robert A Lee Center, 220 S. Gilbert Street, Iowa City, IA; 3 pm – 4 pm — Cedar Rapids Library, Westdale Mall (Lower Level, Seuss Room) 2600 Edgewood Road, Cedar Rapids, IA
  • Tuesday, March 29:10 am – 11 am — Storm Lake Public Library
    609 Cayuga Street, Council Bluffs, IA; 1 pm – 2 pm — Morningside Library, 4005 Morningside Avenue, Sioux City, IA;
  • Thursday, March 31st: 10 am – 11 am — Muscatine, IA (Location TBA); 12 pm – 1 pm — Burlington Chamber of Commerce
    610 N. 4th Street, Suite 200, Burlington, IA