“Seeds for the Future - Roots of the Past”
The 17th North American Prairie Conference
Plans are well underway for the July 16-20 NAPC Conference at NIACC in
Mason
City, Iowa.
We’re packing alot of prairie fun into that week! Paul Christiansen has
organized six pre-conference field trips and nine are planned for Tuesday.
Neil
Bernstein and Tom Rosburg are currently receiving and reviewing abstracts for
the concurrent presentations. TomRosburg and Daryl Smith will give the opening
and closing plenary talks, and there will be an out-of-state speaker for the
banquet. Concurrent session themes include Prairie Heritage and Culture,
featuring Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School Architecture, Landowner Projects,
Prairie Education, Management and Reconstruction and more! You might want to
dust off your favorite prairie photos, or snap some more, for the photography
contest! IPN is even planning a silent auction to benefit our own Iowa prairie
remnants, and there will be several exhibits of prairie art for your
enjoyment.
Fifty REAP grants will provide $100 each to Iowa K-12 teachers who attend
the conference. Please encourage teachers in your area to apply for this great
opportunity. We invite novice and veteran prairie enthusiasts of any teaching
discipline to apply. Graduate credit will also be available.
Full registration materials are now ready. To keep costs down, we are
only
mailing to those who request that information. Please contact Carol Schutte at
515-422-4319, schutcar@niacc.cc.ia.us, or NIACC, 500 College Drive, Mason
City,
Iowa, 50401.
You can also request materials from the conference web site:
http://www.niacc.com/prairie2000/ . We certainly hope many of you are already
planning your trip to Mason City!
IN MEMORIAM
Iowa prairies and prairie people have lost a very good friend. Kyle
Swanson, who worked at the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation for seven years,
was
killed in an automobile accident on March 13th. He contributed his remarkable
enthusiasm, dedication, and knowledge to many different projects that
benefited
prairies and conservation. He will be greatly missed. If you would like to
express your sympathy to his family, or make a contribution in his name,
please
contact the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation at 515-288-1846.
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Buffers, Tree-planting, and Prairie Remnants -- New Iowa Rules Can Help
by Cindy Hildebrand
(This article is dedicated to Kyle Swanson, who worked very hard to help
develop these rules. See IN MEMORIAM.)
Several years ago, marginal pastures became eligible for enrollment as
riparian buffers in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). This was an
excellent idea that promised real benefits for water quality, soil
conservation,
and habitat.
Those benefits are becoming reality. Unfortunately, there is a
significant
flaw in the law that governs the CRP riparian marginal pasture program. That
flaw is a federal requirement that trees and shrubs be planted on enrolled
pastures.
This requirement was undoubtedly well-intended. But it is causing serious
problems for landowners, agencies, and prairie people in Iowa and other
states.
The reason is that some marginal pastures are never-plowed prairie remnants.
This is especially true of hilly and/or wet pastures next to creeks and
rivers,
which are likely to be enrolled as riparian buffers.
Even prairie pastures that have been overgrazed can sometimes recover to
a
remarkable degree once the overgrazing has ended. Some prairie pastures have
impressive quality, and shelter rare plants and animals. And prairie pastures
of
lesser quality still have significant value as original prairie remnants.
Trees and shrubs are excellent buffer plantings, and are the best choice
in
some situations. But requiring the planting of trees and shrubs on all
marginal
pastureland does not make sense, for several reasons. Prairie plants are well
able to protect soil and water, and can often do so more effectively than
woody
species. Planting trees and shrubs where they aren't needed is expensive for
both landowners and taxpayers. And unnecessary tree and shrub plantings can
result in unnecessary herbicide use.
Tallgrass prairie is a globally-endangered ecosystem, so it deserves
protection wherever it survives. Prairie-dependent wildlife species are
declining, and need more habitat, not less. And it is illogical for one
government program to require landowners to damage or destroy prairie remnants
at the same time that other programs are encouraging and funding prairie
remnant
protection.
Iowa soil conservation officials are well aware of the problems caused by
the tree-planting requirement. But because it is a federal requirement, they
can't overturn it. To the credit of these officials and other members of the
State Technical Committee, the Committee developed and adopted state rules
that
can significantly soften the impact of the tree-planting requirement on Iowa
prairie remnants.
The state rules say that if a CRP riparian buffer area contains remnants
of
native prairie vegetation, it can be planted differently than riparian areas
without such vegetation. It can be planted with select woody prairie species,
such as leadplant and pasture rose, as well as or instead of native trees and
shrubs. Whatever woody species are planted can be planted at a much lower
density. The rules also say that the woody plantings are not to be planted
directly into the native remnants.
These state rules can't solve all the problems caused by the federal
tree-planting requirement. Only a repeal of the requirement can do that. But
these rules can certainly help to protect Iowa's marginal pasture prairie
remnants. For that reason, the Iowa Prairie Network Board presented a letter
of
thanks to the Committee, which is printed below. We also presented each member
of the Committee with a copy of the prairie issue of THE IOWAN (March/April,
1999).
As Iowa moves ahead to encourage the enrollment and installation of
thousands of additional acres of buffers along our waterways, our water
quality
should improve significantly. At the same time, more prairie-related questions
may arise. To what extent are the state rules that protect prairie remnants
actually being used across Iowa? Are all the people who work with landowners,
paid and volunteer, familiar with these rules?
Does more need to be done to make sure that the benefits of the rules
are
reaching landowners, agencies, and prairie remnants? And what can we do to
encourage the repeal of the federal tree-planting requirement? How can we
encourage ecologically-literate and appropriately flexible regulations for all
buffer areas?
As another aspect of the CRP buffer program, rowcropped land along
waterways is being planted with buffer strips of prairie species. How many of
these buffers are being planted next to native prairie remnants? To what
extent
can or should the use of local-ecotype seed for such buffers be encouraged?
How
are current buffer rules and regulations affecting the use of local-ecotype
seed?
I am gathering information about buffers and prairie remnants for a
discussion at the North American Prairie Conference in July. I would very much
appreciate your personal observations, experiences, and ideas. To reach me,
please see the IPN Board information in this newsletter. Thank you!
SUMMER 2000 AT IOWA LAKESIDE LABORATORY
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory was one of the first private summer field
stations in the United States. Professor Thomas H. Macbride of the University
of Iowa and a number of biologists from other Iowa colleges established
Lakeside
in 1909. In 1936 Lakeside became a state institution, and today it is run
cooperatively by Iowa State University, the University of Northern Iowa, and
the
University of Iowa through the Iowa State Board of Regents. Since its
foundation, Lakesideís mission has been to provide students an opportunity to
get hands-on experience working with Iowaís natural and human environments
through its field-oriented summer courses and to provide research facilities
and
support for graduate students and faculty working on research projects in
northwestern Iowa.
Five sections of the Natural History Workshop, each on a different aspect
of the natural history of Iowa will be taught in 2000. There are no
prerequisites, and each section can be taken for credit or non-credit.
Amphibians and Reptiles, August 13-18
Nature Photography, August 13-18
Mushrooms and Other Fungi, August 13-18
Prairies and Prairie Restoration, August 13-18
Field Archaeology, May 29-June 2, June 4-9, or May 29-June 9
Other courses being offered during the summer of 2000 are:
First Term: May 21-June 16
Archaeology
Behavioral Ecology
Ecology
ntroduction to Environmental Planning
Illustrating Nature: Sketching (Meets May 21- June 2)
Illustrating Nature: Photography (Meets June 4-16)
Wetland Ecology
Second Term: June 18-July 14
Aquatic Biology
Ecology and Systematics of Diatoms
Fish Ecology
Plant Taxonomy
Prairie Ecology
Third Term: July 16-August 11
Amphibians and Reptiles
Field Mycology
Physical Geology
Plant Ecology
Soil Genesis and Landscape Relationships
Other Short Courses
Diatom Clinic, July 16-21
Introduction to GIS Modeling, May 21-26
An Adult Nature Weekend will be held August 18-20, 2000. This is an
opportunity to participate in field trips to various natural areas in the Iowa
Great Lakes region supplemented by evening interpretive programs. Learn more
about Iowaís natural history from some of the leading naturalists in the state
while in a relaxed and congenial setting.
For more information on courses at Iowa Lakeside Laboratory, please
contact
the Administrative Office, 131 Bessey Hall, Iowa State University, Ames, IA
50011-1020; phone: 515-294-2488; email: lakeside@iastate.edu; Web site:
http://www.lakeside.iastate.edu.
SUNDAY SEMINARS
Summer 2000 at
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
1838 Highway 86
Milford, IA 51351-7267
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Waitt Water Quality Lab Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
Date Topic
June 4 Recovery of prairie wetland ecosystems after restoration by Dr.
Susan
Galatowitsch, University of Minnesota
June 11 The importance of small mammals in grassland ecosystems by Dr. Brent
Danielson, Iowa State University
June 25 Long-term drought history of the Great Plains by Dr. Sheri Fritz,
University of Nebraska
July 9 Water quality in streams: Aquatic insects as bioindicators by Dr.
Kurt
Pontasch, University of Northern Iowa
July 23 Predators, pollywogs, and plasticity: Predator-induced defenses in
Tadpoles by Dr. Any McCollum, Cornell College
July 30 Reconstructing Iowaís prairies by Dr. Tom Jurik, Iowa State
University
WILD WEDNESDAYS
Summer 2000 at
Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
1838 Highway 86
Milford, IA 51351-7267
Time: 7 p.m.
Place: Waitt Water Quality LabIowa Lakeside Laboratory
Presenter Environmental Coordinator Iowa Lakeside Laboratory
Date Topic
June 14 Looking back ñ native Americans and the lakes
June 21 Sticks in the mud: life at the bottom of lakes
June 28 Staying in touch ñ life on and under rocks
July 5 The secret life of some fish
July 12 Born free floating ñ life as a plankter
July 19 Hopping mad: Frog and Toad visit NW Iowa
July 28 Too much of a good thing ñ algal blooms
August 2 Have aliens invaded the Iowa Great Lakes?
Savanna Conference Held February 22
by Jim Nedtwig
About 50 participants joined DNR prairie guru Jean Eells in Webster City
on
February 22 for a conference about Iowa savannas. Small discussion groups
exchanged ideas on topics including a definition of a savanna, savanna
management, fire, herbicides, disposal of cut wood, limited grazing as a
potential management tool, and whether restoration of a severely degraded
savanna is worth the time and money required.
The major deterrents to savanna restoration seem to be (in no particular
order) 1) the amount of labor required to clear undesirable woody species 2)
getting a fire through a savanna 3) a sense of hopelessness when faced with a
severely overgrown savanna 4) negative public reaction to removal of
undesirable
trees and shrubs 5) identifying degraded savanna remnants. Savanna restoration
and reconstruction techniques are relatively new and changing. This
conference
was a great educational tool. Thank you Jean.
For a listing of plant species potentially found in Iowa oak savannas,
see: Delong, K.T., and
C. Hooper. 1996 "A Potential Understory Flora for Oak Savanna in Iowa".
Journal
of the Iowa Academy of Science 103:9-28.
Eddyville Bypass Update
by Glenda Buenger and Pat McAdams
After the public comment period for the 404 permit, the Rock Island Corps
of Engineers sent a letter to the IDOT stating that the bypass project did not
meet federal guidelines which restrict permit issuance to the least
environmentally damaging practicable alternative. The Corps’ letter indicated
that the Far East Alternative might be a better pick.
In February, IDOT Director Mark Wandro proposed building the Far East.
Director Wandro pointed out that the Far East would be safer and cheaper to
build, and could be constructed in the same amount of time as the Near East
Alternative. The City of Eddyville still wants the IDOT to build the Near East
Alternative. After all the concern about traffic past the elementary school,
Eddyville says that the Far East Alternative would remove too much traffic
from
town.
The Near East is the route that was moved slightly west to avoid the
orchid
swale at 182nd St. The Far East, for the most part, skirts the Dunes along
their
eastern boundary. Although both routes locate an interchange at the Teno
property (the sand prairie and wetlands north of the Eddyville cemetery), the
Far East route would have less overall impact on the Dunes.
We are in a “wait and see” mode while discussions take place. As always,
thank you for your support!
IPN Board Meeting Minutes
by Glenda Buenger, recording secretary
The IPN Board met Jan. 15 at the IDNR State Nursery, Ames. Present:
Casey,
Sue, Pam White (Region 6), Cindy, Jim, Dave H., Glenn, Chad, Erma, Trish
Patrick
(Region 5); David Z. was present to give Region 1 report.
John W., IDNR, updated us on IDNR Forestry and Prairies Division work.
The
main goals are: 1) increase awareness, identification, and management of
prairie
remnants; 2) help establish high-quality prairies; and 3) encourage use of
local
ecotype seed.
Sue has been attending IEC (Iowa Environmental Council; IPN is a member
organization) meetings. Sue reported on recent topics such as the Clean Water
Initiative.
Discussion re: Treasurer/Membership position. Duties are now in process
of
transfer to Sue and Pam (Region 6). State IPN address will be changed to Sue’s
home address. P. O. Box at Mason City will be maintained during transition.
REGIONAL REPORTS:
Region 1: David Z. reports on Loess Hills work to create a workshop to
educate landowners about conservation options.
Region 2: Dave H. updates on Project CLEAR and goal to contact each
County
Conservation Board in Region 2.
Region 4: Glenn reports on LHPS (Loess Hills Preservation Society) work.
Glenn and Chad are both on Stewardship Committee of LHA (Loess Hills
Alliance);
work on stewardship resource directory. Chad reports on prescribed fire
equipment caches and wildfire training workshop he is organizing. Discussion
of
fire issues.
Region 5: Jim reports on IDNR meeting re: Iowa Legislature proposals and
funding, handout describing Iowa Water Monitoring Plan 2000. Trish and Cindy
report on upcoming CIPN (Region 5) winter meeting, silent auction to help
purchase INHF (Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation) tract near Effigy Mounds.
Region 6: Pam and Sue report on Lucas Co. Pioneer Cemetery Preservation
Commission plans to bulldoze cemeteries and their letter-writing effort to
suggest alternative to bulldozing. Pam reports on successful Mahaska
Co./Region
6 workday clearing brush at Centennial Cemetery. Discussion of pioneer prairie
cemetery issues. Need for county surveys of pioneer prairie cemeteries.
Region 7: New Board member Don Bardole absent because of raptor work on
Mississippi. Casey will display IPN info at upcoming Prairie Preview in Iowa
City.
Discussion of upcoming North American Prairie Conference; will finalize
plans at April Board meeting.
http://www.iowaprairienetwork.org: Casey updates Board on website progress.
March 4,5: Board retreat at Sue’s is open to all IPN members interested
in
visioning with us.
Next Board meeting is April 8. All IPN members are welcome to attend. As
you can see, we cover quite a bit of territory (from cemeteries to fire to
buffer strips) and these notes are necessarily brief. Please contact your
Board
members if there’s an issue you want to know more about or want to network on.
Wildflower Posters
Set of Wildflower Posters 1.) Prairie wildflowers with blooming heights
2). Savanna plants and wildlife 3). Xeric community species 4). Blooming
dates chart. A Living Roadway trust Fund project Artwork by Mark Muller. For
a
free set call: Iowa Department of Transportation (515) 239-1768.
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Loess Hills Alliance
by Chad Graeve
In western Iowa the Loess Hills Alliance is beginning some exciting
programs. The Alliance is a grassroots organization of members from all walks
of life who have varying interests in the Loess Hills. All members have the
opportunity to participate in any/all of the four committees, which include
Economic Development, Information and Education, Stewardship, and Protection.
The Stewardship committee is currently creating the Stewardship Resource
Directory. This pamphlet will be available to help identify programs
available
to assist private landowners with stewardship practices. It identifies
various
conservation agencies serving as resources and financial assistance programs
and
tax credits related to natural areas management.
In an effort to help restore the natural element that wildfires
contributed
to the landscape, the Stewardship committee will begin providing prescribed
fire
training for conservation agency personnel and for private landowners. It is
anticipated that these workshops and training sessions will be held twice each
year. Additionally, the Stewardship committee will create a cache of fire
equipment in each county within the Loess Hills. This equipment will be made
available to private landowners (after they complete training) so they may
begin
restoring fire on their piece of the landscape.
The stewardship committees most exciting project to date is the creation
of
the Loess Hills Alliance Intern Program. This summer ten college-age interns
and two crew leaders will roam the Loess Hills in an effort to provide
on-the-ground management assistance to private landowners, public agencies,
and
private organizations. This crew will focus on stewardship of natural areas
in
the Loess Hills and is modeled after The Nature Conservancy ís highly
successful
Anna Beale Intern Program.
Besides these projects the Stewardship Committee is considering Grazing
Workshops, a prescribed fire intern crew, and a document addressing trail
placement and maintenance techniques appropriate for the Loess Hills.
Loess Hills Seminar
by Chad Graeve
The Loess Hills Seminar is an annual gathering designed to provide dozens
of
educational family oriented programs to the public. Typically presentations
are
informal, very informative, and focus on natural history interpretation
relating
to the Loess Hills landform. However, presentations range from literature to
ecology, yoga to history, reptiles to prairies, prehistoric native Americans
to
fly fishing, and mushrooms to music. Last year there were more than 50
facilitators who presented over 70 programs throughout the 2 1/2 day event.
It's almost guaranteed you will find more programs you are interested in than
you have time to attend, and if you don't, well then you won't have to return
next year. Many people stay for the weekend and pitch a tent at the Loess
Hills Wildlife Area. It is primitive camping and guests get a very real feel
for the Loess Hills. People are encouraged to bring plenty of drinking water.
There is no registration fee, but donations are accepted and encouraged to
help
defray expenses. Meals are available through pre-registration but people are
free to bring their own vittles as well. For more details contact: Gloria
Kistner with Western Hills Area Education Agency at 1520 Morningside Avenue in
Sioux City, IA 51106 or kistnerg@aea12.k12.ia.us.
IPN Seeking People to Get Involved
The Network is trying to come up with some more educational tools to
educate people about prairie. We need people to help develop some of these new
tools to get the word out about our prairie heritage and how important it is.
If
you would like to help, please contact a board member listed in this
newsletter.
IDNR Forests and Prairies Update
The IDNR Forests and Prairies Division completed a series of frequent
training sessions through summer and early fall and the landowner reports
coming
in are looking good. District Foresters have worked with 300
landowners and more than 3,300 acres in the first six months, including
several
remnants. In all, the Division folks have graciously adapted to adding new
prairie responsibilities to already full plates. Many of the foresters are
simply polishing up their existing skills in prairie that they'd just not been
credited for having! Collectively, they very much appreciate the support
coming
from the IPN and look forward to future cooperative ventures.
Three tenets are being followed as the foresters work with landowners. 1)
If
a prairie remnant is discovered, the landowner is informed of this and
encouraged to manage and protect the remnant. 2) If a new planting is
considered, landowners are encouraged to seek local ecotype seed first. 3) In
all cases of working with prairie, landowners are encouraged to manage or
plant
for the maximum diversity they can afford (for all kinds of critters and
plants). As always, the private landowners have the final say and may choose
management that doesn't favor the prairie, but at least these guidelines offer
one more chance for Iowa prairies.
By the time you read this newsletter, nearly 90 Iowans will have received
formal fire training in courses this spring. For our part, Gail Kantak, Fire
Supervisor and Conservation Education Forester, is working towards the goals
of
better communications with fire departments, continued fire equipment
distribution, and addressing the needs of private landowners for burn
training,
burn assistance. Also being discussed within the Forests and Prairies Division
are alternative management recommendations in situations where burning is just
not possible or wise.
The most exciting potential exists for new research and conservation
practices in the arena of savannas -- that intriguing mix of prairie, trees,
and
species unique to the dappled sunshine ecosystems. IDNR Forests and
Prairies Division hosted a savanna discussion with 60 people from state and
federal agencies, non-profits, colleges, and private landowners. The foresters
have much experience to contribute in managing woody stemmed species - in
encouraging and discouraging growth of trees and shrubs. Grab your nearest
forester and start a dialog about savannas, and just see what you can do
together!
Legislatively changing the name of the Division to include prairies has
been unsuccessful at this time. Proposed cuts to the general funds allotment
for
DNR makes questionable the sustainability of prairie
responsibilities in a small division. However, the session is not over and
prairie enthusiasts are still weighing in on the importance of providing
technical assistance to private landowners across Iowa. Hopefully we'll all
see
you at the North American Prairie Conference in July!
Jean Eells
2550 Stagecoach Road
Webster City, IA 50595-7375
515-832-1771
Iowa Cemetery Conference
The web page from the 1999 conference is still up, as of today, and the
address is as follows:
http://www.angelfire.com/ia/cemeteryconf
For people interested in the Iowa Cemetery conference this year contact :
Dave Bahe, Cemetery Director, 59 Riverside Avenue, Charles City, IA 50616.
Phone 515-288-7011.
Getting Ready for Springtime - Seed Stratification
by Glenda Buenger
Seeds of native prairie species have built-in dormancy mechanisms that
prevent them from germinating (sprouting) until growing conditions favor
survival of the seedling plants. This is one of Nature's ways of ensuring
species survival. Depending on the species, seeds will not break dormancy
under
too wet or too dry growing conditions, imminent winter conditions, or high
temperatures. Some seeds do best planted fresh - in general, our spring
ephemerals and many sedge species. Some seeds require light to germinate. Some
have fuzzy seedcoats which shed water or very hard seedcoats which seal water
from the embryo plant. Some hard-coated species benefit from fire, which
weakens
the seedcoat so that it can absorb water. Some seeds have chemical inhibitors
to
germination and benefit from chemical action, such as would naturally occur
during transit through a bird's digestive system, for instance. But helping
most
seeds germinate isn't complicated.
Many prairie species require about two months of cold, damp conditions
before they will germinate - what they would ordinarily experience over
winter.
You can plant late in the fall (late November in Iowa, or frost seed by end of
January) and let Mother Nature do this work. If you are planting in the
spring,
you must have artificially imitated Nature's cycle by stratifying your seed so
that it will germinate: mix seed (keep species separate) with a sterile medium
(builder's sand from lumber supply company or vermiculite from greenhouse
nursery), at a ratio of one part seed to 2-3 parts medium, and add water. A
sterile medium is recommended to prevent mold growth. The seed mixture should
be
nicely damp, but not so moist that you can squeeze water out of it. Place in
clean plastic bag and store in refrigerator for two months. Start checking
periodically after 4-5 weeks for germination - if seed has started to sprout,
you must plant. You must time this method so that germination is coordinated
with outside growing conditions if you are not using a greenhouse, and is not
advised unless you can provide water for seedling plants.
Some hard-seeded prairie species (particularly legumes) benefit from
scarification to make a hard seedcoat less impervious to water: place seed
between two sheets of medium-grade sandpaper and rub to abrade the seed.
Examine
progress with a hand lens or magnifying glass - you want to scratch, not
crush,
the seed. Then proceed with cold/moist stratification if required.
Helping seed grow is fun, and pretty soon you'll be into the serious
stuff
like the boiling water method for New Jersey tea! For help with individual
species germination requirements, several good resources are available (not
meant to be an exhaustive list nor in any particular order of recommendation):
Prairie Propagation Handbook, available from the Wehr Nature Center in
Franklin, WI. (414) 425-8550. Last time I checked, it still cost only $4.95, a
good addition to your prairie library, and close to if not already considered
a
classic.
The Tallgrass Restoration Handbook for Prairies, Savannas, and Woodlands
by
Packard and Mutel, Society for Ecological Restoration. Available from Island
Press, 1-800-828-1302; www.islandpress.org This book is already considered a
landmark of restoration knowledge.
Restoring the Tallgrass Prairie, An Illustrated Manual for Iowa and the
Upper Midwest by Shirley Shirley. Available from the University of Iowa Press,
1-800-621-2736; www.uiowa.edu/~uipress. A very useful book which contains
propagation methods and drawings of seedling plants.
Catalog and Cultural Guide, self-published by Alan Wade with members of
the
Wiscoy Valley Land Cooperative, Prairie Moon Nursery, Winona, MN. (507)
454-5238; pmnrsy@luminet.net; www.prairiemoonnursery.com;
catalog is free or you can try downloading it from the webpage if you have
Adobe
Reader. The cultural guide contains information about germination requirements
for individual prairie, woodland, and wetland species.
Letter from IPN Board Members presented to the State Technical Committee on
April 21, 1999
by Cindy Hildebrand
As state board members of the Iowa Prairie Network, we would like to
thank
the members of the State Technical Committee for your efforts to protect
potential prairie remnants on land eligible for continuous enrollment in the
Conservation Reserve Program.
By ensuring that CRP implementation decisions will include the
consideration of historic vegetation, existing prairie remnants, woody prairie
and savanna species, and ecologically sound planting densities, you are
greatly
increasing the ecological and environmental value of the continuous enrollment
CRP program. You are also helping to ensure the survival of Iowa's fragmented
native landscape and its associated wildlife.
The purpose of the Iowa Prairie Network is to learn about, teach about,
enjoy, and protect Iowa's prairie heritage. Our members especially care about
and work on behalf of Iowa's remaining prairie remnants. We greatly appreciate
the State Technical Committee's work to help ensure that riparian prairie
remnants will continue to shelter rare plant and animal species, conserve
soil,
and protect Iowa's water quality. Thank you.
Local Ecotype Seed Dealers List
by Cindy Hildebrand
Several months ago, I requested that suppliers of Iowa-ecotype seed
contact me if they wanted to be included in an IPN News list of such
suppliers.
Some have responded. The list of respondents will be available after April
30th,
via email or via regular mail, if I'm sent a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Depending on further interest and responses, a more complete list may be
available in a few months.
Engeldinger Update
by Cindy Hildebrand
The Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) held an informal public meeting on
March 8 to discuss their recommended alignment for U.S. 65 in Polk and Jasper
Counties. The segment discussed includes the vicinity of Engeldinger Marsh.
The
DOT is recommending to the Transportation Commission that the future 4-lane
road
bypass Engeldinger Marsh to the west and north, via the "Far Northwest
Alignment." That alignment is considered by the DOT to have lesser impacts on
residences, prime farmland, and high quality natural resources. The
recommendation will be presented to the Commission at their April 11 meeting
in
Fairfield. The final NEPA document should be available for public review
sometime during the first part of April. For more information, please contact
Scott Dockstader or Mike Clayton at 1-800-926-4368.
WEB SITE RESOURCES
If you have Internet access you can reach the IPN home page at
www.iowaprairienetwork.org. This is a new site so check it out. Our new
site
is still under construction but we have added the Iowa Fire Management
Listserve. It provides a convenient Internet method for people interested in
the use of fire for vegetation to share ideas, concerns, and learn from others
’
experiences.
A web site devoted to providing daily weather forecasts for burn managers
in
Iowa is now open and is providing daily forecast updates. The forecasts
include
predictions of wind and fine fuel moistures for the upcoming 60 hours for 11
Iowa locations. The site is located at http://www.netexpress.net/~okeefe/ .
You might want to visit to see if it night be helpful to your spring burn
plans.
A new web site for viewing and printing topographic maps (statewide) and
aerial photographs (where available) in Iowa is: Iowa Geographic Image Map
Server at http://ortho.gis.iastate.edu/
Use of Prescribed Fires on the Daniel Boone National Forest
http://www.r8web.com/Boone/firepres.htm
INT-GTR-341: Can We Restore the Fire Process? What Awaits Us if We Don't?
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/pubs/int_gtr341/gtr341_7.html
Oak Savanna 95 -
http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/oak/oak95/abstracts.html
Wildlife Refuge Award to IPN Member
by Cindy Hildebrand
Congratulations to Erma Selser, Volunteer of the Year for 1999 at the
Neal
Smith National Wildlife Refuge. More than 800 hours of Erma's time have been
donated to the Refuge over the past three years, and she's done a variety of
work in and out of the greenhouse, from cleaning and identifying prair