NOTES FROM NATIONAL AUDUBON

National Audubon sent the following information . Notice how important birding is to the Iowa economy.

“Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis Released July 15 by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service, the report shows that an astounding one of out of every five Americans watches birds. It reveals that birdwatchers contributed $36 billion to the U.S. economy in 2006 alone, the most recent year for which economic data are available.

The report - Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis (http://library.fws.gov/Pubs/birding_natsurvey06.pdf) shows that total participation in birdwatching is strong at 48 million, and remaining at a steady 20 percent of the U.S. population since 1996.

Participation rates vary, but are generally greater in the northern half of the country. The five top states with the greatest birding participation rates include Montana (40 percent), Maine (39 percent), Vermont (38 percent), Minnesota (33 percent) and Iowa (33 percent).

The report identifies who birders are, where they live, how avid they are, and what kinds of birds they watch. In addition to demographic information, this report also provides an estimate of how much birders spend on their hobby.

Audubon Guides

Audubon has created a site with electronic versions of their field guides. These can be accessed from www.audubonguides.com .

Applications are also available for the I Phone and the IPOD Touch. I am trying to figure out if they can be used on other devices.

Prairie Preview

The 27th Prairie Preview will return to the Parkview Church in Iowa City. This years speaker will be Bill Witt who will speak about his new book, "Enchanted by Prairie". For more information about the 2010 Prairie Preview visit the Johnson County Heritage Trust (JCHT) website - www.jcht.org or call the JCHT office at 319-338-7030.

News from the legislature

Dear Friends:

 This is a quick update to let you know about the status of several energy and environmental bills, to share my call for individual action to combat flooding, and to invite you to several upcoming energy and environmental events.

 PENDING LEGISLATION

 SF2316 -- Floodplain Management -- This bill came from the recommendations of the Water Resources Coordinating Council on how to reduce future flood damage.  Some key provisions, as amended, provide for the Department of Natural Resources to develop a model ordinance for regulating the 500-year flood plain; require new critical health and safety facilities to be built to withstand the 500-year flood; and establish watershed demonstration pilot projects to reduce flooding and improve water quality.  It passed the Senate last week on  a 26-20 vote, and now goes to the House Rebuild Iowa Committee for consideration.

 SF2265 - Smart Planning Principles -- This bill would adopt smart planning principles - such as collaboration, diverse housing and transportation, protection of natural resources, sustainable design, and energy efficiency - for cities and counties to consider as they develop local land use plans.  This bill passed the Senate 39-7, and is now pending in the House Local Government Committee.

 SF2317 -- Watershed Management Authorities -- This bill provides for voluntary associations of cities, counties, and soil and water conservation districts to organize on a larger HUC-8 watershed basis.  This bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0, and it has now passed out of the House Rebuild Iowa Committee on a 9-8 vote.

 HF2459 - Watershed Planning Advisory Council -- This bill would establish a watershed planning advisory council to make recommendations annually to the Legislature and state agencies about improving water quality and assigning responsibility for assessing flood risk and implementing flood mitigation.  It passed the House 81-15 and is now pending in Senate Environment and Energy Committee.

 HF2399/SF2314 - Nuclear Generation Study Rate Recovery -- This bill, as amended by H-8274, would provide an electric utility company operating under a rate freeze agreement (i.e., Mid-American) with the right to recover one-half of one percent on their electric bills (or approximately $15 million) in order to pay for a study of adding a new nuclear power plant in Iowa.  It is now eligible for debate in either the House or Senate.

 INDIVIDUAL ACTION TO COMBAT FLOODING

 Iowa has been devastated by flooding, not only in 2008, but repeatedly over the last 20 years.  Since 1990, there have been 13 Presidential disaster declarations due to flooding.  We have been warned that as the climate continues to change, Iowa can expect more precipitation – especially more winter precipitation – that will even further increase the risk of flooding.  This year, the National Weather Service has projected that the risk of flooding is significantly elevated due to heavy winter precipitation.

 While we pursue legislation that will hopefully reduce flood risk in the long run, that does not address the risk of flooding in 2010.  There is so much urgency to this issue that we need to ask all Iowans to participate – homeowners, farmers, landowners, city and county officials.  I want every Iowan to ask himself or herself, after the floods of 2008, what can you do to try to prevent the next catastrophic flood in our state?  If the flood of 2008 does not get us to change, what will?

 On February 2, I hosted Jean Wiedenheft, Margaret Wolter, and Don Johnson from the Indian Creek Nature Center at the Capitol for a press conference and in my Senate Rebuild Iowa Committee to introduce the Nature Center's "Million Gallon Challenge" for personal action to reduce possible flood damage this year.  The Nature Center is challenging the public to hold a million gallons of water in the Indian Creek watershed to reduce future flood damage.  The centerpiece of the campaign is Moby, a rain barrel, which the Nature Center has arranged to sell for $100 each.  Although some have been critical of rain barrels because they do not divert enough water from a future flood, it is also true that, as the Nature Center points out, "every gallon counts."  For more information, visit www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org/rain_barrel.

 A million gallons equals slightly more than three acre-feet of water.  If we need to hold 100,000 acre-feet of water in the Cedar River Watershed, and if we can hold the million gallons through rain barrels, then we only have 99,997 more acre-feet to hold through other strategies like detention basins, rain gardens, green roofs, pervious pavement, directing discharge pipes onto vegetation rather than concrete, restoring wetlands, and planting prairie grasses and other perennial grasses.  I hope you will consider taking part in one or more of these actions to reduce future peak flooding and help safeguard our state from future flood damage.

 UPCOMING EVENTS

A Watershed Year, Tuesday, March 9, 6:30 to 8:00 p.m., State Historical Society, East Sixth and Locust, Des Moines. This program includes presentations from Connie Mutel, editor of A Watershed Year: Anatomy of the Iowa Floods of 2008, Prof. Gene Takle, Iowa State University, and Witold Krajewski, Director, Iowa Flood Center.  This event is free and open to the public.

Sierra Club Annual Dinner, Saturday, March 20, 5:30 to 8:00 p.m., Clark Alumni House, Coe College, Cedar Rapids.  The speaker for the dinner is Dr. Kamyar Enshayan, professor of environmental studies at the University of Northern Iowa, director of the Center for Energy and Environmental Education, and a member of the Cedar Falls City Council.  His talk is entitled, "A New Vision for the Cedar River Watershed."  Tickets are $30.  For more information, or to buy tickets, please contact Mike Wyrick at mikewyrick@gmail.com or call 393-8948.

University of Iowa Office of Sustainability, Monday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., State Capitol, Des Moines.  Students from the University of Iowa will be setting up displays at the Capitol, and students who attended the climate negotiations in Copenhagen in December will be presenting their real-life experiences from noon to 1 p.m. in Room 116 at the Capitol.

1st Annual Corridor Earth Celebration, Saturday, April 24, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Teamsters Hall, 5000 J Street SW, Cedar Rapids.  This celebration will include green vendors, music, food, eco-activities, and rain garden and rain barrel demonstrations.  Admission is free.  For more information, contact Emy Sautter at Prairiewoods at 395-6700.

Cedar River Watershed Coalition Meeting, Friday, April 30, 1 to 4 p.m., Center for Energy and Environmental Education, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls.  The purpose of the Cedar River Watershed Coalition is to facilitate cooperation within the watershed and to promote watershed planning and management, local, state, and federal policies, and land practices to reduce future flood damage and improve water quality.  Please mark your calendars for this meeting now, and a more detailed agenda will be available soon.

I hope this information is helpful.  As always, if you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to contact me.  I look forward to hearing from you.

Rob

State Senator Rob Hogg

State Capitol

Des Moines, IA 50319

(515) 281-3371 (switchboard)

rob.hogg@legis.state.ia.us